Mini-kilt suitability

[staticsan]

Not sure quite where to put this, so I'll ask it here.

I've become involved in a conversation with some non-kilted friends who had the occasion of seeing me kilted for the first time the other day. No respecters of traditions, some of the ladies are trying to tease me about how short my kilt wasn't (it was normal length, thank-you-for-asking). Their question basically comes down to would a guy wear a mini-kilt?

Now I know that the general sentiment here is that kilts Have A Correct Length, so perhaps what I'm suggesting is still somehow a bit too radical. (Although, discussions on Men In Skirts forums often explore appropriate length, I do recall.)

Would you buy a mini-kilt?

Wade.

[ccga3359]

No, top of the knee is the shortest I would wear a kilt. In short, a mini kilt would be an entirely different forum.

*pun intended.

[Martin S]

As it happens, I bought a kilt off e-bay which turned out to be much shorter than I imagined. Great quality but too short. I felt I could wear it only in the house at first, but little by little, I have gotten accustomed to the freedom round the knees, as well as my own appearance in a mirror, and I now feel quite comfortable wearing the kilt out. I would not wear it to a
Scottish function where it would draw unwelcome attention, but in France where no-one knows any better, what does it matter?

I would not wear it in winter either.
The kilt is 50 cm long; perhaps not short enough to be called a mini?

Martin

[emolas]

"Mini-kilt" is an oxymoron. A kilt has a correct length and anything else cannot be called a kilt any more than a thong or speedo can be called a pair of shorts. Whether or not a man would wear one is entirely up to him since it is not "men's attire" like a true kilt is. A kilt that is too short (like Martin mentions) or too long would be classified as improperly tailored or ill-fitting but still a kilt and still men's attire. To answer the question "would you buy a mini-kilt?" Yes, I would...for my daughters

[McMurdo]

I would not buy a mini kilt for myself, I wear Kilts, not skirts, a "mini kilt" is just a tartan skirt, so no it's not for me. I do like looking at them though.

[cessna152towser]

No I wouldn't buy or wear a mini-kilt. Personally I would consider a mini-kilt rather immodest and out of place for an ageing guy like myself. Even on a younger wearer, I think people's expectations of unbifurcated garments on men is that they should be approximately knee length and pleated. I occasionally wear my two denim Union Kilts, and my box-pleat camo kilt is strictly speaking a skirt rather than a kilt as it is box-pleated all round rather than having overlapping front aprons. These always pass muster as recognisably male kilts. I am often told by people that my denim or camo kilts are cool and they ask where they can buy them. Yet, there was a guy came into the office yesterday wearing a brown and white patterned knee-length unpleated flared skirt, and even though I was wearing my black kilt I thought he looked rather out of place with hairy legs and what was obviously a skirt designed for a lady. I've seen fellows in mini-kilts a few times, but other than as fancy dress for a fun run, they just don't look right to me.

[Nick]

Yes, for my wife. But she prefers longer skirts, so it's really a moot point.

[Phicong]

I agree with Martin on kilt length with a small exception. Whereas I never plan to attend any formal affairs in kilt or otherwise, or attend functions where I will accept my degree of "correctness of dress" is up for judgement, I feel free to chose to wear that in which I feel comfortable. It appears though my preference in kilt length was also shared by the Highland Chieftain in this painting found on this link: http://www.albanach.org/drawstring.htm.
Gordon
The hippy in a kilt.

[MacWage]

WOULD a guy wear a mini-kilt?
Yes, as there are pictures here of men in them.

SHOULD a guy wear a mini-kilt?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!! In short, they tend to look bad, odd, and imply negative things about his "manhood." I have YET to see one I think look like he didn't get it from a woman's closet.
Would I wear one?
NO!!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!! (Wouldn't work right anyways)

[JimB]

I personally LOVE mini-kilts!
I just wouldn't wear one.