Contemporary vs Traditional

[attworth]

I pretty much agree with the Wizard, although my beginnings were slightly different.

My first kilt was home-made. It fit decently, it swished decently, it wrinkled like anything made out of duck cloth would, and it cost me around 20$ to make it. A while later, I found a beautiful Seaforth Highlander's kilt for sale on here for really cheap. Luckily it fit perfectly. Wearing that is completely different than wearing my first home-made masterpiece.

[sathor]

Perhaps better would be an Irish (solid colored) Tradional. it 'skirts' between the contemporary and the traditional (trad as most people think of kilts) and you can go either way from there with ease.

[lucienrau]

I agree with those who are saying that it depends on what you want it for. I bought a tank as my first kilt because I wanted to be married kilted. I wore it at my wedding and to the local a few times but not often and wore it less and less over the years.

I bought a UK and started being kilted more often, which has pushed me back towards getting more tailored garments. I think contemporary kilts are great starter kilts for daily kilting, but USAK & SWK are excellent for that too.

[Tim B]

II own and wear both. A traditional (if we mean tartan in this case) truly says, "Scottish Kilt" to most who see it. But if the tartan is something along the lines of a Wallace, Buchannan or such, something other than your Black Watch or Hunting Stewart variety, it certainly stands out in a crowd. Where as a contemprorary (single color cotton twill or the like) in the right environment, can almost blend in with the baggy cargo shorts crowd. So, I guess it depends on what you want to "say" about yourself. I think it all comes down to which you choose, where you wear it, and what the reaction of those around you are. A contemporary kilt at a St. Patrick's Day event may get you the same ridicule that an "in your face" tartan would get at a motorcycle rally. If the first worn kilt results in a negative experience, then that choice probably wasn't the best.

[Monkey@Arms]

A contemporary kilt at a St. Patrick's Day event may get you the same ridicule that an "in your face" tartan would get at a motorcycle rally. If the first worn kilt results in a negative experience, then that choice probably wasn't the best.

I've worn my olive UK original to San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day parade and festival, and got nothing but compliments. I'm pretty sure I've read accounts of forum members wearing tartan kilts to biker gatherings with the same result. Most people are cool with kilts of any variety, and those who have issues generally can't tell one from the other.

Best regards

Jake

[Alan H]

That question is pretty much impossible to answer.

Personally, what drew me to the idea of wearing a kilt was seeing the fiddler in the Celtic rock band, "Tempest" wearing a black Utilikilt. However, what I bought, first was a Stillwater Standard in Black Watch. That is by no means traditional, but it IS tartan, and to the uninitiated, it certainly looks like a traditional kilt. I think each person is different, so I didn't vote.

[JelicoCat]

I also started with UK's. So I voted for contemporary. I did so because no sporran, hose, etc are required. Also if you are not familiar with true waist clothing, a UK is going to initially feel more comfortable. I'm not saying a contemporary is better to start with. For me it was easier. Either way is great.

[The Barry]

It seems as though I'm in the majority on this one. I like both contemporary and traditional kilts, but every kilt wearer should have at least one trad kilt, making it the best option for the first one.

[sdc]

I think if you want to be able to actually WEAR it to any great extent, you should probably get a contemporary, because they're so much easier to clean. My UKs have essentially replaced my jeans.

[lethearen]

I'm not going to vote on this, because I think it depends too much on the person. If they're a little wary of acceptance, go for a tartan traditional; it just screams "I'm a kilt, darn it, not a skirt!". If money is more concerning, maybe a contemporary would be better just to get the hang of it. Of course, personal taste might sway the decision one way or the other, anyway...

For me personally, traditional is the way to go. I probably won't ever own a contemporary (barring perhaps a knockabout SportKilt for lounging at home). I can appreciate UtiliKilts, et al., but they're just not for me. I prefer my kilts in tartan; I think they just look better and are more visually interesting/attractive. But someone else might think differently