Please explain...

[The Wizard of BC]

RobertsonII,

In the General Kilt Talk section of this forum dated 3.8.07 is a five part article I wrote for a magazine titled "Too many styles of Kilts to choose from". The article covers the current types of kilts, what they were designed for, their differences, and how to define them.
The article may help you to understand some of what we as kilt makers and designers are trying to do to meet the needs of our customers.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

WHAT MAKES A KILT A KILT?

How about: kilt: A part of modern male highland dress, a knee length 'skirt' of tartan cloth, thickly pleated at the back, probably descended from the woollen plaid worn by the highlanders from early times. This is the definition used in "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Scotland", Lomand Books, 2004.

With the exception of the word "tartan" I think this pretty much sums up it up. The kilt is the refinement of the earlier dress of the highlanders. Like all good sartorial evolution, it became simpler not more complicated.

There are other "wrap around" garments. Sarongs for example. But they aren't kilts. There are "wrap around" garments that are based on the kilt, but because they have complicated the basic simplicity of the original kilt they have become something else.

Rather than use another car analogy, let me tell you about my dog, Oswald. Oswald's mother is a Cruft's Champion Basset Hound bitch. Oswald's sire was my Irish gun dog, a Golden Retriever. So what does that make Oswald? Well, he's got short legs and long ears, but he isn't a Basset Hound. He's got thick yelow hair like his father, but he's certainly no Golden Retreiver. What he is, is a dog. Plain and simple.

And I think that's what we're looking at here. The kilt and the "contemporary" are both garments, and that's about as far as it goes. Suppose the quasi-kilt had been invented in Indonesia and marketed as a "sport-sarong" or "utili-sarong"-- would guys still buy it? Yeah, but probably not in any significant numbers. The only reason for calling it a kilt is that that word resonates in our culture.

"Kilt" says "manliness" and puts over the image of social acceptability in a way that "sarong" or "manskirt" doesn't. Put another way the traditional kilt has, over the last 186 years, become an acceptable form of male attire. The "contemporary" or "quasi"-kilt is still very much a garment on the fringe of social acceptance and in some regards may be construed as more of a fetish* than a fashion choice.

It is probably going to take another 186 years to determine if the "contemporary" is going to be fashionable, or merely regarded as a passing fad of the late 20th century. One thing is for certain: the traditional kilt will still be around.

*(Before anyone gets a nose-bleed over the use of the word "fetish", look it up. It means an object believed to have magical powers of protection or an object of unreasonably excessive attention or reverence and that is the context in which it is used here-- no one is being insulted.)

[drobin]

Cool Panache, you really got a PINK kilt. Sure its not maroon?

[JakobT]

WHAT MAKES A KILT A KILT?

How about: kilt: A part of modern male highland dress, a knee length 'skirt' of tartan cloth, thickly pleated at the back, probably descended from the woollen plaid worn by the highlanders from early times. This is the definition used in "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Scotland", Lomand Books, 2004.

With the exception of the word "tartan" I think this pretty much sums up it up. The kilt is the refinement of the earlier dress of the highlanders. Like all good sartorial evolution, it became simpler not more complicated.

This is a perfectly good definition, as far as it goes, but some kilts, as mentioned earlier, are not made from tartan cloth, and there are skirts made from tartan cloth that are not kilts. Utilikilts on the other hand are pleated at the back, but are not made from tartan cloth. So how do we decide whether or not they're "descended from the wollen plaid worn by the highlanders from early times"? The only way I can see is to enumerate the characteristics of a kilt, and see how they differ from other forms of dress. That way, we'll be able to tell if a garment has the proper characteristics to count as a kilt.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

This is a perfectly good definition, as far as it goes, but some kilts, as mentioned earlier, are not made from tartan cloth, and there are skirts made from tartan cloth that are not kilts. Utilikilts on the other hand are pleated at the back, but are not made from tartan cloth. So how do we decide whether or not they're "descended from the wollen plaid worn by the highlanders from early times"? The only way I can see is to enumerate the characteristics of a kilt, and see how they differ from other forms of dress. That way, we'll be able to tell if a garment has the proper characteristics to count as a kilt.

I have a letter on file somewhere that a friend of mine passed on from the inventor of the Utilikilt. He speaks of its design being based for the most part on a pair of men's cargo shorts -- not the Scottish kilt. It's origin and designs are removed from the Scottish culture. The word "kilt" was included in the name, I suspect, because of what has already been mentioned here -- namely, "kilt" is a term widely recognized to denote a skirt-like garment for men. If you want it to be known that the skirt-like garment you have designed is for men, what more efficient way than to label it a kilt?

I think the phenomenon of Utilikilts having booths at Highland Games and the like came about after the fact; that is to say, after they realized that there was a market for their product among the Scottish kilt wearing community.

But it seems plain that the origins of the Utilikilt are quite distinct from the organic traditions of Scottish Highland attire, and while I have no problem with people wearing Utilikilts, I also see the point of those who argue that they should not be considered a Scottish garment; because they are not.

Whether or not that makes them a true kilt depends entirely on how you define the word "kilt." Different people use that word in different contexts. I, as a tartan academic and historian of Highland clothing, have a much more restrictive definition of the word than someone writing a fashion column in a New York magazine might, for instance. It's an interesting thing to discuss, but I don't think we are going to come to universal agreement on the issue.

