Bizarre anti kilt rant

[TheBrus]

Perhaps an extremely ill-fitting kilt would be tiresome to wear. But he seems to take great exception to the wool. Perhaps he should try the alternatives. The kilt for me, though. Thanks for sharing this counter-opinion.

[Dale Seago]

Hmm, sounds like he's talking exclusively about wearing a wool kilt with full multi-layer formality. My wearing of kilts has so far extended only to tweed waistcoat & Argyle jacket -- probably equally warm.

I haven't noticed any of the problems he mentions. In fact, the only thing he says that fits my direct personal experience is:

For some reason, with certain women in particular, a kilt appears to be attractive, with the power to transform even the most frighteningly plain-looking men (cough) into a dish of some sort.

Ah well, each to his own.

[Zardoz]

Sounds like he only rents them for formal events, so it's sad, but not too surprising, that he feels the same way about his national dress as an adolesent does about his rent-a-tux on prom night.

[Tobus]

Sounds like he only rents them for formal events, so it's sad, but not too surprising, that he feels the same way about his national dress as an adolesent does about his rent-a-tux on prom night.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Silent Raven]

its a shame that this man has no appreciation for his heritage and culture, also it seems he doesn't like women talking to him...

[Bill aka Mole]

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate here for a second, just to provide a counter point.

Itchy scratchy fabric: Likely the author is allergic to wool as many people with an allergic reaction to the fabric will claim this. He might also be dealing with some very old kilts, especially IF he started wearing them as a child. Most likely rental (hire) clothing. As we know, the more we clean the fabric, the more lanolin we remove which can cause the fabric to become "Itchy & scatchy."

"SO the iconic Scottish cloth that is tartan is making a comeback apparently – cue rapid applause from north of the border." Some of us like the tartan, some of us love the tartan and some of us prefer solid colors for our kilts. To each his own.


"It is expected that men will have to wear kilts for almost every wedding and anniversary, as well as many birthdays and even some funerals – and it’s an experience you’d do well to avoid, Wales." If we were expected to wear a tuxedo at every event, pretty soon we'd grow to resent it, especially if we didn't like to wear it in the first place.

"For those that are unfamiliar with the Scottish man’s plight, the process of squeezing yourself into the national dress is a complex and lengthy one." Obviously no one instructed him on how to dress and his kilt is likely a bit small on him. But hey, we all hear about that darn tartan material shrinking in the wardrobe all the time here as well.

"If you’re doing it properly, you’ll need a (proper) kilt jacket, a waistcoat, bow-tie, sporran (the pouch at the front), proper socks with flashes, kilt shoes...and that’s not mentioning the traditional kiltpin and Sgian Dubh (kilt knife)." This man likes to live a casual life. Dressing up for the occassion to him is just "Dressing up."

"All this combines into making the kilt feel like a heavy anchor weighing your entire body down, a big downside when you are trying to sashay around the wedding reception dancefloor." This would be because he rarely wears a kilt in the first place. We all know the feeling that first time we put on a tank - the weight is immediatly apparant. He'd rather wear PV in an 8oz. fabric. Either that OR he is wearing a lead-lined radiation smock as a kilt.

I'm quite sorry, I must stop now. After reading these musings again all I can really come up with is that this guy is a snot and doesn't like to wear a kilt. It's a bit late and I'll bet that he's sold all of the ones he may have owned. More for us!

[Laird_M]

1 - Ok, wool can be a problem - I get rashes and sneezes from wool blankets - at least I did in the Forces.
2 - Yes, wearing full regalia can be hot (my uncle's best man collapsed due to the event taking place on a damn hot day in the hotel's conservatory in Troon), but even at a formal wedding function, you are allowed to unbutton or remove your jacket!
3 - I can testify that I've never known anyone who didin't enjoy wearing the kilt, and when I had sun burn a number of weeks ago, it was the ONLY comfortable thing I could wear.
4 - Yes it can be embarrassing about the amount of attention wearing a kilt can create. But only for the non-kilted guys who can't get any attention from the lassies!

As soon as my registration is complete, I will be politely leaving a comment about how I disagree with him.

[tpa]

I think he secretly likes the kilt and attention he gets in it. He just does want the attention diluted by anyone else wearing one.

[Sammac]

Perhaps if the author has always rented(hired) his kilt, is it possible that the fit is not quite as comfortable as a made to measure kilt? Or do some kilt hire places use kilts made from outside Scotland, like Pakistan or someplace else that may use wool that is a bit coarser?