Oh NO! I'm a Kilt Snob

[Mark Keeney]

I just worked all day at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival and I saw many men in kilts. Then I heard myself tell my wife, "There are a lot of bad kilts here." Several kilts were cotton shirt (read thin) material wrapped around themselves or very shallow pleats, or pleats and apron that went the wrong way. One person had even used thin cotton material several yards long and instead of pleating it he wrapped it around himself many times and belted it on.

I am glad I know the joys of a well made kilt that looks good and feels good to wear and I felt bad for the ones who were trying to imitate the look without much sucess.

I do realize that I am glad to see so many men wearing a kilt of sorts and finding out the benefits of a kilt, even if the don't get the full benifit of a well made kilt.

I need to be more tolerant and help those who are trying and help educate them to the true meaning of being kilted.

I also saw some good looking kilts too.

[Roan Carter]

Ha ha. I know how you feel. I went to a Celtic fest in Roanoke Virginia a while back, and I felt the same way. I wanted to take a few of them by the hand and instruct them a bit.

But then I saw this one guy in a really nice Confederate tartan kilt, and I almost died at the site of it. ^_^

[auld argonian]

Oh...you spotted the lads from Clan MacTablecloth....I saw a couple at the local Highland Games this year. Last year at Chicago Celtic Fest there was a guy who just must have been SO excited to get his new kilt on that he left the basting stitches in...that or he planned to try to return it on Monday morning.

We ought to have some guidelines for dialogues that we can engage these guys in so that we can encourage them to get their outfits together.

Stuff like, "Hey...you're trying out the kilt, huh? You should check out Xmarksthescot on line...there's a lot of good tips on there." You're right, they should be encouraged and not made sport of.

And, Roan, you are right...that Confederate Taran is smashing...makes one wish that he had some rights to wear it (though I know for a fact that parts of my family fought on both sides in the War Between The States). Maybe there should also be a Union Tartan that complimented the Cofederate one.

Best

AA

[MacWage]

Maybe there should also be a Union Tartan that complimented the Cofederate one.

Best

AA

I wonder what peole would think if you wore them together????


Aren't Clan MacTablecloth and Clan MacWal(mart) connected :rolleyes: ?

[Chris Webb]

I bought my first kilt at a Ren Fair about 4 years ago, got a cotton 'kilt shirt' and put the outfit on right then and there. I felt great! My wife loved it and all the folks in the kilt tent really got me excited about wearing it. They even helped me adjust the length.

I'm just a little under 5'7" and the kilt was way too long so the fellow fitting me to it rolled the waist over itself and covered it with my belt. It felt wonderfully cool on that hot day hitting my legs just above the knee. All fixed up I couldn't wait to get out into the fair and really enjoy it.

I hadn't gone 5 minutes before three rather heavy gals in period clothing stopped me and gave me trouble over the length of my kilt ... I was expecting a compliment, instead they said, "that's a boy's kilt, not a man's kilt and started laughing." Well, my wife jumped to my defense and asked exactly what they meant. "A Mans kilt goes past his knees, HIS kilt is too short!" My wife said, "The shorter the better!"

Right then and there, before I knew anything about all the 'rules' of proper fitting and types of kilts and meanings of tartans, I decided that I would never be one of those folks who nitpicked other folks' kilts. Whether it's a guy in a pleated table cloth or a piper in his full regalia I just want to go, YEAAAHHHH.

I've found that folks who find out they like to wear kilts will very quickly learn about them and start to save money for a 'real' kilt however we define that. I'm thankful that I didn't let those 3 gals of the kilt police embarrass me out of trying kilts ... and I'm thankful that my wife defended me and made me feel like a total stud the rest of the day.

Any man, young or old, should be encouraged while going about kilted. What's it to any of us if they wade in slowly in a home-made kilt no matter how funny it may look to those of us with 'real' ones. Mark's got it right and it really is important for us not to become kilt snobs. Thanks for this thread, Mark, I'll be a better kiltman for having read it.

Kilt On.

Chris Webb

[Raphael]

At least they are trying.

[Kilted KT]

I wonder what peole would think if you wore them together????


Aren't Clan MacTablecloth and Clan MacWal(mart) connected :rolleyes: ?

Clan MacWal(mart) is a sept of MacTablecloth...The sept formed some time after the Proscription was repealed, when the english couldn't find any more Tablecloths, and started buying tartan from the MacTablecloth clan weavers. MacWal(mart) grew primarily from MacTablecloth weavers who were drinking too much scotch to get the tartan straight, and were shunned by their clan chief.

Laast I heard, the MacTablecloth clan chief is a greeter at Wal-Mart.

[Tartan Hiker]

I've also noticed that the number of MacTablecloths is inversely proportional to the admission fee.

[kiltimabar]

And, Roan, you are right...that Confederate Taran is smashing...makes one wish that he had some rights to wear it (though I know for a fact that parts of my family fought on both sides in the War Between The States). Maybe there should also be a Union Tartan that complimented the Cofederate one.

Best

AA

Actually there is...Matt Newsome is in the process of making me a kilt from the Federal Memorial Tartan right now.

[macwilkin]

Actually there is...Matt Newsome is in the process of making me a kilt from the Federal Memorial Tartan right now.

Really! -- I am interested in this, as I am the Camp Commander of our local Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Camp:

www.suvcw.org

I'm sure there are many other SUV members who might be interested in such a tartan, and there might even get some official recognition from the national organization! Do you have any information on this tartan?

My Scottish great-great grandfather, William I. Williamson, served with Co. F, 11th Iowa Infantry, USV.

Cheers,

Todd