Kilt Do's and Don'ts

[Prester John]

I'd have to make only two comments.

Wrong colors. If you are going to do a cowboy hat, it seems to me, though I am far from being an expert, that a weathered or brownish kilt would work better -saffron, weathered Robertson hunting or weathered lamont (not an ancient Red by any means).

Secondly, I think that the boots would have to be work boots. Cowboy boots are not meant to be worn outside the boot cuff of the pantleg. Otherwise they just look like I did when I was about 4 wearing them with every pair of shorts I owned, and every other 4 year old who does the same thing.

All in all, it would be possible to make it work, but you'd have to think carefully, and the blue thing just doesn't work...for me.

Just a thought. Wear what you like !

[Pour1Malt]

I'm afraid that if you were to start mixing clothing styles of such vast difference ( like cowboy and scotsman) you wind up looking like a reject from a halloween costume contest. While his tartan looks interesting, having one's flashes peek out o'er the top of cowboy boots and I am sure some huge rodeo belt buckle, you are asking for a hell of a time when you run in to other cowboys. Even were it in good humor, it would be neverending.

Hmm..Maybe we should ask Hamish what is wrong with that picture?

ai dinnae even think aboot whit he might hae as a belt buckle... but ai bet yur richt!

ai think- the boots arr just a nay gae with a kilt... those boots arr meant tae be under trouser legs... an the hat?... well... as others hae said- the twa looks jus dinnae blend....

ai'm sure a turban wuid look jus as silly....

[Kilted KT]

ai dinnae even think aboot whit he might hae as a belt buckle... but ai bet yur richt!

ai think- the boots arr just a nay gae with a kilt... those boots arr meant tae be under trouser legs... an the hat?... well... as others hae said- the twa looks jus dinnae blend....

ai'm sure a turban wuid look jus as silly....

you are right....most cowboys I know would never wear their boots outside their trouser legs...

and a turban?? that would be hilarious!

[davedove]

you are right....most cowboys I know would never wear their boots outside their trouser legs

That's right, only "drugstore cowboys" wear their boots outside their trousers. Some people tuck in the legs so that they can show off their fancy boots, but cowboys wouldn't wear boots like that because you couldn't do any work in them.

[ronstew]

I have seen turbans on RCMP officers in full scartlet regalia and on Canadian soldiers in dress uniforms. I might have seen one on a Seaforth Highlander. Turbans with business suits or casual dress or sporting uniforms are such a common sight around here that you don't notice them.

I think that if a Sikh wanted to wear a kilt, he could look good in it - substituting his kirpan for a sgian dubh.

[macwilkin]

I have seen turbans on RCMP officers in full scartlet regalia and on Canadian soldiers in dress uniforms. I might have seen one on a Seaforth Highlander. Turbans with business suits or casual dress or sporting uniforms are such a common sight around here that you don't notice them.

I think that if a Sikh wanted to wear a kilt, he could look good in it - substituting his kirpan for a sgian dubh.

There are a couple of Sikh tartans, actually. One is the Singh tartan, designed and registered Lord Singh, who lived in Scotland and is quite the Burns devotee:

http://www.sikhspectrum.com/122002/tartan_tsher.htm

http://www.sikhspectrum.com/122002/tartan_scot.htm

A Sikh Regiment in the Indian Army, the heir to Rattray's Sikh Regiment from the days of the British Raj, has pipers that wear the Rattray tartan.

I have a picture of the Canadian journalist, T. Sher Singh, around somewhere, in full formal rig with a Singh tartan kilt and the traditional Turban, but now I can't find it.

The Scots and the Sikhs share many connections due to their service in the British Army the Raj -- same wi' the Gurkhas. And from what my grandfather told me about the Sikh policemen in India during the Second World War, if one was wearing a kilt you would regret laughing at him for sure!

Cheers,

Todd

[Alan H]

This one isn't necessarily BAD it's just...well...

uh...

Bad.



Tho I must admit there's something about the sense of humour, here....

[Hamish]

I'm afraid that if you were to start mixing clothing styles of such vast difference ( like cowboy and scotsman) you wind up looking like a reject from a halloween costume contest. While his tartan looks interesting, having one's flashes peek out o'er the top of cowboy boots and I am sure some huge rodeo belt buckle, you are asking for a hell of a time when you run in to other cowboys. Even were it in good humor, it would be neverending.

Hmm..Maybe we should ask Hamish what is wrong with that picture?

Who? Me? Oh! Well, for a start, I know absolutely nothing about Western dress and/or Cowboys (I've not seen 'Brokeback Mountain' yet!!), but I do know a little about Highland Dress and what is acceptable. To me, this sort of get-up is just NOT acceptable.

Ignoring the colours, etc., the problem here, as I see it, is that the effectiveness and attraction of Highland Dress and presumably Western Dress have been diluted and mocked. Why would anyone want to mix what I am sure are perfectly wonderful styles? Do one one day, and the other the next if you like, but not both together....... please!

Although I am not a 'hat person', I can see that, in certain climes, there might be a very good reason to wear a wide-brimmed hat - and I've no doubt a cowboy hat is as good as anything else in that category. So I don't object to the hat. It is the boots that are offensive - they are out of all proportion to the kilt and upset the visuals!

Apart from those boots, this guy has quite a good eye for colour (all things considered), and if he were to swap the boots for a reasonable pair of black shoes, he'd almost be 'there'. I'd like to see his sporran before passing final judgement, however.

I wonder if that is a genuine tartan? It is not unattractive.

[Kilted KT]

This one isn't necessarily BAD it's just...well...

uh...

Bad.



Tho I must admit there's something about the sense of humour, here....

Highland Stormtrooper...Specialized legion trained to deal with haggis eating, scotch drink, kitl wearing warriors. Seldom has this legion been successful, as their armor does not protect them from the affects of concentrated single malt, especially anything older that 12 yrs. rumor has it that photographic evidence of the Dark Lord himself having once been a member of this legion exists, although it has not been substantiated yet.

more to come as this story develops.

[macwilkin]

Gents,

There is a rather strong connection between North American Cowboys and Scotland, especially in song and music. Many of what we think of as "traditional" cowboy/western songs are actually Scots and Irish ballads. For instance, "The Streets of Laredo" is the same tune as the old Irish song, "The Bard of Armagh". " The Scottish whaling song, "Farewell to Tarwhathie" (sic?) is also "The Railroad Corral". There is even a cowboy song in Scots Gaelic, "Farewell to Coigach", written in before the First World War by a cowboy named Murdo Maclean. If you want to hear some of these "crossover" songs, check out:

www.cowboyceltic.com

Cowboy Celtic is my favourite Celtic group, bar none. Another good source is Rob Gibson, who wrote the book "Plaids and Bandanas: from Highland drover to wild west cowboy", published by Luath Press (http://www.luath.co.uk/) Mr. Gibson also has a CD of "cowboy celtic" music of the same name. Michael Martin Murphy also frequently mentions the connection.

So, there is a connection. I won't judge this individual, because I don't know why he's wearing this get-up, but perhaps it is to illustrate the strong connection between Scottish Drovers and North American cowboys. He might take some grief from "drugstore" cowboys, but it would be obvious that they were unaware of the history.

Slainte, y'all!**

Todd

** The colloquialism "y’all" evolved from the Gaelic construction "sibh vile" (se’ vall) or you all. -- not sure of the documentation on this, but it certainly fits into this thread.