Okay, let me start out by saying that I'm an American. My family has been here in the USA since before there was one, and in Arizona since the 1850's. Along the way, we've braided in strands of DNA from all over the world... there's hardly a part of Europe I can't point to and say, "my ancestors came from there!"

As it happens, some of those ancestors came from the Islands and Highlands. When I joined this forum, I chose to emphasize that connexion through my choice of forum user name. But it's far from the only part of my heritage in which I take pride.

The first kilt which I purchased for myself was a Buzz Kidder canvas, in Navy Blue, because Buzz was at the Tucson Highland Games, and I could afford it. I ended up only wearing it a couple of times, before it got lost in a move. (For which, by the way, I could just weep).

My first kilt which I wore on a regular basis was a SportKilt in US Navy tartan. I wore it to near the point of destruction, and loved it. Still love it, for around-the-house. Why US Navy? Because I'm a veteran, because I felt a connexion with it, and because it's a handsome tartan. I was still buying into the idea of "entitlement" to tartan, and I felt far more entitled to the US Navy's tartan than to the MacDougall tartan -- which SportKilt doesn't offer, anyway.

Now, a couple years on, I have gravitated away from the contemporary style. Putting one's hands in one's trouser pockets is simply Not Done in my family, so that's not a good reason for me to seek pockets. I kind of like Steve from BC's hidden pockets, for the placing of "stuff," but it's my feeling that large cargo pockets ruin the line of the kilt. Just in case you missed it, let me emphasize, it is my feeling that large cargo pockets ruin the line of the kilt.

However, I'm very attracted to kilts in sturdy fabrics. I'm pondering (when I have more money than I do now) getting a leather RKilt, or one of FreedomKilts' more traditional looks in their Carhardt-style fabric, because I think I'd like to try wearing them for working in the garden and so on. Well. The leather would probably be general wear, but you understand where I'm going.

My point is that there are different kilts for different purposes. My MacMedic kilt that cost me $500 is not a pub-crawlin' kilt. My Celtic Croft "Ancient" kilt is not a going to class kilt. My SWK standards are not work in the garden (or the garage) kilts.

If all you want is a special occasion kilt, then all you need is a tank. But for those of us who want to wear 'em on a daily basis, for going to school, for being social with the lads (or the lasses), for working on greasy equipment or standing at the forge, we want different things.

And one part of Scottish heritage that I highly admire is the willingness to look for ways to adapt what we have to what we need, and to invent new ways of doing things when we have to.