Kilts for profit in Austin

[Rex_Tremende]

This is a post about contemporary style kilts in the media.

So, I was reading an article in the New York Times about how an independent women's clothing boutique in Austin, Texas, By George, was coping with the current economy.

Before [store owners] the Culmos added high-end women’s fashion, in 2007, they sold men’s wear — profitably. (The season that [Belgian designer] Dries Van Noten did kilts, Mr. Culmo sold out of them.)

I had not heard of these kilts, and to the best of my knowledge, they've never been mentioned in these forums. So, I turned to my trusty resource on men's clothing, men.style.com. It turns out the season was Spring 2005. Here are two examples:

Well, I could leave it here without further comment, which is my inclination, but I'll just go ahead a say it. I think it's nice that designers try to incorporate kilts and kilt-like things into their lines (Is it the borrowing of ideas, an attempt to mainstream, or to shock?) and I'm thrilled that the store was able to turn a profit on them, but where are those kilts from eight seasons ago today? Well, they were so eight seasons ago, and now quite possibly languishing somewhere in the back of their owners' closets. It seems to me that if they didn't try so hard to be avant-garde, if they would just tweak them ever so less and get more of the details right (like which way they should wrap), their work would have more staying power.

I'm curious if anyone here has one of those.

Regards,
Rex.

[barbaratx]

1st: they are womens skirts (apron opens on the left) and

2nd: they are poorly made.



no wonder they did not make it


Barbara

This is a post about contemporary style kilts in the media.

So, I was reading an article in the New York Times about how an independent women's clothing boutique in Austin, Texas, By George, was coping with the current economy.



I had not heard of these kilts, and to the best of my knowledge, they've never been mentioned in these forums. So, I turned to my trusty resource on men's clothing, men.style.com. It turns out the season was Spring 2005. Here are two examples:

Well, I could leave it here without further comment, which is my inclination, but I'll just go ahead a say it. I think it's nice that designers try to incorporate kilts and kilt-like things into their lines (Is it the borrowing of ideas, an attempt to mainstream, or to shock?) and I'm thrilled that the store was able to turn a profit on them, but where are those kilts from eight seasons ago today? Well, they were so eight seasons ago, and now quite possibly languishing somewhere in the back of their owners' closets. It seems to me that if they didn't try so hard to be avant-garde, if they would just tweak them ever so less and get more of the details right (like which way they should wrap), their work would have more staying power.

I'm curious if anyone here has one of those.

Regards,
Rex.

[Zardoz]

Rex, I'm no fashion expert, but I think its being too kind calling those sad looking man skirts kilts!

[Nighthawk]

Rex, I'm no fashion expert, but I think its being too kind calling those sad looking man skirts kilts!

Yeah, that was my first thought, as well. Unikilts come to mind.

[Hamish]

Rex,

I was surprised to read that the store had sold out of the Dries Van Noten 'kilts' because, normally, garments such as these do not reach the stores. As with women's fashion shows, much of what appears on the catwalks has been created simply to catch the eyes of fashion photographers and fashion editors - most is simply not suited to being worn in 'the real world'!

The photos of those outrageous outfits get splashed across the front pages of the papers and magazines, and the designers thereby achieve the publicity they work so hard to get.

Almost every year, for a number of years, at least one designer puts a few 'kilts' into his/her Men's Collection - Jean Paul Gautier, the French designer who often wore one of his own 'kilts', started the trend in the 1980s, I believe.

Not even my 'Kollection' would give house-room to one of those 'items' shown in the photos you posted!

Take care,
Ham.

[Mike in Dayton]

When designers run their so called "kilts" down the runway for attention it does more harm then good to those of us that try to wear the kilt as an legitimate man's garment.

Mike

[Tartan Hiker]

Hideous.

[SteveB]

I was thinking of "Hot Topic" and then realized these were so ugly that a Blaklader hi-vis looks good in comparison. Bring on the pink death kilt. I then had the surprise of seeing one of these things on a young gent, the rear is sort of gathered, not pleated. For the price, I could get a Sport Kilt AND a USAK Semi-trad., including sporran, belt and kilt pin. Why would I want one of these?
Slainte

[Thebigeman77]

Those... are... not.. KILTS... ugh... darn the media and pop culture.

[Mipi]

Look more like lions cloth and yes the apron opens on left side.
Made so poorly, no wonder they could made some profit (but not on the long run).
Personaly, I'm not looking to follow traditional line only, but those are not kilts.