On the ground floor of something big?

[pbpersson]

You know.....I discovered this forum by going to www.kiltmen.com and I have watched this "kilt movement" for several years now. I have been lurking here and there....and posting previously on Tom's Cafe and Bravehearts forum under another name...

I am just sensing that we are going to see a big change in this regard in the 21st century. I'm somewhat of a "web walker" in that I go out and do research and end up here there and everywhere.

There are a NUMBER of forums out there where guys are excitedly talking about wearing kilts every day in casual settings - I was just in a forum of sword-fighting guys discussing this very topic.

I have stumbled into men's personal blogs and they are saying they are ready to jump on the bandwagon once kilts become a little more commonplace.

The curiosity the members here encounter when they are out and about seems to validate this belief, that there is a great deal of interest out there.

WHAT IS THAT?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
DO YOU LIKE IT?
WHERE CAN I GET ONE?

What are your thoughts on this? Do you imagine that in the next ten years there will be a large increase of kilt wearers or is it just my imagination?


Phoenix Phil

[cessna152towser]

Yes, I believe kilts are set to become mainstream mens wear within the next few years. Now that most women have taken to wearing trousers, skirt like garments for men such as non-traditional kilts are no longer perceived as effeminate. There will still be traditional wool tartan kilts, maybe more common than at present, but I think the big growth area will be in the likes of Utilikilts and single colour lightweight polycotton kilts.

[The Supreme Canuck]

I'm going to be a downer and say no. While there is tremendous growth, even if the kilt-wearing population tripled, not many would notice. Maybe in a few decades.

[Alan H]

It's happening, but it's nowhere near commonplace. I can count on one hand..in fact I only need four fingers, to count the times I've seen a guy wearing a kilt around the San Francisco Bay Area except at X Mafks gatherings or Highland Games. So it's not ready to burst into mainstream *quite* yet.

[Retro Red]

I see kilts for men about where pants for women were in the 40s - still generally uncommon & not always accepted. It was until the 60s that women wearing pants became commonplace in the general populace & it wasn't until the 70s that institutions like schools & businesses began to allow women to wear pants. Since trends do seem to be more accelerated these days, I guess that in 10 years or so (at best) we may see kilts as a fairly common site in American society. Maybe...

If kilts never become commonplace, well, it's their loss & I'll still be wearin' mine!
.

[GMan]

Mainstream probably not. More of an acceptance factor seems to me to be the trend.

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... they are saying they are ready to jump on the bandwagon once kilts become a little more commonplace....

A lame excuse. It's the old chicken and egg scenario.

I've become a pessimist where the general popularization of the kilt is concerned. I think it would be an interesting social turn-around, but I don't expect to see it in my lifetime.

[Kilted KT]

until you can get one at walmart, I would say that kilts are not going to become mainstream any time soon. Far too many men out there are not confident enough in themselves to wear a kilt as a daily garment.

I'll have to agree with the decades projection.

[pdcorlis]

I don't know much about ground floors and movements - I'm just a hick from north Idaho... I suspect contemporary kilts will gain larger acceptance as time goes by. My experience with tartan kilts tells me that many folks already understand on some level that they connect us to our heritage.

[pbpersson]

. Since trends do seem to be more accelerated these days, I guess that in 10 years or so (at best) we may see kilts as a fairly common site in American society.
.

Things are much more accelerated today between instant satellite communications and the web.

Richard Hatch wore his UK on Survivor for the entire world to see, Sting wore a jet black kilt at the Grammy awards for the entire world to see.....the idea of non-Scottish kilts for every ocassion is out there. The "cat is out of the bag" so to speak and there is no way to put the genie back into the bottle now.

However, I was also going to post some news articles about how Sting's choice of clothing didn't cause any ripples. After doing a Google search on this and finding some articles I decided I didn't want to post any links after all.

Yes.....I might take some time.....however I will do my part as a kilted ambassador to get out there and answer any questions people might have to help along the process.