Kilts in Scotland.

[beloitpiper]

So kilts are uncommon, but not rare. What about bagpipes?

[Scott Gilmore]

So kilts are uncommon, but not rare. What about bagpipes?

Yes, bagpipers are uncommon, but not rare.

OK, so enough with the smirky quips.

The rest of this post will be pure "one man's opinion." Please accept it as such with the commensurate grain o' salt.

OK ... [START RANT]

Here in southern California, and for that matter in most of the world this summer what with global-broiling and all, I can see how what I'm about to espouse might not quite work. So in recognition of and within context that the world is burning up and we kilt wearers have an affinity for wool garments, this is what's up IMHO.

It is my contention that kilts, worn correctly, could be everyday wear anywhere in the world - including Scotland, and most certainly elsewhere - as long as the climate cooperated. Bear with me now. That's just the start.

I know that many of you are dyed-in-the-wool (no pun intended) non-wool (e.g. non-traditional) kilt wearers. For all I know, those canvas sporty-utility-kilts are as comfortable as you claim they are. But then again, so is going about butt nekkid.

The point is that, while anyone can wear non-traditional kilts, such garments - whether you like it or not - may not pass as "correct" in many parts of the world, while a "traditional" wool tartan kilt would be recognized by at least a segment of the more enlightened population for what it is - a traditional garment.

Bearing all that in mind, even a traditional garment would require careful consideration, a flair shall we say, in order to be worn in casual, business casual, and business formal settings appropriately. But I think it can be done.

The problems that arise really are attributable with the attrophy of western society's ability to dress well regardless of circumstances. I work for an outfit that employs seventeen thousand people in this area. Incredibly, a significant percentage of workers have NO clue how to dress for work. People seem to think it is perfectly appropriate to dress for work the same way they do for gardening! Wrinkled, unkempt clothes, poorly matched, unbuttoned and untucked in clashing colors and patterns are far too common.

Look. Work isn't an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. Don't wear sandals, ratty-assed jeans, a wife beater and an unbuttoned garrish "dress" shirt and think you're dressed for work. A sporty-utility-kilt isn't appropriate for a professional environment. Sorry. It just doesn't work.

If you want to see a GOOD adaptation of appropriate wear for dress or dress-casual garb that clearly and successfully defies accepted conventions for business formal OR business casual wear as well as pure dress casual wear (of course), look no further than the Bahamas. Bahama shorts with a matching jacket, Brooks Brothers shirt and tie, high hose and a nice pair of lace up dress shoes looks damn good. Drop the tie and jacket, slip on some casual leather shoes and you have fine business casual wear. Lose the dress shirt and don a nice polo shirt and leather sandals with no socks and you have perfectly acceptable dress casual wear. The common garment: Bahama shorts.

Take the same approach to wearing a kilt and it works in a business environment, as casual business wear and, for dress casual. For regular casual, wear whatever the heck you please (that's why they call it "casual").

The caveat in what I'm saying is that Bahama shorts-based wear works in warmer climate because, well, it gets HOT AS HELL in the Bahamas. Much like it has been in Scotland this summer, right?

But if the weather cools - say to 65° F as the daily high - then a kilt, a real traditional wool kilt could be worn for virtually any kind of wear.

P1M has posted numerous pictures of how to wear a kilt as pure casual wear perfectly - some formal and some as dress casual garb. Hamish and pdcorlis spring to mind as being particularly adept at what I would call business casual, or dress casual wear. They are perfect examples of how one need not look sloppy when dressing casually. Sadly, many of my co-workers dress sloppily and think they are dressed in "business casual" when in fact they are dressed as "taking-out-the-trash-at-midnight-when-you-hope-nobody-can-see-your-sorry-a$$."

... [END RANT] ... ahhhhhhhh.

Thanks for listening. I feel much better now.

PS - OK, I gotta cut back on the coffe.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

[Mithral]

Short Answer: Not really, no.

Long Answer: You'll see it worn for weddings, Burns Suppers and the like, not so much for business.

