women in kilts

[DWFII]

Why any woman would want to masquerade as a man is totally beyond me,

I with you...personally I don't care what another person wears--I'll deal with it and I'll deal with them as individual people regardless. But that said, I don't know why women can't take pride in the garments that have evolved for women and flatter them and accentuate their femininity. I don't know why that isn't good enough. It's like...for all the hoo-haw about equality of the sexes and so forth some have to prove how equal they are by "disguising" themselves as men. That doesn't say a thing to me about equality...just the opposite, in fact.

It's odd...most men don't have any desire to wear or appropriate women's clothes; but there doesn't seem to be any article of men's clothing that women won't appropriate...like--Hanes For Her?

Years ago, when I was going to a lot of shows, I started buying frock coats and band collar shirts and detachable collars and the assorted paraphernalia of the Victorian gentleman. It was a good look. It was eminently masculine. Although it took a lot of research and effort and money to put together. And then...women started wearing frock coats. Now, in that community, it is almost the women only who wear the frock coat. It's kind of sad.

[Alan H]

As we can see, there's a diversity of opinion.

[cloves]

the thing some of you forget is that there are women out there who don't want to look feminine. Some of us enjoy a certain androgeny.

[Alan H]

the thing some of you forget is that there are women out there who don't want to look feminine. Some of us enjoy a certain androgeny.

Cloves, I, personally, think you looked great in your work outfit. Personally, and this is just me, I'd wear something besides the boots...but that is totally "just me". The contemporary kilt, the t-shirt, and stainless steel and the scarf looked excellent...urban, contemporary and not much "girly" about it.

As far as I'm concerned, carry on, luv.

[Bugbear]

the thing some of you forget is that there are women out there who don't want to look feminine. Some of us enjoy a certain androgeny.

I understand, Cloves. *sigh* I feel it is not my place to question what a lady chooses to wear.

When I was growing up, women and girls often wore men's clothing, or that looked close to it, as well as, traditional women's clothing. Perhaps it is all in what your mind is used to.

[cloves]

Perhaps it is all in what your mind is used to.

the most enlightened quote of the whole thread Ted!!

[arrg-isle]

Why any woman would want to masquerade as a man is totally beyond me, but then I've never understood why some men feel compelled to wear dresses.

Strange; we deal with rude, vulgar, wrongheaded teenage boys wanting to mock kilted men for being cross-dressers, and yet many of us pro-kilters assume a woman wearing a kilt is doing the same thing; condemn one side of the coin, defend the other.
Would we have accused post-WWII women daring to break tradition by wearing blue jeans as masquerading as men? Most established societies did, and celebrities like Kate Hepburn & Babe Diedrickson made it practically into a culture crusade . . and yet now, the norm is for almost all Western women to wear pants of some kind, regardless of age or background!

In my opinion the only woman to ever pull off wearing men's clothing was Marlene Dietrich, and her clothes were exquisitely (and expensively) tailored. By and large most women in kilts bring to it a costumey look-- I know that there are those who espouse a "contemporary" style for younger wearers of the kilt (male and female), but when paired with combat boots, goth makeup and a black tee shirt-- especially if the wearer is full-figured-- it just doesn't look right, because it isn't. The proof of that is that I have never heard a woman say that she wears a kilt because it flatters her figure. I have heard them ask, "does this make me look..."

My female kilt-wearing friends come in a variety of mature, pleasant shapes, and they look great in their hand-made, tailored kilts (what else would an intelligent person wear?), and yes, one of the most important reasons they decided to go "clan traditional" is because they feel it does indeed flatter their figures, and I couldn't agree more.
If you're looking mostly at the sad, orphanish Goth gals who drift in & out of city parks & Ren Fairs & around the outskirts of Highland Games, you definitely need to broaden your perspective - those poor Goth kids make everything look wrong & shabby!

Just as Gilbert and Sullivan looked askance at "The lady from the Provinces, Who dress like a guy" I am of a mind that more people look askance at women in men's highland attire than ever admire it.

Once again, this begins to sound almost misogynistic to me; I imagine some of our grandmothers wanted to pillory those brave dungaree-wearing women back in the 40's & early 50's, but come on, nobody labels women in denim slacks as "mannish" now, do they? And, really, if we can readily embrace little, tiny children in their specially tailored little kilts, and men of non-Eurpean RACES wearing antique Scottish garb, on what grounds can we discriminate against that other gender that shares the planet?

[Panache]

My world is big enough to accept and appreciate women in traditionally male attire.

Marlene Dietrich certainly knew how to pull off that look.

Cheers

Jamie

[Lily]

I'm not sure I understand the frustration here. Lady's tartan skirts can be made in a wide range of tartans and colors, just like men's kilts. And as far as options go, you can have a standard lady's kilt skirt made knee length, above the knee, below the knee, or full length. You can also have a skirt made with pleats all around (at any length), as well as a straight, unpleated skirt (again, at any length). As for accessories, you can wear matching tartan sash, or a shawl, or a serape, or a cape, or a tam, or none of the above. I think that women who think they don't have as many "options" as the men in terms of tartan clothing and accessories might not be looking hard enough. I'm remembering that mega-thread Alan H started a while back, "For the lassies..." It had some great examples.

Ooh, ofcourse there,s a range of tartans for ladies skirts too, but as I told so, I was in Edinburgh last weekend and if you want a nicer tartan then the common ones ( mostly the royal stewart in the stores) you have to sit down, take your time and make one yourself.
But isn,t it much nicer to pick the one you like from the rack, and buy and wear it the same day?
And no, I haven,t bought a (mens) kilt yet.

[Jaggy thistle]

kilts on ladies look great the pleats work much better on a female figure kilt should fasten on left however nothingsexier than a girl in a mini kilt!