What brought you to wearing a kilt?

**Niblox** · 9th March 09, 09:13 AM

My reasons for getting a kilt are as follows: I first lived in Scotland in the mid-80's and, as it happens, one gets invited to various formal events, balls, dinners etc, and I noticed that at least half of the men there were kilted. I enquired into the cost of hiring an outfit (around £40-50 a time) and I reckoned that if you paid out around £500 for a reasonably good outfit, it would pay for itself in 10 wearings!

So have had an outfit ever since....

**Rogerson785** · 9th March 09, 10:04 AM

I started wearing a kilt last year about the same time as this thread was started. I always knew that I had some sort of European ancestry etc..; however I thought it was more Nordic, Scandinavian, and not Scottish. I did some research and low and behold there are quite a few Rogerson’s in the Dumfries area.

My first two kilts were from Stillwater, one from Sports Kilt, and then a USA from Rocky for the 2008 US Army Signal Ball.

**Ancienne Alliance** · 9th March 09, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by kilty

I was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer 3 years ago. It's a nasty one with only 5 year survival rate of 30%. I went through chemo and am now in remission.

Not knowing how much time I had left, I started thinking about things that I wanted to do before heading to that great kilted party in the sky.

One thing I did was buy a 1969 Plymouth GTX like the one I had back in the day. The wife and I dated when I had that car and we are now having tons of fun with it.

My maternal grandmother was born in Scotland of the clan MacKay. That started the ball rolling. It was something I wanted to do and if you wait too long, sometimes you never get the chance.

Kilted and loving it!!

Great story. I hope you are well and happy.

Best,

Robert

**McNulty** · 24th February 09, 05:41 AM

My wife and I truly enjoy the outdoors. It is one of the reasons we moved to Colorado. We wanted to work in an area where we loved to play and we both enjoy hiking, trekking, snowshoeing,(all of the ING sports) and when I came across a gentleman on the trail in Washington wearing a kilt I got inspired. We talked for some time, parted or ways, and by the end of that summer had two kilts to be used exclusively for hiking. I researched the product and usages and finally settled on non-wool for the two hiking kilts. I loved the freedom of movement while on a trail, the coolness of the kilt(it can be very hot and dry out here during the summer), who doesn't enjoy a "Lookin good" comment from a stranger, and easy to take care of. So, I was hooked. These two introductory kilts led me to my tanks and other refined kilts for "dressier" occassions (other than trails). My two original kilts still perform their intended function and hopefully will for some years to come. As the weather gets warmer these two kilts will be taken out of the closet and put back to work hikinh the trails all over the Western U.S.
Nulty

**KiltedDawg** · 21st February 09, 12:55 PM

I got my first kilt while studying in Scotland. I later returned to the states and was inducted into a social society at my university known as the "Highlanders." Basically, it was a drinking club. Needless to say, all members wore kilts, so I stood out as having the real deal. I also continued playing rugby during college, graduate school, and beyond, in the US as well as England. The kilt would make appearances at the post-match parties quite regularly. After a few years away from kilt wearing I rediscovered it as the result of a homecoming theme last fall at the school where I currently work. Needless to say, I've been hooked every since and many new kilts (probably too many) have been added to the collection!

**nab2488** · 21st February 09, 01:27 PM

I saw they at renfest all the time and though they were cool. Eventually I rented one and I really enjoyed it. I was still only 15 at the time so still never could afford one. I thought they were just going to be something for conventions and festivals and stuff like that. I had never seen a UK then I saw one and realized why couldn't I just wear one whenever? So I found sport kilt and have been wearing them ever sense.

**WARPIPER** · 21st February 09, 01:35 PM

When I took up the Bagpipes 25 years a ago, the kilt came with the job. The good thing was I wore a kilt for 20 years with out buying one. But now I am very happy with my own kilt.

**puffer** · 21st February 09, 02:06 PM

I started wearing a KILT,about 6 years ago. I was @ Ft.Langley in BC.I was there as a part of a group doing a a presentation on the operation of the NWC/ HBC in the PNW. My "assignment was to give a "brief" overview of the Scottish impact in the PNW.The eve before, I was sharing a Scotch, with one of their "historians" We got talking about the Kilt being worn (BTW IT WAS

) He asked if had ever worn one. I said no & he "SMILED"
The next morning there was a knock on my motel door & there he was, KILTED UP. He then handed me a KILT & told my to "get Dressed"

ith: ( he is a retired Can. Seaforth Officer & he borrowed the kilt from one of the "Junior" Officers. I FEEL IN LOVE with the Kilt & the next week ordered one made & have not looked back since. ( as most know I now wear a Kilt as often as it is "practical"

Puffer

**GDub** · 21st February 09, 02:03 PM

My wife bought me an Amerikilt and a SWK standard in the Irish Nat'l tartan for my birthday last August. I'd never considered wearing a kilt so the birthday gifts were a complete surprise--to say the least! Fast forward 6 months... I now own 13 kilts and am kilted as much as possible. I don't wear one to work (yet), but I do go out and about kilted and I've worn one to every gig my band has played since September.

At the moment, I'm wearing a super comfortable USAK casual.

Kilt on!!

**long_hand** · 21st February 09, 02:03 PM

Well, I've always wanted a kilt but never could afford one because the real deals are just too darn expensive. I finally decided to just go ahead and make a semi-trad kilt. I started doing research online and found affordable and comfort kilts. I'm still going to make an 8 yard trad with some material I have, and a 5 yard comfort with some material I just bought last night, but I am also waiting on my first kilt, an SWK Mackenzie Thrifty. It was affordable, a good intro to kilts, and I have a Mackenzie line in my ancestry. I also have a few other Scottish lines, a few Irish lines, and a couple Welsh, so I am also getting into wearing kilts as a way to celebrate my Celtic ancestry. I would love to eventually own an Irish National and Irish Saffron kilt as well. I am 30 and still pretty young all considering so I certainly plan on having a wide array of kilts and wearing them until the day I go to my ancestors.

~LH~

~Shawn