How many guys are really wearing kilts?

[pbpersson]

Now that is a very vague question so let me tell you my thoughts.

When you are walking the streets of a major American city, how many kilts do you really see?

From what I have heard, the kilt companies cannot keep up with the demand and they are shipping kilts like crazy (is this true?) but where are they all going? Are guys just wearing them at home where no one can see them?

OR....is this kilt thing like everything else and once I get one I will start seeing them everywhere? That is a problem I have, I go through life with blinders on and just don't notice things.

In my 50 years on this planet I have only TWICE in my life seen men in kilts who were obviously not part of a celebration or a parade. :confused:

It would be hilarious if guys are buying kilts but not wearing them in public until they see more of them and when we reach a certain number of brave kilt wearers in public we see a sudden flood of guys in kilts.

[Scott Gilmore]

I know that many posters here, from what they say, wear kilts a lot more often than I do. For me, a kilt is a garment for special occasions, but I don't mean just formal occasions. So aside from formal occasions (weddings and such), family gatherings, St. Patrick's day, Tartan day, the holidays in general and possibly to sporting events are all reasons to wear my kilts.

Also, since for the most part I don't find non-traditional kilts appealing, and as I live in a hot climate zone, for much of the year it just isn't feasible to wear one of my kilts.

So I guess the short answer is that I wear a kilt several times a year, but not for everyday use.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

[I M Kilted!]

I have only seen one kilt wearer in person and that was in Africa, and he was a piper!

[GTRMAN]

I started wearing kilts last October. For the past few months I've been wearing them EVERY DAY.. I'm at work and wearing one right now.

It's not "common" to see kilts in public, but I do occasionally see others doing so.

[pbpersson]

Also, since for the most part I don't find non-traditional kilts appealing, and as I live in a hot climate zone, for much of the year it just isn't feasible to wear one of my kilts.

I have NO Scottish blood, not a drop, zip....nadda...and I am looking for inexpensive kilts so I think non-traditional is the road for me. At least until I get a whole lot more money coming in. I wonder if there is a Swedish tartan I can wear???

I live in Phoenix and I'm hoping to wear my kilt year round. There is air conditioning inside and because of my long legs when I walk I take off like a rocket so I would THINK I would generate a nice breeze of dry desert air when I'm outside to keep me cool. Only time will tell....

Oh....I see what you are saying, you have some heavy wool traditional kilts. Yes, that would be a real problem.

[Kilted KT]

I haven't seen anyone else here in a kilt outside of St. Patty's or the games.

Then again, keep in mind the following:

1. Quality Kilts take a long time to make.
2. There are not a whole lot of quality kilt makers
3. There are something like 6 billion people on the planet. even if there were a million people in kilts every day, the odds of you seeing one aren't that good.

[davedove]

Kilts are SLOWLY becoming more commonplace. Whether they ever become common remains to be seen.

I'm kind of like Scott, I wear my kilts for occasions. Now, that ocasion might be something as simple as a party or an obscure holiday. I doubt if I ever become a full timer, but I would like to see the kilt as a generally accepted alternative garment.

The kiltmakers are so busy because kilts are still a specialty product. It's not like jeans where you crank out a thousand pairs a day. It's a time consuming product and there are a limited number of kiltmakers. This is changing some as some bigger companies are utilizing assembly line techniques in kiltmaking.

I'm positive there are a lot of men who keep the kilt in the closet and only put it on for Scottish games, or maybe a formal occasion like a wedding. Some of these might wear it more often if they saw others wearing it more everyday, who knows.

And I'm sure there are a lot of men who only know that a "good" kilt costs $400 or more, so they aren't going to spend that much for an everyday garment. We can all rationalize about how that garment will last you a LONG time, but most mass consumers don't think that way. They want to now how much comes out of their pocket today.

[arrogcow]

Well the answer is not many, but growing.

For instance, I'm in Cincinnati. In the 5 years that I have been regularly kilted, I have only once run into someone randomly on the street that was also in a kilt. Now I know I'm not the only kilt guy in town. Rex and Filman are both members here (the only two I know of in Cincy, buy I suspect that there are a few more), and Rex at least wears a kilt most of the time he's not at work. I know another guy, Mark, who is kilted most of the time as well (we've been mistaken for each other). Additionally, the (Owner?) and the door guy at Nicholson's Scottish Pub are always kilted (but they have an excuse) and several of the bartenders at"The Pub" in Erlanger wear kilts at least while at work.

