Utilikilts what are they thinking?

[Perldog007]

Steve and his gang started out as a bunch of artists who wanted to put together a few bucks to buy a bus and do traveling performance art. Somewhere along the way, Steve stumbled into the kilt market.

He, and his folks are still a group of irreverent counter-culture artists with an in-your-face attitude. And, many of us owe our kilting lives to their willingness to challenge cultural norms and produce and sell what is still a radical departure from regular men's clothing.

True that - even though I was less than thrilled with my UK, the fact that I could get a kilt without making it or waiting a month or more got me started.

To his credit he does seem to understand the cluetrain manifesto, and probably did not even have to read it. They do understand that the market is a conversation, and they do participate.

The paradigm shift to retailer/manufacturer from roving band of artists can't be easy. But the crazy kids from Seattle do care and do listen - that will get them there.

[WinterGS]

They gave us (House Solstice paintball teams and referee team) a chance, and were taking it. Our kilts should be here by tomorrow, and I for one, cant wait for them. We play work and ref in our kilts, and many many people have been "enlightened" by us wearing them...(gasp) outside the Ren Faire!

UK gave us a chance to show their, and our stuff.

Not like that ya pervs...

Steve and his gang started out as a bunch of artists who wanted to put together a few bucks to buy a bus and do traveling performance art. Somewhere along the way, Steve stumbled into the kilt market.

He, and his folks are still a group of irreverent counter-culture artists with an in-your-face attitude. And, many of us owe our kilting lives to their willingness to challenge cultural norms and produce and sell what is still a radical departure from regular men's clothing.

[Portland Kilt Ninja]

my dad and I actually go to the store and get ours.
I got my first for my fourteenth birthday last year. The pockets are really useful and the fabric is pretty soft. I like them alot, though people at my school don't always agree with my fashion sense.

[pdcorlis]

Hey PKN - is this your first post? If so, Welcome to the rabble from the hills and streams of north Idaho!

[J9581]

Until Utilikilts came along, I had never heard of anyone wearing a kilt. At least not anyone that wasn't a member of a bagpipe band, and then only while playing as a member of a bagpipe band.

No matter who else makes kilts, Utilikilts says rather forcefully that kilts aren't just for formal wear, they aren't just for Scotsman with bagpipes and they aren't just worn as a novelty item to a renaissance fair. Basically, their advertising says that even if you like rock instead of bagpipes or Budweiser instead of whiskey, then we have a kilt for you. They make it cool to wear a kilt. Not stodgy, like Prince Charles.

And, honestly, I've seen everyone here in their kilts and I get a predominant sameness attitude towards kilts. Maybe you don't realize it, and certainly you don't intend it, but sometimes this site gives the impression that there is only one way to wear a kilt. Sometimes you need variety and Utilikilt provides that. Maybe other makers provide similar kilts, but they don't advertise the way UK does. Also, I'm not a big fan of sporrans. I guess if I were dressed in traditional Scottish style I would wear a sporran, but I'm not in Scotland, not Scottish (well, about 5 generations back) and UK provides me a kilt with pockets.

The deliver quickly and their customer service is great.

[Kid Cossack]

And, honestly, I've seen everyone here in their kilts and I get a predominant sameness attitude towards kilts. Maybe you don't realize it, and certainly you don't intend it, but sometimes this site gives the impression that there is only one way to wear a kilt.

"A predominant sameness"? Amongst THIS rabble? I say thee nay, good fellow! We've got our ramblers and our traditionalists and our staunch modernists, and we have our Hamish to show things done with style.

From Andrew Beecher to Pour1Malt to Hamish to Cessna152towser you'll find a variety of kilt styles, and styles of wearing the kilt, and that's just three names picked at random.

We've got people who think of the kilt as properly being eight yards of knife pleated, worsted wool tartan, and people (MacWage) who incline towards box pleats, to say nothing at all of the vendors here, who offer kilt styles ranging from the purest of traditional (Barb T) to retro-traditional (Matt Newsome) to modern interpretations of tradition (USAK and FK) to modern reinterpretations of tradition (Renegade Kilts, alt.kilt).

As to the proper way to wear a kilt, I've always found that "around the waist" is a fine answer.

[Perldog007]

As to the proper way to wear a kilt, I've always found that "around the waist" is a fine answer.

Depends on the company

I do like the fact that Steven responded to an email re-iterating some concerns expressed in this thread and pulled the Scot-bashing stuff. I believe him when he says it was all in fun.

One way to wear a kilt? I am with Kid Cossack on this one. I work in a warehouse. Panache and I both like our SWK hunting Macleods' . I wear mine in a manner suited to warehouse work. Panache wears his with, well panache.

We have all sorts of kilted folk here who wear all kinds of kilts in many many ways. Kind of the whole idea. Utilikilts too.

Personally I find it healthy to discuss our likes and dislikes of these vendors. For those not convinced read the cluetrain manifesto. Today the market is a conversation. The days of the consumer as a gullet that consumes product and craps cash are coming to close with communication revolution.

places like this add value for the consumer and merchant. With the good and the bad. Based on the subject matter of the OP, the material under discussion is under review. The conversation in action.

Peace -

Doug

[Nick]

Panache and I both like our SWK hunting Macleods' . I wear mine in a manner suited to warehouse work. Panache wears his with, well panache.

And I wear mine in a variety of situations, sometimes hiking, camping, working, or when dressing a little nicer (I wear my MacBeth tank for formal). Hardly any sameness there!

[kilted in seattle]

Hey PKN - is this your first post? If so, Welcome to the rabble from the hills and streams of north Idaho!

PKN is my spawn. I gave him the option of an Ipod or a UK for his 14th birthday last year and he chose a kilt. Now he lives in the thing. On his list now are another kilt, a sporran and a proper belt.

He's learning that he gets mega props from girls at school and some of my women friends for wearing a kilt. Would that I had discovered kilts when I was single too...

[kilted in seattle]

Fully appreciating the spirit of the Utilikilt folks is a little easier if you have the opportunity to visit the store.

I was happy about the way the UK folks treated my son when I took him down to buy his UK. They treated him with respect and made him feel like his choice to wear a kilt may not have been normal, but it did make him part of a brotherhood of men who made their own choices about how their life should be.

The good thing about us kilted freaks is that we all made the same choice. Ask yourself whether other people find your choice to wear a damn skirt off-putting (I know I'm violating protocol here by calling it a skirt, but I'm in the middle of speechifying) and whether your concern about their attitude is worth missing out on a damn fine kilt made by people who care about kilts and the men who wear them.