Contemporary Kilts -- a Visual guide....

[ratspike]

Perhaps if I wore my Utilikilt as everyday, out-and-about clothing I might have more to say about it. I suppose there are also probably some people who are into modern kilts as a fashion statement or lifestyle garment and might have more to say about wearing them, but I doubt a tartan festooned website called X Marks the Scot would be their first port of call...

Thus we get this Contemporary sub-forum where modern kilts and tartan kilts worn in modern ways get lumped together. I'm starting to agree with you though, Alan, that they don't really belong in the same discussion. I wonder, however, if separating them would drive enough traffic to justify it

I've made this same observation. In general, I find that guys who wear this type of kilt just put it on and go. They don't spend any time on their look, unless it's to grab a chest rig in the same camouflage pattern, or their favorite t shirt, or finding a clean pair of socks, or whatever. Not really much to talk about, at least not at length. Very few of my customers, and none of the modern kilt guys I've talked with in the real world, have any interest at all in kilts in general.

[Alan H]

At heart, I'm one of those guys that ratspike write about.

Ok, so for example, I had to go to a Celebration of Life "party" this past weekend. The person who passed away was our local Clan MacNaughton convener. A lot of the Nor Cal Rabble was going to be present. "Highland Attire" was requested on the invitation. OK, well.... my main stress was whether I could wear my PV MacNaughton kilt, as that kilt has become my defacto throwing kilt, and I hadn't washed it yet. I decided it was too grubby, put on a wool kilt, shirt, tie, socks shoes sporran etc. etc and WENT.

I didn't spent half an hour in front of the mirror wondering if the nature of the complementing colors in the tie and the kilt was consistent with my "personal style". I got dressed and went to the party/service.

I also wonder, along with CmcG whether splitting this forum into two fora really makes sense. I doubt that there's the traffic in hand to support it. So bring on the Utilikilt posts along with the "polo shirt with 16 ounce 8 yard kilt" posts and leave it at that.

As for designating a set of details which must be fulfilled in order to quality as "contemporary"...Meh. If the traditional kilt guys say your look is not THCD, and the historical kilt guys say your look isn't "historical" then I guess you must be "contemporary".

[kiltedrennie]

Have you seen the stuff from Sporran Nation? They have some pretty cool, non-traditional designs that still maintain the basic parameters:

http://sporran-nation.co.uk/

Yes! I love their really cool designs. They are modern yet still loudly proclaim "This is a sporran!"

I made a sporran once with tweed front/back/flap and duck cloth gusset. Very untraditional yet, I think, still recognizably a sporran. But if you repositioned the strap hooks it would look like a small purse if carried on the shoulder.

[Nathan]

At heart, I'm one of those guys that ratspike write about.

Ok, so for example, I had to go to a Celebration of Life "party" this past weekend. The person who passed away was our local Clan MacNaughton convener. A lot of the Nor Cal Rabble was going to be present. "Highland Attire" was requested on the invitation. OK, well.... my main stress was whether I could wear my PV MacNaughton kilt, as that kilt has become my defacto throwing kilt, and I hadn't washed it yet. I decided it was too grubby, put on a wool kilt, shirt, tie, socks shoes sporran etc. etc and WENT.

I didn't spent half an hour in front of the mirror wondering if the nature of the complementing colors in the tie and the kilt was consistent with my "personal style". I got dressed and went to the party/service.

I also wonder, along with CmcG whether splitting this forum into two fora really makes sense. I doubt that there's the traffic in hand to support it. So bring on the Utilikilt posts along with the "polo shirt with 16 ounce 8 yard kilt" posts and leave it at that.

As for designating a set of details which must be fulfilled in order to quality as "contemporary"...Meh. If the traditional kilt guys say your look is not THCD, and the historical kilt guys say your look isn't "historical" then I guess you must be "contemporary".

I agree with this post entirely. Especially since there are modern looks that haven't even been attempted yet that people might decide to wear so cataloguing is far less useful than it is in a traditional context. From my perspective, at its best, the contemporary forum would provide examples and inspiration to those who are looking for a kilt look that suits their personality and circumstances.

When it comes to dressing smartly, I also don't fuss for half an hour in front of the mirror. I wear a suit and tie every day and have for years. I also worked in men's wear as a student. As such, putting together outfits is second nature to me. Still, for people who are dressing in a new way they haven't tried before, a little fussing is probably natural, regardless of the level of formality.

[CMcG]

I'm bumping this thread to see if anyone else has pics of modern utility-cargo kilt outfits or tartan kilts worn in modern ways? Ratspike?

Not sure if this is "modern" or not. I am thinking that maybe the black shirt throws this look into modern as opposed to THCD. My first time out wearing my new buckle mentioned in another thread.
Attachment 21646

I think this is a good example of a fruitful area for discussion because it is not nontraditional, but at the same time it isn't totally modern or THCD either... for me, it's the match-matchy duochromatic look and unconventionally black shirt/hose.

