The Kilt as Hobby

[CMcG]

There is much half-joking commentary on this forum about addiction to kilts and anything kilt related i.e. we "jones" like a junkie when we wait for a kilt to arrive. I've even seen a reference to HDAD (Highland Dress Acquisition Disorder)!

Does anyone else join me in thinking of kilt kollecting as a hobby?

It requires specialized knowledge and vocabulary. There is a community of people with whom we can buy, sell, and trade all things kilt related. The various levels of formality in accessories, the different types of kilts, and the many options for tartan, all allow for conceptualization of a "complete" kollection. This idea, of course, would be highly individual in terms of what anyone would deem complete. But should one actually complete it in terms of breadth, they can always upgrade it in terms of quality!

[Bugbear]

Well, since you put it that way, I guess all the converting of jackets and working on kilts was kind of a hobby.

[English Bloke]

I do view it in terms of a collection, or collections if you include sporrans, pins, jackets etc. I'm currently trying to calm myself down a bit. I have acknowledged I have everything I could possibly need and I'm also tight for space to store it but I find it ever so hard to say no when a bargain comes along.

[Mikilt]

Some hobbies have annual conventions. Wouldn't it be great to have a Kilt Konvention? Photos of kilts around the world, photo ops with kilted legends, Guess that tartan, seminars on how to persuade your SO...

This could be huge!

Yes, I am being facetious.

[cessna152towser]

Yes I suppose it is a form of collecting hobby, kilts and their accessories. I went through an expensive phase from 2003 to 2009 of building up my collection, but have calmed down a bit recently. At the moment the only item which I am jonesing for is a cap badge.

[Jack Daw]

That's why it's important to the acquirer to continously change weight in order to keep from running out of kilts.

[NewEnglander]

My fiancee refers to to kilts as one of my hobbies. Not her favorite one, necessarily, but one that I spend quite a bit of time researching and discussing and have been known to spend quite a bit of money on. But she usually sighs and and says "At least you don't like sports."

[Cygnus]

Yes I suppose it is a form of collecting hobby, kilts and their accessories. I went through an expensive phase from 2003 to 2009 of building up my collection, but have calmed down a bit recently. At the moment the only item which I am jonesing for is a cap badge.

I am impressed, Alex. You are taking it very easy for a man that recently acquired his own coat of arms.

Were I in your position, I'd be exploring all of the options (cap badge included) for displaying my arms in traditional Highland dress; custom-engraved sporran cantles, sgians dubh, cap badges, doublet buttons... there's really no limit.

You have far more self-control than me!

[McClef]

With the exception of replacing worn out hose I think I have enough to be going on with though always open to temptation!

I am going to have to acquire things Masonic now in addition. But that could include kilt related items too!

[Whidbey78]

It surely is a type of collecting hobby, and one that can infiltrate almost all areas of your day-to-day life. It seems that now if I see a rack of suit jackets I start looking through them for good candidates for kilt-jacket conversions. It's almost like Pavlov's dog hearing a bell. And my newfound love of tweed just made it worse. Don't get me started on waistcoats!

I'm frequenting antique and second-hand stores keeping a constant eye out for anything that will work as a kilt pin, belt, sporran strap, etc. My wife couldn't stop laughing when I spotted a pair of red kilt hose on a rack of socks in a thrift store...from the other end of the store. She swears I felt a disturbance in the Force when we were still in the parking lot.

I finally slowed down on kilt aquisitions, and making X-Kilts, but mainly due to space limitations and fewer good sales at the fabric shop. Lately I have concentrated my efforts on smaller accessories such as kilt pins which is good and bad--good because it is usually far less expensive, and bad because there are so many possible sources.

One really great thing about kilts and related kit as a collecting hobby, in my mind, is that for the most part we actually use the things we collect instead of simply putting them on display. I think that makes it more fun, a little bit practical, and easier to justify to spouses.