Asking for a Friend

[Bugbear]

Traditionally, a normal kilt is a man's garment. However, my friend who is a girl wears a kilt--however, she wears it like a skirt. She does not wear kilt hose, but rather black stockings, and usually a blouse with a vest that looks particularly feminine. I think this is perfectly acceptable and attractive. To me, if I see a woman in a kilt worn with kilt hose, bonnet, etc. I find her to look a little too "mannish"... even pretty lasses! This works for pipe band uniforms as everyone is supposed to look the same.

"perfectly acceptable and attractive," also to you. Otherwise, I would agree.

[AFS1970]

There are women who wear kilts, but they are all cross dressers. The last thing we need is more connection to that terminology.

[Semiomniscient]

"perfectly acceptable and attractive," also to you. Otherwise, I would agree.

I believe I prefaced the sentence with "I think". :-)
But honestly, when it isn't worn like a kilt, it looks like a knee-length skirt. I also think she may have worn it a little lower on the waist, but as she was wearing a vest, I couldn't tell.

The point goes to show however, that the overall look of a kilt is greatly determined by how one accessorizes it.

[Bugbear]

I believe I prefaced the sentence with "I think". :-)
But honestly, when it isn't worn like a kilt, it looks like a knee-length skirt. I also think she may have worn it a little lower on the waist, but as she was wearing a vest, I couldn't tell.

The point goes to show however, that the overall look of a kilt is greatly determined by how one accessorizes it.

No arguement here. And thank you for clarifying.

As Jock Scot often says, "to each his own," and he is a wise man.

[Aengus]

IMHO Kilts look great on either sex (though Im PRO mini kilt on women)

[james a. husky]

A "kilt" is, by definition, a Man's clothing!!!

Jim aka kiltiemon

[O'Callaghan]

Having actually looked for ladies kilts for my wife, I have to say that the terminology used by most vendors doesn't match what most people post on the forum.

You have mini kilts, also referred to as billie kilts for some reason that I don't know, and then working down in length (and interest, you might say) you get ladies kilts, which are approximately knee length like a mens kilt (but this also gets used as a general term, irrespective of length), and then kilted skirts, which are supposed to be mid calf, and finally hostess kilts, which are floor length.

Usually they close on the 'wrong' side, but some kiltmakers have them close on the gents side or even argue that all kilts close on that side (which they don't).

This does not entirely reconcile with the oft expressed views that anything worn by a woman is a kilted skirt and not a kilt, because to a kilt vendor/maker it normally refers to a specific length (calf). OTOH, anyone who is that strait-laced will probably argue that mid calf is the only correct length for a woman anyway, if they don't actually argue that women aren't supposed to wear them atall!

Of course, even the most hide-bound fogies generally make an exception for pipe bands, although I'm half surprised that they don't argue that pipe bands should be all male! (Not my PoV atall, just to be clear). Probably their wives would send them to the spare room for saying that! Still, everyone does seem to agree that pipe bands should all wear knee length kilts that close on the gents side.

The tartan arisaid, which has been posted, or even a tartan sash worn over a plain dress, arguably may be more traditional for the ladies than even a (calf length) kilted skirt, which in turn may be more traditional than any of the other lengths of ladies kilt, but IME the female of the species seldom cares about these niceties, or rather they do, but not usually for reasons of tradition.