Kilts @ H&M

[Monkey@Arms]

I don't think the designer, Marc Jacobs, or H & M are marketing their spring line of mens unbifurcated garments as kilts. As shown in the pics above, Jacobs wears kilts sometimes. In the news articles I have read, the garments to be sold by H & M are referred to as men's skirts or skorts. (Hence I have not posted to them previously, as it is not kilt-related.) A good example can be found here.

Best regards,

Jake

[CMcG]

I don't think the designer, Marc Jacobs, or H & M are marketing their spring line of mens unbifurcated garments as kilts. As shown in the pics above, Jacobs wears kilts sometimes. In the news articles I have read, the garments to be sold by H & M are referred to as men's skirts or skorts. <snip>

Actually, the second image in my original post was taken directly from H&M's catalogue and states in capital letter "COOL IN KILT." The references in the news to them being men's skirts or skorts is more accurate but not the way they are being marketed (so far). This may be a way for the marketing folks to push the masculinity of the garments by associating them with the kilt.

[Monkey@Arms]

Actually, the second image in my original post was taken directly from H&M's catalogue and states in capital letter "COOL IN KILT." The references in the news to them being men's skirts or skorts is more accurate but not the way they are being marketed (so far). This may be a way for the marketing folks to push the masculinity of the garments by associating them with the kilt.

Hmmm, my bad. I had looked for the catalog on-line previously but couldn't find it. I am happy to see H & M pushing the fashion envelope but don't wish to reopen the whole "what is a kilt" debacle.

Best regards,

Jake

[Kilted Rogue]

I will pass on this one! not a fan not at all

[CalMcGuire]

Umm, I don't think so. Looks like a pair of shorts with strips of fabric sewn on it.

[Nighthawk]

Love the idea and I hate the execution.

Yeah... What he said... Those things are the ugliest damned excuses for kilts that I have seen in a while... Ever since that thread in Kilts In The Media showed models wearing belted curtains trying to pretend to be kilts. I'll stick with my Flamingo and Amerikilts, thanks.

[SoulFyre777]

Nice skirt!!!

[GG]

H&M have been selling skirts to men at least twice before. It must be close to ten years ago. They were long, almost reaching to the floor, not very nice to look at and certainly not comfortable to wear. They were only sold from their bigger stores and probably they were rather unsuccessful. The garments were intended to be worn over jeans.
These are better looking and are called kilts, but I agree with you that they by design are not optimal and far from what we consider a kilt. What we see here is a skirted garment combined with shorts. To my opinion this must represent something more daring, however, to the H&M management. Should now sales meet or even outdo their expectations they might go a little bit further next time by for example ‘dropping’ or leaving out the shorts and eventually they might come up with something like a modern kilt.
H&M might, at least in Europe, have the power to establish a new trend. Should they manage we kilt wearers should profit from it, rather than suffer, I’m sure, by making it easier for us to wear a KILT when- and wherever we should like to.
When the H&M ‘kilt’ is launched, I’m going to buy one and that’s for sure. I shall hardly ever wear it outside; no, I shall definitely not, I'm convinced. But I want to give them my contribution to an unbifurcated success (even should the shorts be 'mandatory').

Greg

[CMcG]

I feel GG's point is well taken. The brand power of H&M certainly has a chance at increasing the popularity of the kilt, despite the fact that their current offering is... fashion forward, to put it diplomatically

If they have them in Toronto, maybe I'll at least go try one on and see if they can be worn with the pleats in the back It would be pretty amazing if this venture was successful enough for them, that in 2011 they came out with something more like a Utilikilt, Alphakilt, etc! Especially given H&M's affordable price point...

[Tobus]

The brand power of H&M certainly has a chance at increasing the popularity of the kilt, despite the fact that their current offering is... fashion forward, to put it diplomatically

I would like to agree, but on the other hand, I wonder if it would do more harm than good. It's possible that it would not increase popularity of actual kilts, but start a new fashion trend that destroys, dilutes, or redefines the traditional kilt's place in the minds of the population at large.

Let's say, for example, that H&M's backwards kilt-like garment becomes wildly popular in urban metrosexual circles. Would we, then, want people to associate wearing a traditional kilt with that? The non-kilted world who generally doesn't know anything about kilts would be learning what they know of kilts from a modern fashion trend that's completely inaccurate. Imagine a guy on the street wearing one of these things telling YOU that YOU'RE the one wearing your kilt backwards! To this point, the kilt is by and large a symbol of Highland Scots and Celtic tradition to most people. What will it become if this fashion of odd skirting takes off?

So while their skort or whatever they're calling it should be perhaps supported on its own merit if people desire to, I'm not sure that supporting it for the greater good of the kilt is going to have the result we want. There could be unintended consequences.

But I could be wrong! I am, admittedly, a perpetual pessimist.