Full Time?

[Ugly Bear]

There are several reasons why I believe kilts will never become mainstream.

1. They have deep roots as ethnic attire. Most people have a general understanding that there is a strict entitlement associated with it.

2. With a few exceptions, kilts beyond the scope of ethnic costume are generally treated with disdain by the media or they are regarded as a novelty.

But the definition of what a kilt is is changing. Thanks to Utilikilts and their contemporaries, there are now kilts of completely non-ethnic identity.

3. Thay are expensive when compared to trousers.

4. There is no incentive for retailers to make them generally available off the peg.

At the moment, a retailer would not sell them, sure. But the market is growing (slowly). A tipping point will be reached when enough men realize that they are ready for a change, that they are not comfortable locked in trousers, and that all that's keeping them in trousers is sartorial dogma. I believe everyone on this board made such a decision at one point, and I believe that all men are capable of reaching the same conclusion we have. We will eventually have enough numbers that even the insecure guy can make the change. That tipping point is coming in 5-7 years.

When the tipping point comes, contemporary kilts will become market-safe, and prices will come down (this has been discussed extensively in another thread). The traditional kilts will also see an increased demand, but not as dramatic as the new market.

5. There is the fear that kilts beyond the scope of ethnic costume are seen as female attire.

6. There is the fear of being laballed idiosyncratic (along with those who immerse themselves in Star Trek attire or dress as anime characters - called "cosplay".)

7. Beyond the internet, there is nothing on the horizon with enough influence to change the above in a significant way.

There have been lots of things men have been afraid of over the years: longer hair in the '60s, shorter hair in the '80s, bike shorts, hair dryers, you name it. Each of these taboos fell when enough men adopted them. So it shall be with kilts.

In three years, I've never had anyone think I was wearing girlie clothes, or playing dress-up. Never. The only comments I've gotten regard the gutsiness in wearing a kilt, contemporary or traditional.

Nothing beyond the internet to change the above? Would Utilikilts be a success if they confined their sales to Seattle and their road shows? Would any of the new kiltmakers following their footsteps survive without the internet? Do traditional kiltmakers without a website ignore and squander a small but growing market, to their own detriment? The internet is plenty, even if it's the ONLY driving force.

Besides, what "drove" previous changes in accepted norms? Nothing, to my knowledge, "made" blue jeans acceptable as everyday wear.

The tipping point is coming. It'll take a little while, but it's on its way. Everyone who gets upset at these johnny-come-latelies in their new kilts stealing the old-timers' individuality, I say go out and find the next New Big Thing. You'll find it, I trust you.