[macwilkin]

If you want to see a GOOD adaptation of appropriate wear for dress or dress-casual garb that clearly and successfully defies accepted conventions for business formal OR business casual wear as well as pure dress casual wear (of course), look no further than the Bahamas. Bahama shorts with a matching jacket, Brooks Brothers shirt and tie, high hose and a nice pair of lace up dress shoes looks damn good. Drop the tie and jacket, slip on some casual leather shoes and you have fine business casual wear. Lose the dress shirt and don a nice polo shirt and leather sandals with no socks and you have perfectly acceptable dress casual wear. The common garment: Bahama shorts.

I think you mean Bermuda shorts:

http://bermuda-online.org/shorts.htm

Notice the reference to kilts in the article. Someday I hope to have a pair of authentic Bermudas.

Cheers,

Todd

[Scott Gilmore]

I think you mean Bermuda shorts:

http://bermuda-online.org/shorts.htm

Notice the reference to kilts in the article. Someday I hope to have a pair of authentic Bermudas.

Cheers,

Todd

DOH! I do indeed. Thanks for the check.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

[arrogcow]

Gotta dissagree

A sporty-utility-kilt isn't appropriate for a professional environment. Sorry. It just doesn't work.

UK's, FK's AK's etc can be just as dressy as bermuda shorts.

Don't quite know what this has to do with kilt wearing in Scotland in general though.

Adam

[Monkey@Arms]

Since the orginal question has been answered, I won't feel too guilty about adding to the the Bermuda Shorts drift. I read an article not too long ago that said, (much like the kilt in its native land) the Bermuda Short has fallen out of favor in Bermuda. The Bermuda Short was a substitute for a suit and tie, and the new generation prefers to dress more casually. Most of the major sellers have gone out of business, and most wearers in Bermuda are in the hospitality trade. All part of globalization I guess.

Best regards,

Jake

[Captain]

[START RANT]

The problems that arise really are attributable with the attrophy of western society's ability to dress well regardless of circumstances. I work for an outfit that employs seventeen thousand people in this area. Incredibly, a significant percentage of workers have NO clue how to dress for work. People seem to think it is perfectly appropriate to dress for work the same way they do for gardening! Wrinkled, unkempt clothes, poorly matched, unbuttoned and untucked in clashing colors and patterns are far too common.

Look. Work isn't an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. Don't wear sandals, ratty-assed jeans, a wife beater and an unbuttoned garrish "dress" shirt and think you're dressed for work. A sporty-utility-kilt isn't appropriate for a professional environment. Sorry. It just doesn't work.

[END RANT]

I hate to break it to ya, but a billionaire from your great state is one of the reasons Americans feel they don't have to dress up... and I gotta say I agree with them... Steve Jobs, the public face of Apple Computing wears, almost without fail, a black turtleneck/mock turtleneck, ratty jeans, and old athletic shoes to every press conference he's ever seen at. If he can get away with such casual dress and make billions (as do his workers)... why should I have to dress up to make a small fraction of what he makes?

The world's changing and what's acceptable as work wear is changing... Less and less focus is given to what we wear, versus what we produce. I for one am glad that my neck is now no longer held prisoner by a tie... and that if I want to help minimize my gut by not tucking in my shirt, then I'm free to do that. On top of all that, if I get to look individual instead of just another one of the sheeple in my matching suit... BONUS!

This is, of course, just another man's opinion, but I feel wholeheartedly my Utilikilt should be more than acceptable at work (which is a professional job)... they let in those wearing flip-flops, t-shirts, etc so why not a casual kilt?

[Frank McGrath]

A couple weeks ago there was a discussion about using bottle openers as Sgain Don'ts. One, very knowing x'er emailed me a picture of a cast bottle opener that could be worked into a woden handle. Well, I have lost that information, and would really appreciate if he could post it back on the thread. thanks. Frank

[Rab Gordon]

Might have been mine, I sell these online, link


Hot drop-forged bottle opener


Cast bottle opener

If any Xmarkers here would like a few then contact me for a discount

Regards,
Rab

Sgian Dubhs