reasons

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... but Howie (and now several other Scottish kiltmakers such as KiltStore.net, who sponsor this site) are taking orders for more and more of them, and I am both pleased and proud to think that I may have played some very small part in that step forward....

Hamish,

I see more and more kiltmakers offering the plain kilts option and I'm intrigued by the idea of an expanding market in this garment. I'm also curious as to the demographic. In any of your conversations with kiltmakers, do you get a sense of where this is headed?

blu

[Hamish]

Hamish,

I see more and more kiltmakers offering the plain kilts option and I'm intrigued by the idea of an expanding market in this garment. I'm also curious as to the demographic. In any of your conversations with kiltmakers, do you get a sense of where this is headed?

blu

I cannot say that I have really discussed the matter to any extent, Blu, but I guess it would be almost impossible to say whether first-time kilt buyers are coming on board because they can now have non-tartan kilts. That being said, I do know personally of two guys who would not wear tartan because they were convinced that they were not entitled to (regardless of what I told them!), and both subsequently opted for plain kilts. I also know of a number of tartan kilt owners who have gone for plain kilts as their second/third purchases, when they might not have considered having more than one tartan kilt.

Whilst in Edinburgh in two weeks time, I am meeting up with Nick and Adèle of KiltStore.net for the first time and, since they have only fairly recently introduced contemporary plain kilts into their range, I will seek their views and opinions. I'd ask Howie too, but he's just leaving for a month in the USA!

Watch this space! 8)

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... I also know of a number of tartan kilt owners who have gone for plain kilts as their second/third purchases, when they might not have considered having more than one tartan kilt. Watch this space! 8)

I also would fall into this category. I've always felt the tartan kilt to be "safe". Everyone acknowledges the history and tradition behind it. Plain is a pretty bold statement of departure from both the look and the tradition. I would have found it difficult to go straight into a plain kilt. This is why I was asking about the demographic. Without a doubt, the tartan has made wearing a plain much easier for me. Am I making sense here?

blu

[Hamish]

.... I also know of a number of tartan kilt owners who have gone for plain kilts as their second/third purchases, when they might not have considered having more than one tartan kilt. Watch this space! 8)

I also would fall into this category. I've always felt the tartan kilt to be "safe". Everyone acknowledges the history and tradition behind it. Plain is a pretty bold statement of departure from both the look and the tradition. I would have found it difficult to go straight into a plain kilt. This is why I was asking about the demographic. Without a doubt, the tartan has made wearing a plain much easier for me. Am I making sense here?

blu

Absolutely!

[Jimmy Carbomb]

That was me that had that thought process with Graham... about the plain kilts in North America.

That all came from a discussion with two members at Lyon. In preparing for my research, we meandered into the topic of UtiliKilts and AmeriKilts. That flew into the "legitimacy" of them being called kilts. But that's another subject, and one that is too heated for Scottish traditionalists, Nordic historians, or Italian designers.

We all agreed that the neo-American kilt is a growing and essential garment... for whatever they're called. It expands the base of wearers and opens-up the trend to non-tartan folks. There's still some who consider tartan kilts to be just for Girls at Catholic Schools. There will always be a place for the plain kilts... just like casuals.

[Graham]

This is developing into a very interesting and intelligent thread!

I appreciate your thoughts, Hamish.

I'm happy to see plain kilts opening up new opportunities for men to get out of trousers - provided the plain kilts are worn and accessorised well (not all are).

While I failed in the "Victory" department, who knows, I may well try again later.

Hamish, please convey my best wishes to Nick and Adele when you see them.

[JazzKiltz]

...but I guess it would be almost impossible to say whether first-time kilt buyers are coming on board because they can now have non-tartan kilts. That being said, I do know personally of two guys who would not wear tartan because they were convinced that they were not entitled to (regardless of what I told them!), and both subsequently opted for plain kilts.

that's exactly why I changed my mind about wearing a kilt at all. I know I've mentioned before that my wife had tried to get me to wear a kilt for special family occaisions (her family, not mine) but the idea of wearing a tartan somehow didn't sit right with me, even though I have Irish, and probably Scots (via Barbados) lineage (not to mention Cherokee and, of course, African).

Like Hamish said, I didn't/don't feel "entitled". I have to admit, though, that Taylor Ancient is pretty sweet!

[David R]

The choice between plain colour kilts and tartan kilts is simple for me. Plain colour kilts are my preference. I don’t and didn’t wear tartan trousers. Why should I want to wear tartan kilts? My wife is now accepting me wearing plain kilts most of the time including accompanying me to restaurants and to visit friends and family. So I am happy to wear plain coloured kilts.

She has stated that she does not like tartan and won’t go with me if I am wearing tartan. Her stated opinion is that the tartan kilts look like old lady’s tartan pleated skirts or schoolgirls tartan pleated skirts. Without closely looking at a men’s tartan kilt such an initial observation is reasonable. Recently, my family all pointed out to me a guy wearing a tartan “kilt” (over trousers) however he wasn’t wearing a kilt. He was wearing a schoolgirl's skirt. I could tell the difference but they didn’t recognize the difference. So it works both ways. How can the general public recognize the relatively subtle difference in construction and materials?

On the other hand there was another guy at the same event wearing a plain colour knee length leather skirt (without trousers) who walked right past us several times that they didn’t notice at all. So my observation is that tartan is much more noticeable than plain colour. If you want to stand out even more in the crowd, wear tartan. To blend in wear a plain colour.

I expect that my wife feels that a plain colour kilt is less noticeable than a tartan kilt and thus she is more comfortable accompanying me. I’ll go along with that. There is no particular reason I want to wear tartan. I just don’t want to be limited to trousers. So it’s plain colours for me unless I am off on my own to a function where a Scottish style is accepted.

David

[Hamish]

.................................................. ..............................So my observation is that tartan is much more noticeable than plain colour. If you want to stand out even more in the crowd, wear tartan. To blend in wear a plain colour.
.........................
David

You are so spot-on with that, David. This is almost certainly because most tartans are highly colourful and therefore eye-catching. I am seldom on the receiving end of comments about my kilts, as I have stated before, but if and when I do receive them it will invariably be when I am wearing tartan - or maybe when in one of my more colourful plain kilts, such as a white one (not that white is a colour, but you know what I mean!)

[Hamish]

This is developing into a very interesting and intelligent thread!

I appreciate your thoughts, Hamish.

I'm happy to see plain kilts opening up new opportunities for men to get out of trousers - provided the plain kilts are worn and accessorised well (not all are).

I agree there, Graham. Unfortunately, too many wearers of plain kilts are trying to 'justify' them by dressing them up with Scottish, or traditional accessories. This can have the effect of making either the 'kilt' or the accessories look ridiculous!
New and different kilts need new and different accessories to work well.

While I failed in the "Victory" department, who knows, I may well try again later.

Hamish, please convey my best wishes to Nick and Adele when you see them.

I certainly will, Graham. Have you had dealings with them? Each one is a joy to speak with on the 'phone and I am so looking forward to meeting them.