"N. Finchley clothing company to unveil first ever English kilt on St George's Day"

[Semiomniscient]

I don't like this at all. It smacks of utter silliness to me. I'm sorry, but I don't think putting a flag on a "kilt" and adding some pretty heraldry on the pleats is at all eye-pleasing. Would anyone ever wear pants like this? It's completely juvenile and makes no sense to me whatsoever.

[Nighthawk]

I've always been the oddball... I like it. I think I'm one of three people here who does. I also really like the Saltire kilt and the one with all the brands of single malt in the pattern. I'd wear it... just not in Scotland.

[Monkey@Arms]

I agree with the posters who say the kilt under discussion looks like something for a knight in armor. This, by far, is my favorite novelty kilt:





Best regards,

Jake

[chasem]

I agree with the posters who say the kilt under discussion looks like something for a knight in armor. This, by far, is my favorite novelty kilt:

I like the look of that one, probably because it's much more subdued. But I still wouldn't wear it.

[Brian K]

I don't like this at all. It smacks of utter silliness to me. I'm sorry, but I don't think putting a flag on a "kilt" and adding some pretty heraldry on the pleats is at all eye-pleasing. Would anyone ever wear pants like this? It's completely juvenile and makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I'm with you, Jamie. As a previous post of mine in this thread stated, I tend to think of kilts as being tartan or tweed. That being said, I think it's the silliness you mentioned that makes me not like this "kilt." I guess it's less that it's not traditional, but that it seems not to take the idea of a kilt seriously that bothers me.

There have been a few - very few - novelty kilts I might wear, but not this one. If they wanted a kilt for St. George's day something more closely resembling the Saltire kilt or the Rampant Lion kilt might have better served their interests. Perhaps something like the kilts with a bare bones tartan with a thistle or maple leaf or the arms of the U.S. or some such symbol in a jacquard weave in the large blocks would have been a good idea.

I won't knock someone for liking and wearing this garment, but I'd rather not join in, thank you very much.

Regards,

Brian

[Paul Henry]

clip.... If they wanted a kilt for St. George's day something more closely resembling the Saltire kilt or the Rampant Lion kilt might have better served their interests.

I can't see if someone wanted to celebrate St George's Day( Patron Saint of England) wearing a Saltire or Rampant Lion kilt would fit the bill

I've got no real problem with it, I've worn many different styles and colours of kilts, but I don't think I could cope with a white kilt not least for practical reasons. If people want to wear it, I say let them

[Chas]

I don't like this at all. It smacks of utter silliness to me. I'm sorry, but I don't think putting a flag on a "kilt" and adding some pretty heraldry on the pleats is at all eye-pleasing. Would anyone ever wear pants like this? It's completely juvenile and makes no sense to me whatsoever.

But they are exactly the same, James. What does a flag represent? What does a tartan represent? How are they not representing the same thing?

Men wear tartan trews. More to the point, the Highland Regiments have been doing it for generations - do you think they are juvenile?

I have no wish to be argumentative, but I just don't see your reasoning.

Regards

Chas

[Brian K]

I can't see if someone wanted to celebrate St George's Day( Patron Saint of England) wearing a Saltire or Rampant Lion kilt would fit the bill

I've got no real problem with it, I've worn many different styles and colours of kilts, but I don't think I could cope with a white kilt not least for practical reasons. If people want to wear it, I say let them

Paul,

I wasn't suggesting that the Saltire or Rampant Lion kilts would be acceptable substitutions for St. George's day wear, but one could design a kilt with a tartan with mostly red and white that would show the St. George cross in the tartan itself (a cross would be the easiest thing in the world to represent in a tartan), and would show the three lions across the pleats in some fashion.

In addition to what I see as silliness, like you I have reservations about that much white in a garment worn on your lower half. Not only would it make my backside appear even larger than it already is, I remember a pair of white jeans I had as a teenager and they were almost impossible to keep clean.

That being said, I must - once again - say that someone who likes it should wear it (if he can afford a kilt at that price!) in good health and with much happiness.

Regards,

Brian

[BoldHighlander]

I could actually see English football fans ('soccer' on this side of the pond) wearing this one

[davidlpope]

But they are exactly the same, James. What does a flag represent? What does a tartan represent? How are they not representing the same thing?

Chas

I'm not sure that I agree with your reasoning. A flag represents a country. Tartans may represent specific things, and in that way be symbolic, but Tartan, generically, represents the Highland culture of Scotland. Even new tartans that are not Scottish in origin (English county, U.S. states, Canadian provinces, organizations, businesses, etc.) are ingrafting themselves in the existing Highland/Pan-Scottish tradition.

By my way of reckoning, though, the two "symbols" really clash when combined in this particular fashion, i.e. a traditionally constructed kilt = a symbol of Scotland, the St. George's cross = a symbol of England.

To me it still comes back to the fact that one cultural/national/ethinic group is appropriating a clear symbol of another cultural/national/ethnic group instead of using a distinct and unique facet of their own culture to represent their identity. Not criminal, but just a little sad, in my personal view.

It would be as if one made up a set of lederhosen in blue and white with a saltire across the rear-end and declared it was a "'revolutionary' style of dress" symbolizing Scottish identity. To me that sort of thing says "confused", not "Scotland". Likewise with this kilt.


Cordially,

David