Non-Scottish Kilts? HUH?!?

[Colin]

Some of you fellas are picking one line out of my posts, worthy of disdain or not, and throwing out my entire arguments not because they are with out merit but because you simply don't like them. "Which historians?" What about the rest of that paragraph? I've even been misquoted indirectly.

That entire paragraph was quoted and most of my previous post addressed the rest of the paragraph. Which historians are you refering too? I don't see it, but maybe I am missing it.

Based on the rest of your argument and comparisson to Swiss watches, Am I too believe that this entire time you have been simply saying that Scotland has lost it's exclusive manufacturing rights to the kilt?

If that is the case, than yes, your messages have been misinterpurated. I have always taken your continued message to be that kilts will no longer be associated with Scotland, but instead with countries like the US. To me this is rubbish as the kilt will always be associated with Scotland. A lot of people here seem to think the kiltwearers that wear their $100-$200 kilts everyday are better than the Scot that only brings out his $500-$800 Scottish made heavy wool family tartan kilt for special occasions. That's just another form of tyranny IMHO.

Now if you are simply refering to the Scots losing the exclusive manufacturing rights to the kilt, you are correct. Kilts are being designed, produced, and marketed in other parts of the world. I must say though that the crusade of some is not really the cause of this. There have been shops on the Royal Mile and in other parts of Scotland selling cheap versions or imitations of traditional kilts made off shore for ages. Long before there was a Utilikilt, or a USA kilt, or a Bear Kilt, or even a Sport kilt, there were knock off shops producing cheaper versions of kilts for tourists.

Now I must add that the quality has greatly improved, the resources have improved, and the market has grown and become more knowledgable, and that is thanks to people like the members of this forum and a few others that wanted a middle of the road good quality product that was still affordable. We have gotten that with US companies (USA Kilts, Utilikilts, Neokilts, etc), Canadian companies (Rkilts, Freedomkilts, Canadian Casual kilts, Bear(?), etc), and even from US firms that sell offshore made kilts, but still have their ear to the ground to see what consumers really want (Stillwater). We have a great selection of quality made goods from around the world at our disposal.

So yes, Chris Scotland has lost it's exclusive manufacturing rights to the kilt, but the kilt will always be associated with Scotland no matter where it is made.

For what it's worth, if I want a Swiss watch I will buy a really good Swiss watch. If I want something more affordable, I will find some of the better quality non-Swiss made watches. What I won't buy is the $10 watch that needs a new battery every week. I don't need 15 watches when none of them tell me the time