What brought you to wearing a kilt?

**freddie** · 24th February 09, 02:08 PM

I've always been fascinated by kilts and Highlandwear, then about 20 years ago I got a sudden desire to wear one. I used to walk down the street wondering what it would be like with the kilt swirling round my knees, and that's when I took the plunge. There were no cheap PV kilts around then so I had to fork out for a 13oz woollen kilt in the MacDuff Ancient, plus all the other gear, but boy was it worth it. The first time I wore my outfit was to a Christmas reception at Warwick Castle and everyone admired it. They have a targe on display in the Great Hall taken from a Highlander at the Battle of Culloden, and I remember raising my glass to it!

**Barry** · 25th February 09, 07:18 AM

As I have gotten older I have found trousers less and less comfortable. For a long time I had a yen to get a kilt (basically I wanted a man's skirt), and this feeling was reinforced by a holiday in Scotland toward the end of the C20th. But the expense! I did not in those days have the dosh to fritter on a whim. It was during 2001 when I was in London and saw a Black Watch kilt in a shop window for 60 pounds. Before I knew what was happening the red mist came over me and I bought it. It was of course a "tourist kilt" but it felt good and I was hooked. It wasn't long before I bought a real kilt ( and another)....
I am now retired and am able to wear kilts alomost all day every day. Its very strange now to wear trousers. In the Summer I tend to go over to sarongs for their coolth.

**timseh** · 27th February 09, 09:13 AM

Well, I'm not wearing it yet. My ancestry is Scots Irish and I've been wanting one for a while now. I'm also a Marine (former) and since the Corps has our own tartan, I figured my upcoming wedding (May 25) was a great excuse to get one. I've already obtained a PC jacket and waistcoat as well as a Rabbit fur sporran. I'll be ordering a SWK Standard Leatherneck to go with it. This will also serve for the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball, which is a black tie affair.

My fiance seems pretty open to me wearing the kilt outside of formal functions, so I'm sure the addiction will set in fairly quickly.

**NewPiperinNY** · 27th February 09, 09:58 AM

as my name here suggests, I began piping in September and the kilt comes with the territory..

..... but I have since ordered a kilt set recently to wear on Tartan Day and to the celtic festivals that I find myself at (and that I am not pipng at).

My mom has already told me that she does NOT want to see me in a kilt except for parades. Something about a patient of hers who creeped her out and he always wore a kilt.

Also started what will hopefully be an annual Kilted Christmas Eve.. It was alot of fun and led to a lot of conversation.

**GreenDragon** · 27th February 09, 11:03 AM

To be honest, i started looking into kilts when i worked in the mailroom for our company. The walking around, delivering boxes, picking up outboxes, non stop action all day can make a guy sweat. Khakis don't really help. Business casual is still uncomfortable if you're on your feet most of the day.

A UK sounded like the best option (they were only $130 at the time, not TOO out of reach, still don't have one yet). Started researching and I found XMarks. Then I started looking into my family history and my kilt obsession became about my heritage as well as comfort and freedom.

That's all i have to say about that.

**Cawdorian** · 27th February 09, 11:13 AM

Although my surname is veddy-veddy British, my Mother never let us forget that her family was of Scottish descent. I didn't think a whole lot about it over the years but I got into genealogy, began tracing the family trees and found out that both my Mother's and Father's family tree were loaded with Scots.

My interest in the kilt was prodded by the Scottish minister of my church. I attended my first Kirkin' several years ago and was just absolutely fascinated by the service and all of the kilts around me. My minister was wearing his kilt and kit and told me I would look great in a kilt, that I should get one of my own. Well, long story short I bought my first kilt, then realized I needed an argyle jacket, a balmoral and all of the other good stuff that went along with it.

I have since participated in many Kirkin's, highland games, clan tents, society meetings, Burns Suppers and any other event I could find out there that would allow me to wear a kilt. I have made a lot good friends during this journey, many of them hang out here. I'm glad I got in touch with my Scottish heritage, I wish I had discovered this addiction earlier in life, but if had bought kilts then they wouldn't fit me now.

**WClarkB** · 27th February 09, 11:42 AM

My wearing of the kilt started at a ren fest; I bought it because I had always admired the Black Watch (a friend of my mother's had died in WW II in the BW) and I found a "costume kilt" which opened the door. I got interested in genealogy and discovered that I was a descendant of the auld sod. My wife still thinks this is bizarre but after 30+ years has decided that I am incorrigible and not worth the effort to reform.

**pastorsteve** · 27th February 09, 11:53 AM

Ancestry. Although Scottish by ancestry I had never thought about kilts as a western/north American born and bread southerner. When My daughter took up Highland Dancing years ago, I was exposed to the festivals and competitions. While spending time in that areana and doing specific geneological studies I found where the family came from and our Clan connection.

**rollerboy_1979** · 27th February 09, 11:53 AM

My late wife and I were driving through Scotland in the early 80's, and just happened to find ourselves in Braemar during the Gathering Of The Clans weekend. The Royal Family was there in their ivy-covered viewing stand, and I was just overwhelmed with the spectacle and pagentry of the occasion. I am not Scot but I was so impressed I told my wife that someday I was going to have a kilt. The years went by and my wife's health deteriorated, so medical expenses and my focus on her prevented me from fulfilling my desire to have a kilt. I lost her in '06 and after a couple of years into the grieving process, I decided that my focus should now be on me, so I bought my first kilt during a visit to SFO. I loved it so much I ordered a second kilt last year. I now have two complete outfits and hope to add a third tartan soon. It has been a wonderful diversion for me and it has helped me cope with my loss. If ever I'm feeling lonely, I'll don my kilt and go to the grocery store, the dog park, or a local pub, and I'm immediately drawn into conversations about my kilt. I totally agree that anyone can and should wear a kilt........life's too short not to experience all of it's pleasures, and the kilt is one of them!

**kilty** · 9th March 09, 08:30 AM

I was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer 3 years ago. It's a nasty one with only 5 year survival rate of 30%. I went through chemo and am now in remission.

Not knowing how much time I had left, I started thinking about things that I wanted to do before heading to that great kilted party in the sky.

One thing I did was buy a 1969 Plymouth GTX like the one I had back in the day. The wife and I dated when I had that car and we are now having tons of fun with it.

My maternal grandmother was born in Scotland of the clan MacKay. That started the ball rolling. It was something I wanted to do and if you wait too long, sometimes you never get the chance.

Kilted and loving it!!