@Steve Ashton has also been known to dress in a similar way. In the pic below, he disposes with the flashes altogether and is wearing a cargo sporran with zippers on it, as well as Marines Dress Blue tartan that probably has pockets. At first glance the look is generally traditional but the devil is in the details.


Thoughts?

[Mael Coluim]

Well not to overdose on MC here, but I do have nontartan kilts.

[ThistleDown]

I'm bumping this thread to see if anyone else has pics of modern utility-cargo kilt outfits or tartan kilts worn in modern ways? Ratspike?



I think this is a good example of a fruitful area for discussion because it is not nontraditional, but at the same time it isn't totally modern or THCD either... for me, it's the match-matchy duochromatic look and unconventionally black shirt/hose.

@Steve Ashton has also been known to dress in a similar way. In the pic below, he disposes with the flashes altogether and is wearing a cargo sporran with zippers on it, as well as Marines Dress Blue tartan that probably has pockets. At first glance the look is generally traditional but the devil is in the details.


Thoughts?

To me Steve is dressed traditionally. His black shirt, old tasseled loafers, USMC kilt pin, and low-rider kilt are simply personal preferences, as is his mobile in its pouch. He looks good. That pic was taken in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria I suspect. Our Steve is a Sunday Docent there.

[CMcG]

To me Steve is dressed traditionally. His black shirt, old tasseled loafers, USMC kilt pin, and low-rider kilt are simply personal preferences, as is his mobile in its pouch. He looks good. That pic was taken in the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria I suspect. Our Steve is a Sunday Docent there.

Interesting. I would have that Steve's overall look isn't nontraditional, but the sum of the personal preference details are definitely leaning towards a modern approach... i.e., monochromatic colour scheme for matched shirt and hose in a nontraditional colour, no flashes, modern tartan, USMC kilt pin, kilt with pockets (although we can't see them in this pic). Certainly his sporran is a modern adaptation of a traditional design because of the compartments and multiple zippers.

I was looking for more discussion about the, at times, amorphous border between traditional and modern styles of wearing a tartan kilt, but perhaps there is more of a hard line than a continuum? If so, where is that line drawn? Clarifying this point has got to be rather important for the thrust of this thread, re: a visual guide that would complement what we've put together for THCD, but be on the more modern side of contemporary. I suspect that line may have several interpretations, which puts it back at it being a continuum...

Put another way, would Steve's above pic fit better in the proposed modern/contemporary guide or in the existing THCD guide?

P.S. I totally agree that Steve looks good

[Jock Scot]

I find this border line between THCD and Modern Contemporary not too difficult to define in my own mind. It is something that I have developed since being on this website as I really see modern contemporary kilt attire so rarely out in the wild. I call it the "20 yard, blink of the eye" method.

If we take Steve's picture above as an example. At 20 yards I cannot see the detail too clearly and in a blink of an eye I see a tartan kilt worn at the " correct " height, I see a sporran that looks about right, I see a "prong" buckle type kilt belt of the right proportions, I see hose "properly" worn, I see black shoes that do not assault the eye. I also note the black shirt( I really dislike black shirts for certain historical reasons) but as a dress choice it's a perfectly valid modern choice, I see no flashes, but again flashes are not an essential adornment, so in that moment of time Steve's very smart and modern outfit is easily put in the THCD Catigory.

[ThistleDown]

Colin, I think you are reaching for the unreachable. Traditional Highland civilian dress is simply an evolution of a regional/national dress and 'contemporary' is today's take on it. There is no border -- no hard line -- between yesterday and today, just a blurring one into the other.

The monochromatic colour scheme is as old as -- well, Jock and me and then some. I have a 1921 pic of King George V, PM Lloyd George and The Mackintosh. It's b&w but I can assure you the tweed-look is all-over grey. I'll find it and insert it here. (Edit: here we are:



Pockets in kilts are ancient. 'Nuff said.

The mere fact of a sporran (no matter how it is secured) is Highland dress if worn with a kilt; in fact, a sporran worn with trousers looks peculiar.

There are no 'non' traditional colours in the Highlands. Wool ranges from dirty white to dark-dark brown, the sun bleaches colour and there are dye-sources to be found all over: mosses and lichens and berries and nuts and on and on.

Whether at rib- or at navel-height, a tartan or tweed kilt is still traditional. Ern's examples of non-tartan kilts are perfect "modern" and definitely non-traditional examples. Those of us who have been raised wearing Highland dress know the times in-between when we had outgrown and not yet grown into our clothing. I don't remember discomfort with what I was wearing that probably didn't properly fit, but I've some old photos that I would not like to see spread around in hindsight. We pulled our kilts up or we pulled them down