Now I have worked the UK booth at the Cincy Celtic fest for two years, and so know for a fact that there are at least 100+ UK owners alone in the area. I have also been to many Caledonian society functions and know that there are at least another 200 traditional kilt wearers (and this doesn't include highland dancers, pipe bands etc.). I have also handed out, I don't know how many, cards to guys who seemed interested in kilts.

But at non Scottish formal events, I have attended, it is usually me and Mr. Andrew Jergens (Jergen's Lotion family) in kilts. The exception was at a Zoo gala two years ago where there were three other guys in kilts.

So why with hundreds of various kilts, don't I see more?

First is cost. Most people started wearing a kilt as a heritage thing, and when you spend $500 for a kilt, it usually doesn't become everyday wear. I think a lot of these guys would like to wear kilts more often, but it has never occurred to them to look for cheaper alternatives since cheaper kilts are a relatively new thing.

Second is convienience. I don't wear any of my tartans nearly as often as a UK because it is a pain, dealing with a sporran (or lack of pocket space) on a regular basis.

Third (and probably biggest) is fear. Sure these guys have a kilt of some kind, but they probably bought it for Celtic Festivals and the Ren fair, maybe if they are feeling particularly brave, a concert. Frankly, societies (all societies) are made up of mostly sheep. People want to be accepted by the flock. Sure there are those that defy the standards of society, but most just conform to a smaller flock (think goths, punks etc.) Guys are afraid that if they wear a kilt out of context, they will be labeled as something (In most straight guys place - at least- it is probably the fear that they will be thought of as gay/cross dresser, though there is also the fear, at work at least, of being a troublemaker if you don't conform). Add to that the fear of family or significant other who condem kilt wearing because of their own feelings, and you have a big obstacle to over come. The fact that these fears are mostly unfounded My personal experiences are that except for a few drive by shoutings, no one much cares or likes the kilt. Certainly I have never been assulted, or thrown out of a business.

Have faith, the legions of kilt wearers are out there, and our number are growning, but statistically it will take a while before you regularly see kilts. If I can find it, I will post something I wrote on the UK Yahoo group about that.

Adam

[macwilkin]

I have NO Scottish blood, not a drop, zip....nadda...and I am looking for inexpensive kilts so I think non-traditional is the road for me. At least until I get a whole lot more money coming in. I wonder if there is a Swedish tartan I can wear???

I live in Phoenix and I'm hoping to wear my kilt year round. There is air conditioning inside and because of my long legs when I walk I take off like a rocket so I would THINK I would generate a nice breeze of dry desert air when I'm outside to keep me cool. Only time will tell....

Oh....I see what you are saying, you have some heavy wool traditional kilts. Yes, that would be a real problem.

No Swedish tartan as of yet, but you do have a couple of options:

The Mackay tartan: The Swedes recruited a number of Scots mercenaries to fight for them in the Thirty Years War. Besides the Mackays, the Munros and Sinclairs also served the Swedes and the Dutch.

The Government Sett (Black Watch): a Swedish pipe band, the Pipes and Drums of the First Royal Engineers, which is affiliated with the Swedish Army, wears the Government Sett:

http://www.sackpipa.com/eng/uniform.asp

So there you go; two possible tartans for those of Swedish heritage.

As far as wool in the Arizona desert, remember that the US Army wore wool uniforms for years in the various campaigns against native tribles, not to mention the civilian fashions worn. My father, the AZ native, ("cactus kicker"), belives that A/C was the worst thing ever introduced to Arizona! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Todd

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

As has been said, I think it all boils down to statistics. While there are well over 1500(?) members here, that is not even a drop in the bucket compared to the number of psople on the planet. Even if we were all in the same geographical location, the chances of seeing another kilted person in a regular setting is miniscule. Heck, we sometimes can't even hook up with each other at some of the Games and events!

I believe that kilt wearing is on the rise, but it is going to be slow, and I believe that it is company's that provide a contemporary and functional kilt, like UK, FK, AK, and RK that are going to fuel it most. That is not a slight on USAK, I love their kilts and will be ordering more in the future, but they are focused on the tartan market and I think that the average Joe Public is not going to want a tartan for everyday use.

Just MO, YMMV and you may disagree.