Not putting it on properly

[Tobus]

In my opinion our national dress is being devalued and hijacked by the wedding industry. I say that because it’s the only common denominator I can see. To me its reaching the point of being a parody.

Yes, I think this is the biggest factor in the recent odd changes that are happening in the way kilts are worn in Scotland. I'm only seeing it from afar, based on photos and articles on the internet. But it seems to me that what was considered proper and traditional is dying off, and is being replaced by fads and fashion, driven by the kilt hire industry. Understandably, they are in competition for business, and will want to give customers a look that "takes it up a notch". But some of these fads have become quite bizarre to the eyes of traditional kilt wearers.

Since this isn't the traditional kilt forum, I expect that it's out of bounds to comment further on the rightness or wrongness of these new fads. But suffice it to say that they are fads, driven by an industry that is more interested in making money and being "fashion forward" than trying to preserve any semblance of traditional sartorial protocols.

Sadly, these kilt-hire companies are viewed as "the experts" by a large number of people. If they don't know any better, they will wear what the hire companies tell them to wear, and in the manner they are told to wear it. I'm not quite sure how these hire companies decide what's correct in terms of how to wear flashes, sporrans, etc. Maybe they just make it up as they go?

Kilts being too long or too short, or not quite fitting the customer is to be expected. Given that a well-fitted kilt is a custom job for each person's proportions, and the "standard sized" kilts really don't do a very good job of fitting well, it's no surprise that many hire kilts appear sloppy. Hire companies have to stock a range of sizes and different tartans, and cannot possibly keep every combination of size and tartan choice for every customer. I still think they routinely fit people for kilts that are too long, and don't give them correct instruction on wearing the kilt at the natural waist (or the customers ignore it because it feels weird to them).