new website

[Doc Hudson]

Welcome aboard Mark.

Personally, I enjoyed visiting your site and will return.

And don't be a stranger here.

[Pittsburgh Kilts]

Hi, Mark, glad to see you here! Maybe you'll want to replace the Ugly Bear picture with one of yourself in your new PK, when I get it done? (Of course, that will happen faster if I quit typing here and go sew.) Later!

[motorman4life]

You said it Jeff, not me! (I'm not one to piss off my tailor)

Thanks for the "push" guys! I just went in and updated the links on my site and removed all of the "men-in-skirts (and dresses)" stuff. As I mentioned before, to each his own. That said, I do feel the "men-in-skirts cause" is counterproductive to the "men-in-kilts cause."

I am sure there may be some that disagree and I’m sure there are some that may see it as opposite sides of the same coin. That said, I see a kilt as a man’s garment and have no desire to wear women’s skirts, dresses or other women’s clothing and I think those that do cause the uninformed and bigotted in our midst to see us (the kilted and the skirted) as the same.

Sorry if that offends anyone here (but, this is NOT Tom’s Café).

[Hamish]

Note that a number of the links on the page are not really to kilt sites, but rather, general "unbifurcated garment" sites. Those might not be to your taste (some they're not my taste, either) but the PRINCIPLE is good, if you ask me.

BTW, does anyone else think that the sort-of pinstriped business kilt and jacket in one of the pictures on kitday.com is dead-bug-ugly?

Hi Alan,

With regard to the pinstripe kilt suit: I also have this suit which, for me as a non-trouser owner, is indeed as close as I can get to a business suit! Admittedly, now that I am retired, it does not get a lot of wearing but, with trousers, it was precisely what I wore for work through most of my working life. This kilted suit (one of three kilt suits in my wardrobe) is the one I select to wear to evening drinks parties/receptions, to funerals (with a white shirt and black tie) and to weddings when the full dress tartan ensemble would be inappropriate for a guest. I have tried to post a photo of my suit in this post but I cannot find a way to do so! However, there is one on page 6 of my Photo Album (link below).

As with most items of clothing, whether or not it looks good/effective depends so much upon how it is worn and accessorised, and I have to agree that the photo taken on the catwalk at 'Dressed to Kilt' is of a slovenly and untidy presentation. A Pinstripe suit is semi-formal and should be worn appropriately. The hose should be worn pulled up and with smart shoes; the shirt chosen is totally out of place and should have been plain (white, black or a pastel shade being ideal with grey pinstripe).

I do not always wear a sporran with this suit, indeed I sometimes wear the kilt casually without the jacket - black boots, rolled down black or grey hose and a chunky black sweater.

Anything is possible with this outfit, as with any other, but thought MUST be given to the image the wearer presents before he ventures into the great world outside!

[motorman4life]

Ham,
For some reason, I am not able to get your pictures to load. I am getting little red x's where the images should be. Is it my system?

[Rigged]

"I was using the urinal in a bar in Pullman, Washington a few weekends back. It was rather late in the evening and a bunch of guys were talking (probably thought they were whispering) and saying ..."no, It's a Utilikilt, can't you read the pocket? That's pretty damned cool...""

I've handed out quite a few cards in restrooms. Seems that a lot of guys "get it" right away when they see how simple life becomes when you don't have to fight a zipper.

[Alan H]

Hi Alan,

With regard to the pinstripe kilt suit: I also have this suit which, for me as a non-trouser owner, is indeed as close as I can get to a business suit! I have tried to post a photo of my suit in this post but I cannot find a way to do so! However, there is one on page 6 of my Photo Album (link below).

As with most items of clothing, whether or not it looks good/effective depends so much upon how it is worn and accessorised, and I have to agree that the photo taken on the catwalk at 'Dressed to Kilt' is of a slovenly and untidy presentation. A Pinstripe suit is semi-formal and should be worn appropriately.

I do not always wear a sporran with this suit, indeed I sometimes wear the kilt casually without the jacket - black boots, rolled down black or grey hose and a chunky black sweater.

Anything is possible with this outfit, as with any other, but thought MUST be given to the image the wearer presents before he ventures into the great world outside!

Here's my thinking. A Pinstriped suit is an elegant thing if cut well out of good material and worn with some thought and preparation. There's no reason that a kilt suit couldn't be the same. In my own way of thinking and taste, the current vogue of "pinstripes" which are anything but "pin"stripes... really wide and violently contrasting with the major color of the fabric just doesn't look very good. The appeal of pinstipe is not in it's gaudiness, but in it's subtlety. PIN stripes....not driving-down-the-road stripes, you know?

Your tweed 4-yard box pleated kilt from M.A.C. Newsome is a thing of beauty because it's subtle thing. Its quiet understatement (funny to say for a kilt, but there you go) is what "makes it". The same goes for pinstripes in suits.....and kilt suits. Classic design and a quiet statement lasts pretty much forever.

The kilt and jacket combination in that picture was neither classic nor quiet, but in my opinion, rather gaudy and badly worn. Now, it may be that the designer intended it to be that way. That look may be all the rage this year in some circles. If that's the case, then that's fine. However, time will judge the staying power of that idea.

Of course this is just my own opinion. I'll go look at your pinstriped kilt suit picture, now! I have no doubt whatsoever that you will look well dressed in it!

[Alan H]

Just looked at Hamish' gallery, not his X Marks one. I'd not visited it before.

The blue and green tweed suits are bloody gorgeous, Ham. Just fantastic, absolutely class. I'd love a dark blue suit like that.

The pinstripe works, too. To my mind it's a bit more of a stretch, but that's just me. You've done it right and worn it with care, which makes all the difference. There's a world of difference between you in that picture and the model on the walk that I referred to.

[Hamish]

Ham,
For some reason, I am not able to get your pictures to load. I am getting little red x's where the images should be. Is it my system?

Mark,

I am sorry to hear that. Now, as everyone knows, I am no 'Techie' when it comes to computer-type matters, but I think I have heard that some Firewalls can prevent photos in albums like mine being seen - but don't take my word for it.

Perhaps someone here who understands these things can advise?

[Hamish]

Just looked at Hamish' gallery, not his X Marks one. I'd not visited it before.

The blue and green tweed suits are bloody gorgeous, Ham. Just fantastic, absolutely class. I'd love a dark blue suit like that.

The pinstripe works, too. To my mind it's a bit more of a stretch, but that's just me. You've done it right and worn it with care, which makes all the difference. There's a world of difference between you in that picture and the model on the walk that I referred to.

Hi Alan!

Many thanks for your kind words. I am pretty much equally fond of the three suits - each has its place at the right time. The green one is in a fairly heavy tweed, and the blue is in a mid-weight woollen worsted as is the grey pinstripe.

With regard to the latter: I understand what you say. Actually, mine is a pinstripe but I did look at wider chalkstripe fabrics before opting for this one.
I wore both pinstripe and chalkstripe suits virtually all my working life and I wanted a kilted suit for the slightly more formal occasions that occur during retirement years. This one fits that bill very nicely.