Greetings, Rabble!

My name is Michael, nice to meet you all. I'm a former Marine, part-time blacksmith, and full-time father of two. I learned about this site at a local Scottish festival, and I'm certainly glad I did. I'm descended from the Gordons on my mother's side, and my research there lead me to the wonderful world of kilts. I have decided to give it a whirl, but I'm at a loss on where to begin.

I've noticed that the general consensus (and I may be wrong about this) is to wear tartan kilts on special occasions, but to leave everyday wear for the utility/contemporary type of kilt. Seems like a great idea to me. I'm very hot natured, and generally wear shorts year-round. And I'm very hard on shorts. They always seem to wear out or split at the crotch. Sounds like I could eliminate both of those problems with a proper kilt. That's where I run into problems. There are so many to choose from that I really don't know where to start.

At any rate, thanks to everyone for providing such a hospitable place to chat and a place to learn.