Kilts on Ebay France

[Colonel MacNeal]

Well....

I did a search on Ebay France to see what was available in the kilt market, and I must say the experience was a little disturbing. A lot of the kilt offerings have "gay" in the title, and I'm sure they don't mean "happy."

I have no problem with other people being gay, but I am disturbed by this French perception of the kilt as a gay garment and part of the gay culture. Is it just anti-British sentiment, or is there a gay kilted subculture in France?

Definitely having second thoughts about wearing a kilt in France later this summer.

ColMac

On a lighter note, I did find a couple of kilts on EBay France that I liked, but the vendor did not ship outside of "France - Metropolitain".

[Chas]

Hi ColMac,

I think you will find this is an eBay thing rather than a French cultural thing. It has to do with the way eBay does searches. The more information the vendor can put in the first line of the title, the greater the visibility and the more potential customers. Information can be put in the second line, but there is a small fee, so the vendor crams as much as they can in to get the widest exposure.

I don't think you will have any trouble in France. It is after all, Scotland's oldest ally.

Regards

Chas

[Colonel MacNeal]

Hi ColMac,

I think you will find this is an eBay thing rather than a French cultural thing. It has to do with the way eBay does searches. The more information the vendor can put in the first line of the title, the greater the visibility and the more potential customers. Information can be put in the second line, but there is a small fee, so the vendor crams as much as they can in to get the widest exposure.

I don't think you will have any trouble in France. It is after all, Scotland's oldest ally.

Regards

Chas

I would try to agree, but this is the first time I've ever seen this on any country's Ebay. The men in some of these kilt ads, were also, shall we say "provocative."

[Dan R Porter]

I wonder what Ancient Alliance fro Lady Chrystal has to say about this...

[Nighthawk]

I just had a look myself, out of curiosity. I think you may be worrying too much. I only saw one with the word "gay" in the title... and a rather short minikilt being worn by a rather attractive lady who was stark nekkid except for the kilt skirt. Not something that American eBay could get away with... but I digress. There are French members of this board, one of whom is a kiltmaker, herself. So it seems to me that you shouldn't have any problems; especially considering the history between France and Scotland.

[McClef]

There is a French Kilt wearers site - http://www.kilt-society-de-france.fr/ which may be of interest but be warned it's all in French!

[Brother Falldown]

Actually, I don't think it is a French thing either. I think it may just be where particular groups decide to communicate. Do a Google Image search on "Bagpipes". Look at all fifty pages of images and you will not find anything you did not expect. Now do a Google Image search on "kilt". If you review all fifty pages you will find some un-expected items, none of which are linked to the French.

[Dan R Porter]

That is a great point, I was at work looking for "Ireland Coast" backgrounds for my office computer and I got a load of nude scuba divers. Luckily noone was looking...

[CDNSushi]

Good stuff. Thanks for the link to the French kilt society site. As I did with the Czech kilted site, I took it upon myself to translate a portion of the website for those among us who don't recall enough of their high school French class...

I may well be making a fool of myself here -- I know my translation isn't perfect, so apologies to the francophone rabble (and I know there are definitely a few) for my mistakes. My motivation to do this was based in a constant desire to keep from forgetting all the French I've learned over the years and I saw this as an opportunity to practice my translating skills, as deficient as they might be. (Still, I think I can do better than Babelfish... lol)...

Translated from "Kilt Society de France" http://www.kilt-society-de-france.fr/

Our goals

The implementation and organization of Celtic-themed cultural activities, both public and private.

A word from the association President

Tartans are Breton, Scottish, Irish, Norman, Gaul – just like us!

Lovers of kilts and tartans, we wish to gather all those who, up until now, have felt somewhat alone, off in their corners with their kilts. Now, we are together.

We wish to bring to each the opportunity and opportunities to wear their kilt as often as possible.

The kilt is often associated with Scotland, a beacon of Celtdom. The Celtic Diaspora, however, is not universally associated with the kilt, in and of itself.

We are part of the Celtic world, regardless of whether it be by our origins, our love of Celtic culture, or just simply, by the aesthetics of this garment.
Today, we all know that the kilt can be not only Scottish but Breton, Norman, Irish, Gaul, Spanish, etc…

As such, we welcome to our midst all those who would have the strong desire to promote this idea, whatever their origins might be.

In regards to dress code however, we would advise any future members that we require a certain esthetic or “class” in wearing the kilt. This criterion sets us apart and plays a major part in our association. We therefore reserve the right to refuse or exclude any and all those who do are not part of our “frame of reference” in wearing the kilt – I am thinking specifically, for example, of carnival-like / clown-like costumes.

Beyond the aspect of aesthetics, our wish is for this association to be a source of cultural exchange in the larger sense; all of this, in a constructive and intelligent manner. We wish to bestow upon each, the opportunity to deepen their knowledge on a variety of topics and to share ideas (through person-to-person meetings or conferences, for example). We live in the 21st century and we wish to live in and with the times. As such, we vigilantly avoid any extremist ideas or behavior. Our association is apolitical, but we permit freedom of thought and reflection.

Concerning the life of the association, we wish for all participants to bring forth constructive ideas. Enough said. (note: I don’t know the word “convialité”)

In the end, the driving force of our association is enjoyment.

The enjoyment of wearing our favorite garment, but also the enjoyment of life. Food and festivities will be part of our meet-ups. Between historical events and calendar holidays we have so many opportunities that it would be a shame not to celebrate them. Delicacies, beverages (more or less subtle), and bagpipes will be an integral part of our lives… in moderation, of course! Always on the straight and narrow…

Kilted yours,

The President.

[Bugbear]

Interesting.