Kilts and guts...

[GatorUK]

I much prefer the traditional tartan and that is all I own at the moment. I haven't seen that many modern kilts other than leather that have peaked my interest. For the cost of a high quality leather kilt I could get another traditional with some extra goodies. I wouldn't be adverse to wearing a modern if I found one I really liked and it retained traditional lines and pleating.

[emeraldfalconoflight]

HEAR HEAR, well said Sir.

[Miah]

I guess I qualify as a modern tartan trype.
I would wear a solid but my pocket book has held me back.
I have came real close to getting a UK but i can't get over the
thin little apron. I Like the freedom kilts but have not got around to saving up the cash to get one. I also Like the PK line as well but just same thing.
If I had my way I would have a traditional Tank made 8 yards full for cool nights and a few modern solids and my couple modern tartans.

[Andrew Breecher]

I own three tartan kilts (a tank and two Bear kilts) and two UKs. I wear my khaki UK at work exclusively, because we have to wear khaki. Otherwise, I wear the other kilts dependent on my mood, and nothing else. I've chopped wood and scrambled up mountains in my expensive tank. After walking across the entire country in a kilt and seeing it come through the event with practically no ill effects, I know that I'm not going to ruin my tank through extensive wear (and this kilt outlasted every other piece of clothing I wore, several times over).

I may wear my Workman's UK when woodworking because it's got freaking hammer loops, but I'll also wear it out and about the town, or to parties. My friends love it, and always ask me to show off how I can fit two 750ml bottles of liquor and four beers in the pockets. People on the street and in shops and at work tell me how awesome my UKs are - and they use the word "kilt" to describe them. Every once in a while people ask if it's a skirt, but that happens just as often as when I wear a tartan kilt. Some people just don't have the cultural vocabulary to recognise a kilt. I politely explain the difference to them, so the next time they won't make the mistake. I've had people use the word "kilt" to me and then proudly explain that they've been corrected in the past - they're happy to show off to me that they now know what they're talking about.

So, I make no distinction between kilts, modern or traditional. Some days I'm in the mood to wear black, sometimes, a blue tartan, sometimes an red tartan - just as some days I'm in the mood to wear a brown tee shirt, a white button-up shirt, or a black-and-white rugby shirt. I'd never wear a UK formally, but the inverse isn't true: I don't not wear a traditional informally. In my experience, others have seen all of my kilts as kilts, whether tartan or not, and it takes no more guts to wear one than the other.

Andrew.

[Freedomlover]

in my experience it takes more nerve to wear a modern (non-tartan) kilt as they don't carry the same "cultural shielding".

Nice observation, and quite true.

Question...For those who wear both, did you find it took more audacity to wear a modern kilt?

Yes. Undoubetedly, and for the reason you mentioned.

In your opinion, are your modern kilts just as much "kilts" as your tartan traditionals? Do you experience different reactions from people between the two styles?

To the first question: yes. To the second: not really. Most of the reaction I get is friendly interest or curiosity.

Wear 'em if you got 'em!

Oh, yeah! Last night I attended a dinner (arranged by me) for a group of supporters of a local radio show (WWNC, "Take a Stand, with Matt Mittan"). I usually wear a kilt to these affairs, and have never had other that a positive reaction. For example, as I walked in to the dinner, the hostess scopes me out and says, "Wow, do you look good!". Nice. But then, I did look good.

The moral? Do as you please. Few people care, and those who are so insecure that they have to hassle you just aren't worth the time it takes to respond.

[Rob Wright]

I have both traditional and contemporary kilts and as far as how people percieve them most in my area are so ignorant they cannot tell the difference. In fact, more people have called my tartan kilts skirts than my contemporary's. I think in part because one of the kilts I wear at work is a USAKilts victory and it has a patch on the back pocket with a celtic cross and the words USA Kilts .

What I wear depends on what I'm doing, I wouldn't wear wool in my line of work because of the heat and I'm personally leery of any material made out of pv and working around flame (I've seen to many burns from melted poly materials to wear the material) So I wear A victory kilt and two of Jeff's PK's.

As far as guts ,anyone where I live that refuses to be bullied and give in to the percieved proper behavior has guts.

Rob

[Blu (Ontario)]

... I wouldn't be adverse to wearing a modern if I found one I really liked and it retained traditional lines and pleating.

Moderns that I've seen cut on the traditional line are almost as much as a full traditional. I'm beginning to think that, for me, taking the time to read and follow Barb T.'s book may be the way to go... and a worthwhile investment.

[James]

Whilst a traditionalist who has embraced such developments of that tradition as the Hillwalker and Gentleman's variants: I must say that I do not see the more extreme of the variants su8ch as Utilikilt as being a kilt.

Rather I see them as a perfectly sensible male garment: but neihtre for me, nor a kilt.

James

[Rob]

I only have one kilt, and it is a traditional 15oz tartan one. In the UK, no one really looks twice at a guy in a traditional tartan kilt (well maybe twice but certainly not a third time), as they instantly recognise it as men’s wear. About twenty years ago I knew a Cornishman who had a solid black Cornish kilt, and he said that he attracted a few extra glances until people realised that it was still a traditional kilt in appearance, albeit in solid black. Certainly in the area where I live, I expect that people would probably look more than twice at a man wearing one of the modern kilts, such as a Utilikilt, as they would not recognise what it was.

I don’t think I would ever wear a modern (non-traditional looking) kilt, as I am not too keen on their appearance (call me a traditionalist), but I would be quite prepared to wear something modern (but still traditional looking) like a Kinloch Anderson Breacan, with a lower waist than the traditional kilt. However, I have not yet got around to getting one.

Rob

[jfellrath]

Interestingly, I've had the opposite experience of many of you - I find that the modern kilt seems more accepted than the traditional. This may simply be because I am not particularly observant at times (see my comments in the "how to know if a girl is hitting on you" thread of a month or so ago), but it's been my experience that most folks accept the modern more than the traditional.

When I wear my modern kilt, a khaki Utilikilt, I find that most folks just look at it as a garment, period. They may comment on it, or ask the questions about whether I play the pipes, am Irish/Scottish, etc., but they generally don't say anything. But in my traditional kilt, I find that people think I need a REASON other than "I like it" to be wearing it, and get a bit perturbed when I don't have an answer that suits them. So perhaps it's just where I wear it, but I feel more judged by folks in the traditional than in the modern.

Not that I care either way what they think about it, but it's just something I've noticed.