The Kilt Kops

[Phil]

*** --- my experience in Scotland almost to a man (except on one specific golf course, but we shall not go there either in topic or physical location)

But that was a "lowland" golf course wasn't it? Mind you I suppose all the others were too.

[Deil the Yin]

Amen, Brother Steve.

[BuchananBiker]

I was raised with some very conservative and pretty exclusionary ideas about kilts, tartan, Clan and what it meant to be of Scottish heritage.
Currently, I'd say a good 90% of it is garbage. I'm an American of Scottish ancestry. Furthermore, I don't even have a Scottish last name. My father's name, Reasor, is German. I'm a Buchanan on my mothers side, I was raised with her people, it's the side of my heritage I've always felt the most drawn to.
Does that give me any less "right" to wear Buchanan tartan? NO!
Does that mean I have no "right" to wear a kilt? NO!
If I want to wear it in a contemporary manner, with boots and a t shirt, then that's what I'm going to do. If I want to wear a Jacobite shirt and swordsman's vest, I will. Formal, informal, historic or romantic. To honor my people, or because it's laundry day and i don't have clean pants.
It's My choice. It's my hind end it's covering, and the KILTCOPS can go hang.

That's my two cents anyway.....


Was it a trick of the light, or did my head just spin around a couple times?

[Mike_Oettle]

Well said, BB. I also have a German surname, but am proud of my Clan Lindsay roots.
Regards,
Mike

[piperdbh]

I...a third voice from behind the news paper stand said "he is off to his uncle's funeral in Elgin, I expect".

I hope he got there alright.

[fingertrouble]

I have a sneaking feeling my question about how to wear a kilt at a wedding inspired/provoked this thread (would need to check the timings!).

I took the 'proper' advice on board (as I said in my picture thread, apparently little green kilt gremlins come and eat you if you wear a PC jacket at 5:59 or earlier! :-P) but went with my heart, and also the fact is: yes the wedding is at 2pm but the rest of the day (reception etc.) is after 6pm, so I have a sneaking suspicion the rules about 'day' and 'evening' wear were for a time when people had large wardrobes on wheels, people to dress them and the bank accounts to match...certainly I wasn't going to hire 2 jackets to fit a rule like that, and I liked the PC jacket so for 4 hours of course I was in constant trepidation from the Kilt Police (not).

I had a blast, and like the wedding I went to recently wearing evening dress and a matte black topper (yes I'm aware of what is 'proper', also aware of how much a real silk topper costs, I want one but...) people didn't tut and go 'OMG that is SO wrong!' they were bowled over by the look...and the top hat was a bigger whore than me, being worn by so many people I had to go fetch it on a few occasions before it walked ;-)

I need to read through this whole thread but I think the gist for me is: most of these rules are arbitrary - and my partner who is Scottish and others I know who are Scots are very laid back and are 'wear what you like' - and reminded me that the modern kilt is an English invention anyway...these conventions are fairly new in the whole range of history. I use them as a guideline - of course I want to know what the 'rules' are in case someone asks, or there is a good reason for them...but really there are bigger things to worry about than that. So know the rules...but break them if you want ;-)

[Jock Scot]

As most, if not all , weddings take place in day hours in the UK(before 1700 hrs usually) it is quite in order for guest at the service clad in day wear to "go on to the do" in the evening clad in day attire. Guests arriving later, just for the evening bash, if it is formal(ish), would normally turn up in black tie evening dress.

Ultra, super, mega, smart weddings like the first Royal wedding this year did allow for the guests at the service to rid themselves of heavy tunics, gongs, etc and did dress in evening attire(black tie) for the evening bash as it was more comfortable.

[Thomas H]

Your right ,Well said and I have learned alot from this forum.


The badge design is FUNNY

[Bagpipes48]

After 30 years in the US Army, I'm glad I can feel free to dress and wear my kilt without having to consult "the regulation." Hooah!

[fingertrouble]

As most, if not all , weddings take place in day hours in the UK(before 1700 hrs usually) it is quite in order for guest at the service clad in day wear to "go on to the do" in the evening clad in day attire. Guests arriving later, just for the evening bash, if it is formal(ish), would normally turn up in black tie evening dress.

Ultra, super, mega, smart weddings like the first Royal wedding this year did allow for the guests at the service to rid themselves of heavy tunics, gongs, etc and did dress in evening attire(black tie) for the evening bash as it was more comfortable.

I know that...but as my partner said: you can wear anything to a wedding nowadays - even if you're the groom! I don't see a massively great reason for wearing an Argyle jacket 'cos it's proper' and I didn't like the Argyle jacket. Or was it 'Argile'? Anyway the low-cut jacket looked too informal to me.

Strange thing is: looking through the pictures on the Best Kilt thread I like the ones that mix casual/everyday with kilts rather that the extremely formal. The very formal is great for a special occasion but it looks a little bit dropped in aspic and out of place anywhere else. Hence why I like wearing a tshirt and/or waistcoat (leather or otherwise) with mine...looks punk-style but at least it seems to fit with the last century rather than the one before! :-P Even stranger is I LOVE Victorian clothes...but I do recognise that say, turning up in a topper to a non-formal/dress up occasion makes you look freaky or a part of some sort of re-enactment group!

Although credit to those who can pull that off AND look other than completely eccentric. I'd really like some tips ;-) I expect it's just 'be yourself'...hence the decision over the wedding. Clothes you are happy in and comfortable in shine out far more than anything else, I find.