Where is the women's section?

[Colonel MacNeal]

Spanky! Alfalfa!
Darla and the other girls are trying to bust into our He Man Womanhaters clubhouse!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

In my work I often hear women complain that there "isn't as much" for women when it comes to Highland dress. They may be talking about what's been written, or what's being offered by merchants, or anything -- but this does seem to be an area where the male dress dominates.

Often they seem to feel like an entire class of people is being left out of purposefully ignored. There were women in Scotland, right? And they did wear clothing, right?

But the truth of the matter is that there really is no conspiracy to ignore the women. It's just that the fashion of the Highlands developed a very colorful and somewhat systematic mode of dress for the men, and not so much for the women.

If a traveller from England went to Scotland in the year 1750, he would have seen many of the men wearing very unusual clothing of the likes that he never saw in the English countryside. On the other hand, the women would be dressed more or less like the English women he was familiar with (a few minor differences, of course, but nothing near as remarkable as the male dress). And so what did that traveller comment on in his journals? The male Highland dress.

As far as contemporary merchant offerings, again it seems that men dominate, but this is really just a result of male Highland dress being so specialized. When a man buys a kilt, there are a whole slew of accessories that are needed (or recommended) to wear with it. His regular socks won't do, he needs special socks. His regular belt won't do, he needs a special belt. His regular jacket won't do, he needs a special jacket. He needs a purse, for goodness' sake! It's just so different from what we men typically wear today.

Lady's can sometimes feel left out, but really, when you look at it objectively, you really have a lot more options. The typical Highland dress supplier can sell you a lady's skirt that is pleated in the back and flat in front; a skirt pleated all the way around; a straight unpleated skirt; shawls; serapes; stoles; capes; sashes; tams -- all of which can be worn with matching tartan skirt, or on their own. Your skirt can be knee length, like a man's kilt, or mid-calf, or full length, or micro-mini if you want! And you can wear your skirt to the office, to church, out to dinner, anywhere you want and no one will bat an eye.

And, since female Highland dress has not been encumbered by as many "rules" as the male fashion, if you don't see the clothing style you like being offered, you are free to just purchase your tartan and have whatever kind of outfit you like made from it.

Really, the ladies have a lot more options than do the men when it comes to wearing their tartan. You just might not be able to tell that from browsing the catalogs.

[Barb T]

I think of this forum as a place where people interested in kilts can talk about wearing kilts, making kilts, etc. Although I'm female, I don't personally have an interest in a "women's section".

[cloves]

i agree with Barb completely.
I don't personally have an interest in a "women's" specific section.