Kilt to prom on Glee tonight in prime time!

**McElmurry** · 11th May 11, 06:34 AM

It was the best we could have hoped for. The kilt was not the story and he did not make a mockery of it. It would have been tres bizarre for his character not to modify the look in some way. Would you really have preferred gillies and white hose? So, overall, bullet dodged.

**Semiomniscient** · 11th May 11, 06:56 AM

I'll watch the episode on Hulu tonight, but while it's apparently not as bad as it could have been, many of us wish the kilt to be seen as more mainstream, not something obscure and associated with generally misunderstood levels of fashion--as Kurt so often exhibits. Nevertheless, from what I'm hearing, the kilt has suffered far worse abuse at both fashion events like "Dressed to Kilt" and at relatively casual events like Highland Games. I would think though, that despite our negative reactions, the publicity via Glee should have a beneficial effect if it has any effect at all as far as people seeking out a kilt to wear.

**auld argonian** · 11th May 11, 07:25 AM

Why is there this negative presumption that Kurt's outfit was going to be somehow inappropriate or inadequate? If you're a traditionalist, there were certainly elements of the outfit that wouldn't qualify as traditional but it was pretty well done and pretty "traditional" for the most part...the only things that departed from a trad look were the boots and the fact that he was wearing some kind of leggings underneath...and I can see how and why the producers and the costume director would go the leggings route and any of us who have gotten the famous "QUESTION" asked of us should be able to figger that out in a second...they may be pushing some limits on Glee but it is still prime time TV on broadcast, after all, and with all of the other baggage that the episode was carrying, I doubt that they wanted to get emails from people who are sure that they saw something that they didn't actually see, if ya' know what I mean.

The outfit was great, it was totally keeping with the character of Kurt and it should serve as a model for any young men who want to do a nice mix of the traditional with the contemporary when they do a kilt look...you can't expect the young guys to want to dress like a bunch of old guys; they have to pull in some mod elements to make the look their own.

Y'all should be very happy that they did this because I guarantee that you're going to see a lot of newbies here who were inspired by it and that'll certainly help keep the weavers in business.

Best

AA

**TurboKittie** · 11th May 11, 07:54 AM

I know I said earlier in the thread that I thought the kilt was pleated all the way around. I am glad to see I was mistaken...I thought that simply from the twirl in the promo spot. I haven't seen either of my kilted boys ever twirl that way in real life and didn't know a kilt would do that.

Chris Colfer, the actor who plays Kurt on the show, did look quite dashing. I would have liked to see it with hose, flashes and shoes rather than the boots and leggings, but he did pull off the look he was given.

**Semiomniscient** · 11th May 11, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

Why is there this negative presumption that Kurt's outfit was going to be somehow inappropriate or inadequate?

Because it's very difficult to "trust" TV costume designers to "get it right". ;-) Kurt's character dresses very flamboyantly and in styles that are not always comprehended by the average joe. I care a lot less about "Saxon" dress than I do with how Scottish dress is portrayed. So there is a mixture of anxiety and pride before it's seen. (I mean anxiety and pride in a relative sense, it's only a TV show afterall.)

Originally Posted by auld argonian

...you can't expect the young guys to want to dress like a bunch of old guys; they have to pull in some mod elements to make the look their own.

I completely disagree. But that's my personal druthers... I'm only 24, but my students occasionally have told me I act like their grandparents. :-) I don't mind dressing to the occasion and slightly breaking with some traditions where appropriate, but I tend toward embracing some of the rules and conventions of traditions of Highland dress.

Originally Posted by auld argonian

Y'all should be very happy that they did this because I guarantee that you're going to see a lot of newbies here who were inspired by it and that'll certainly help keep the weavers in business.

Best

AA

I'm neither happy nor angered. I'm kind of just observing and trying to form conclusions from it. I certainly hope you're right and that this will benefit the weavers. That would make me very happy. As for others being inspired to wear the kilt, that's great too. :-)

**Tobus** · 11th May 11, 10:59 AM

Y'all should be very happy that they did this because I guarantee that you're going to see a lot of newbies here who were inspired by it and that'll certainly help keep the weavers in business.

I have doubts as to whether the target audience of this program will really be in the market for proper Scottish kilts woven by the mills we like to support. Most likely, if there is any influx of newbies here over this, they will be kids looking for cheap kilts that they can afford on a high-schooler's budget, and asking what kind of leggings and boots are correct to wear with a kilt.

I guess I have to count myself as one of those who doesn't applaud the bastardization (if I may use so bold a phrase) of traditional Scottish kilt-wearing on prime-time television. For millions of young American kids who saw this, their introduction to the kilt was a gay effeminate cross-dresser who wore it with leggings and knee-high boots. This is the image that is imprinted on their brains now about kilts, and all of us who wear the kilt will be fighting for years to undo their assumptions that we're gay or effeminate or cross-dressers.

I do NOT mean this to be disrespectful towards anyone. I just think this portrayal of the kilt is going to increase our chances of derogatory comments from the average ignorant person on the street, which is something that was hard enough already.

**TurboKittie** · 11th May 11, 11:16 AM

Tobus, that does raise an interesting point. This is likely the first time many American teens have seen a kilt in the media.

Last weekend, I discovered that most "drama kids" aged 14-17 at a public high school in the midwest haven't seen the film Braveheart, and really don't have much of a frame of reference for a kilt. Not just the regular kids, but the theatre kids haven't seen the film. (I know, Braveheart is not accurate in many ways, but if you were to think of a positive and well known kilted character - I would argue it would be up there on the list.) It would be a shame if they attached some sort of stigma with the kilt, but I don't think that's likely. Or I hope it's not. For one, I think that the typical audience of the show is probably not the same ones who would make derogatory comments and secondly, I'm not entirely sure the episode won't be forgotten by next Tuesday.

**Galician** · 11th May 11, 11:41 AM

I have said this before somewhere on this forum, but the leggings Coffer wore under the kilt are just as I have seen some young guys dressed at various Games I have attended.

And it isn't just kilts. Yesterday I saw a young girl wearing those same leggings under a skirt. Not for the first time.

It's a modern teenage fashion, so get used to it.

**Semiomniscient** · 11th May 11, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Galician

I have said this before somewhere on this forum, but the leggings Coffer wore under the kilt are just as I have seen some young guys dressed at various Games I have attended.

And it isn't just kilts. Yesterday I saw a young girl wearing those same leggings under a skirt. Not for the first time.

It's a modern teenage fashion, so get used to it.

Why should Tobus "get used to it" because some people are doing it?