I posted a variant of this as my introductory thread. Things have moved on a bit since then and there are lots of new members here too who probably didn't see this first time round so I'll post it again with some ammendments. If you have read it before, I apologise.

Why do I wear a kilt?

I'm an Englishman who is devoutly English. My Father was English and my Mother was English too; or at least she sounded like it all her life. My only personal connection to things Scotia was a slightly over-enthusiastic appreciation of the 'water of life'; the good stuff mind, not the blended rubbish. I've always been aware that there was a link to the proud sons of Alba in my family, my Grandmother (maternal) was Anglo-Scot down the Bruce Line and my Grandfather (also maternal) was Anglo-Scot down the Grant Line so I suppose that makes my mum half Scots technically and by a process of watering makes me quarter Scots. I have to admit I've always seen myself as English though, I've always thought English and talked English as well as supporting England in all sports (and still do). I have no intention of changing that either. Better get to the point of all this then eh?

I recently worked in Scotland and suffered much anti-English banter which I found great fun to be honest. I could go down the "I'm a victim of Racism" route but a pouting bottom lip never did suit me. I was referred to as the "Guffie Ba****d" on a daily basis; Guffie being a Glaswegian term for a fat pig and often applied to persons from the southern Scottish county of Englandshire.

These Caledonians still recall with relish the Scottish Stewarts. That dynasty of Monarchs who ruled England , as well as Scotland by English request starting with James the 6th and 1st. I choose to give as good as I get on the banter front and it made my working days entertaining to say the least. With regard to the Kilt, I'd always been puzzled why any fellow would want to wear a dress, particularly in public and had often commented on this. A typical English attitude if ever there was one. In order to collect some retaliatory ammunition to throw at my Scottish foes I began to research the Kilt, it's history and origins and was quite surprised at what I found. Apart from the fact that the Clan / Tartan association is a load of Victorian twaddle dreamed up by a couple of English fraudsters on the make (John Carter Allen and Charles Manning Allen, AKA the Sobieski-Stuart's and their Vestiarium Scoticum). Imagine my delight when further Wikipedia "research" (Come-on you know it's true if it's on't t’internet...) led me to the discovery that the small kilt (Fèileadh beag ) was actually invented by the Englishman and Lancastrian industrialist, Thomas Rawlinson around 1725 as a practical adaptation of the Great Kilt (Fèileadh Bhreacain). The present day Kilt doesn't just come from my country but comes from my county!... apparently. I've rattled a few Celtic cages with this revelation I can tell you.

Anywhoo. My resulting response to the indignation and disbelief of my Scottish colleagues at my findings was that I bought one (a kilt that is). It's an English garment after all so I should embrace it. The one I bought was not really a real kilt. Not in the £300+ 8 Yard, 16oz Heavyweight, pure wool sense, but it was an 8 yard, ??oz Poly-viscose casual (and more importantly, machine washable) footy Kilt. Looks the part but won't leave my bank balance hanging in the wardrobe when the novelty wears off. It's just a passing fad; or so I thought.

I chose a plain black one which I dubbed the McGuffie Tartan amongst my Scottish mates. Some thought this highly amusing, an Englishman in a kilt indeed! Others really took umbridge and saw me as stealing away Scottish culture and I should stick to my wearing straw hat, bells and hankies, nay nonny-nonny falder-ralder Rah! (on that point I take you back to my family background at the beginning of this post, though some do say quarter-Scottish is a little tenuous). I could have ordered a colourful one but I am aware that a lot of Scots ARE sensitive to the Tartan / Clan thing and I didn't really want to upset anyone with my insensitivity. I also ordered a black leather day sporran (with tassels), brogued shoes (black), black leather kilt-belt (and buckle), Kilt socks (hose - black), flashes (black), flouncy black Jackobite shirt (though I'm not keen on it, bit too flouncy for my liking), Kilt pin, Glengarry hat (plain black, not diced) and badge, incidentally this is probably the coolest hat I've ever owned. I topped it all off with the addition of a black feather hackle. Later, after some consideration, I imagined I'd look more like a funeral horse than a kilted warrior so as an after thought I also ordered red flashes and a red hackle to go with the red torrie on top of mee 'at (makes all the difference giving just a hint of contrast). I also noted that the whole shebang doesn't come with underpants but hey, 'cest la vie.

When my 'outfit' turned up in the mail I was still… err… abroad as it were so I had to wait till I got home to Englandshire before I could try it on. I was fairly amused at first as I unpacked the box but after pulling on the kilt and applying the accoutrements with care, there was a feeling of back-straightening and standing just a bit taller. I checked the brogues to make sure they didn't have enormous platform soles; and no? I really did feel the business! I was immediately taken by the sensation of… well freedom, in more senses than one. Over the next few days I wore it out a couple of times to practice (Not the full regalia, just the Kilt, sporran and hose trimmed with a rugby shirt and chunky Boots) and although I was not aware of the turning heads around me (Kilts in England are fairly unusual, "You're in Lancashire Lad, not bloody Lanarkshire!") my beautiful wife told me that everyone was staring (although not in a bad way) once my back was turned.

I was unflustered, In fact I loved it so much that subsequently I bought another one along with a number of other accessories and extras. Where I work it's not really appropriate to wear the Kilt in the workplace. This is due to the nature of the work rather than the location of the job so I save it for when I'm home but I've usually got one of my kilts on at least two or three times a week. I find it goes particularly well in a drinking environ (hic!). I'm drawn into this Tartan fiction as well and it's how traditions begin. I now own a custom made, hand sewn, Strome Bruce Modern, and a 13oz wool Black Watch which counts as Grant Hunting.

I should note that I regard kilts as another article of clothing not the only article of clothing although I wear kilts more than p&nt$ when I'm not working. I think if I were to wear kilts in my working environment they would bunch up under my overalls to such an extent I would look like I was wearing tudor troo$er$.