Kilt Do's and Don'ts

[Nick the DSM]

but it shows mistakes to "noobs" that they can prevent or fix.

[greenguzzi]

Green, I hope that you don't give up wearing the kilt. Did you read this thread from the start?(Daunting task, I know!) I believe it was started as a humorous way of gently pointing out ways that wearing the kilt could be disastarous.

Yep, I have been following this thread from the start as I have been lurking. It has been humorous and occasionally educational. But lately I've been reading experts quibbling over minutia. Frankly, if the experts don't agree then no one can get it right. Then the whole discussion becomes silly and pointless.

The "do's" have been great. Many of the don'ts have been humorous and weird (the "Uni-kilt" being the weirdest). But some of the "don'ts" have been just nit-picking. Like the bloke at the left of the goth-girl picture. Even I could see what was "wrong", be he still looks OK to me. Maybe there should be a distinction between intentional "don'ts" and unintentional "don'ts".

Here's an example. I'm sure the experts here can find many things wrong with this picture. But I'm sure that Mr McGregor is aware of them, but he does it "wrong" anyway. Despite him being "wrong", some people would say it still looks right. (My wife thinks he looks "all-right" .)

[ChattanCat]

Yep, I have been following this thread from the start as I have been lurking. It has been humorous and occasionally educational. But lately I've been reading experts quibbling over minutia. Frankly, if the experts don't agree then no one can get it right. Then the whole discussion becomes silly and pointless.

The "do's" have been great. Many of the don'ts have been humorous and weird (the "Uni-kilt" being the weirdest). But some of the "don'ts" have been just nit-picking. Like the bloke at the left of the goth-girl picture. Even I could see what was "wrong", be he still looks OK to me. Maybe there should be a distinction between intentional "don'ts" and unintentional "don'ts".

Here's an example. I'm sure the experts here can find many things wrong with this picture. But I'm sure that Mr McGregor is aware of them, but he does it "wrong" anyway. Despite him being "wrong", some people would say it still looks right. (My wife thinks he looks "all-right" .)

I see nothing wrong except that you may want to wear steel tipped boots.

[ThistleDown]

Despite him being "wrong", some people would say it still looks right. (My wife thinks he looks "all-right" .)

A Swede saw would be more appropriate for such a little log

[string]

since when did a man with such skinny arms saw with such a big saw?

[ChattanCat]

since when did a man with such skinny arms saw with such a big saw?

with skinny logs...

[greenguzzi]

since when did a man with such skinny arms saw with such a big saw?

He used The Force.

[Iolaus]

(My wife thinks he looks "all-right" .)

That's pretty much my style right there, though I tend to go with long sleeve t-shirts with the sleeves pushed up, and the sporran on my hip. Often, I'll wear low-top boots instead as well.

One of the things I like about the kilt is that the general public doesn't really know "the rules," so you can pretty much do what you want; they're going to react the same way to you whether you "get it right" or not.

You can't be too regimented in your thinking about how a kilt is worn, or it does become a costume. It's just a piece of clothing; enjoy it!

[Tommy Hunt]

You can't be too regimented in your thinking about how a kilt is worn, or it does become a costume. It's just a piece of clothing; enjoy it!

I'm a traditionalist and it's good to break rules from time to time. But like in painting it's important to know what the rules are first before you play around outside of them.

[kiltedwolfman]

I often find it funny when people use the word "tradition". At what point does something go from being average day to day habit, to a tradition? And then how long does that tradition have to stand before it becomes burdened with rules that were never applied to it's original aspect?
I teach martial arts as well as being a full time member in the military, two things that carry a great deal of "traditional" baggage. The traditions of both those proffesions have been shaped and reshaped as the years passed, and now I suspect many of the rules applied to them bear zero resemblance to the actions that started them ages ago.
The point if there is one is that while knowing, observing and respecting traditions are very important we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that at one time everything we hold as revered tradition was to those at the start just a habit done by people who were likely breaking the rules to begin with.

Then again I could be way off base and doomed to incur the wrath of many! LOL ;)