[Big Homestead]

Thread starter:

I guess your looking for a belonging within a group that has a sense of moral obligation when wearing a kilt. That doesn't make you wrong, it just means you hold a very traditional opinion based on overwhelmingly strong social belief. And hey, we are all entitled to an opinion.

I wear a utilikilt because I can. I couldn't find my family tartan and wanted something that looked cool and celebrated my Euro roots. I got one and love it. Then I also purchased a Black Stewart SWK and very much love it. Tartan or no tartan, I wear what I can because I love the kilt and my heritage.

On that note,

I know that some will disagree with what I am about to say, but I have found that a straight black kilt is an accepted tartan of the Cornish...which stands to be a very connection of where I come from.

Source herehttp://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a
"Cornwall has a history of kilts and tartans. There is early evidence of the use of kilts in Cornish as seen on the bench end at Altarnun dated circa 1510[1]. Cornish tartans have been revived in the 20th Century. The first modern kilt was plain black, and other patterns followed."

Hence my Black Utilikilt.

At 240lbs, I am not used to people ever having the nuggets to tell me to my face I can't where what I want, but then I shouldn't as I live in North America. You should look at loosening you hold on what a kilt should have to look like in order for a man to wear it.

I hope this doesn't mean we can't be buddies. If you wear a kilt, I'd sit for a pint with ya.

[macwilkin]

Thread starter:

I guess your looking for a belonging within a group that has a sense of moral obligation when wearing a kilt. That doesn't make you wrong, it just means you hold a very traditional opinion based on overwhelmingly strong social belief. And hey, we are all entitled to an opinion.

I wear a utilikilt because I can. I couldn't find my family tartan and wanted something that looked cool and celebrated my Euro roots. I got one and love it. Then I also purchased a Black Stewart SWK and very much love it. Tartan or no tartan, I wear what I can because I love the kilt and my heritage.

On that note,

I know that some will disagree with what I am about to say, but I have found that a straight black kilt is an accepted tartan of the Cornish...which stands to be a very connection of where I come from.

Source herehttp://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a
"Cornwall has a history of kilts and tartans. There is early evidence of the use of kilts in Cornish as seen on the bench end at Altarnun dated circa 1510[1]. Cornish tartans have been revived in the 20th Century. The first modern kilt was plain black, and other patterns followed."

Hence my Black Utilikilt.

At 240lbs, I am not used to people ever having the nuggets to tell me to my face I can't where what I want, but then I shouldn't as I live in North America. You should look at loosening you hold on what a kilt should have to look like in order for a man to wear it.

I hope this doesn't mean we can't be buddies. If you wear a kilt, I'd sit for a pint with ya.

Before quoting that article, I'd take a good look at its claims. There's really no good evidence that the Cornish ever wore kilts before the late 19th - early 20th century. This has been discussed in another thread.

The Cornish are welcome to wear kilts and adopt tartans, of course. I'm all for it, but creating an "ancient pedigree" is another story.

Regards,

Todd

[clowcards]

I like the Hot Topic kilts for many reasons.

I really think they are underrated here, and get a lot of unneeded flack. If it were not for my girlfriend getting a HT kilt and letting me wear it, I would not own a Utilikilt or a Stillwater kilt today.

A hot topic kilt is not supposed to be a high quality, traditional kilt. It is good quality for the price, 50-60 dollars. I have a hard time finding anything other then a Stillwater for that cheap. It is a great kilt for junking around in, very comfortable. It has large pockets and belt loops, making it very practical to wear. The Hot Topic kilt is great for getting younger adults to start wearing unbifurcated garments.

For what it is, a Hot Topic kilt is a good deal for the price, and there really are no other “utility kilts” on the market for that cheap.

[Keith A]

On my job theres a thing that people say. " Everyone has their little scam, and as long as your s#%t doesn't f$#k up my s%#t then who cares." Take it easy life is to short, and In your line of work as in mine life can be shorter then others. Who or why care what other people wear.

[Makeitstop]

I like the Hot Topic kilts for many reasons.

I really think they are underrated here, and get a lot of unneeded flack. If it were not for my girlfriend getting a HT kilt and letting me wear it, I would not own a Utilikilt or a Stillwater kilt today.

A hot topic kilt is not supposed to be a high quality, traditional kilt. It is good quality for the price, 50-60 dollars. I have a hard time finding anything other then a Stillwater for that cheap. It is a great kilt for junking around in, very comfortable. It has large pockets and belt loops, making it very practical to wear. The Hot Topic kilt is great for getting younger adults to start wearing unbifurcated garments.

For what it is, a Hot Topic kilt is a good deal for the price, and there really are no other “utility kilts” on the market for that cheap.

I agree entirely. I was actually a little excited when I first found the thing, simply because it is a kilt being sold at the mall, rather than a specialty shop, or on the internet. It's another big step from oddity to mainstream.

I just really don't like the style. If other people like it, they should wear it. Personally I'd just rather get a SWK or save for a more expensive contemporary kilt that I will actually like. hell, if they just got rid of the zipper I'd probably have one, and if they changed the belt loops I'd have two more.

But yes, if it gets guys into kilts, I'm all for it. And as always, I say wear whatever you want as long as you cover everything I don't want to see.