Common Sense Reigns, the Future of Kilts Looks Bright

**macsim** · 20th July 05, 09:58 AM

Yes, same phenomenon at the Grandfather Mt. Games. I saw only a handful of UK's last year. This year they were everywhere. I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too! I complimented one young lady from a neighboring clan tent on her appearance. Seems like it doesn't matter if it's on a man or a woman - it just looks good!

The funny thing though was at the end of each day my son and I would go out to eat at local restaurants. This is a mountainous region with a limited number of facilities and there are 20,000 people roaming the hills after the games, many of them kilted. I expected to see plenty of fellow kilt wearers but saw none. These games have been a fixture for 50 years up there and you'd think people were used to it but I got the oddest looks when I went inside the restaurants. (Especially the Mexican place. They didn't quite know what to make of me!) I live a couple of hours away and this general area just isn't very accepting of kilts right now. It must be ze fact dat dis ist a German town, yah?

**bubba** · 20th July 05, 10:41 AM

The town I live in is Dutch. I still get an odd look now and then but mostly they've gotten used to my kilts. I wear kilts every day and it took about 6 months before they got used to me.

**Rigged** · 20th July 05, 06:03 PM

I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too!

Well, that's a good argument for women to wear kilts, but it doesn't do much to overcome the reluctance most guys have about wearing them as regular clothing.

But, as I've said before, there are several agendas at work here and not everyone supports the idea of promoting kilts as a male garment.

**Mike n NC** · 21st July 05, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by macsim

Yes, same phenomenon at the Grandfather Mt. Games. I saw only a handful of UK's last year. This year they were everywhere. I particularly noticed that a number of women were wearing them. They looked really good too! I complimented one young lady from a neighboring clan tent on her appearance. Seems like it doesn't matter if it's on a man or a woman - it just looks good!

The funny thing though was at the end of each day my son and I would go out to eat at local restaurants. This is a mountainous region with a limited number of facilities and there are 20,000 people roaming the hills after the games, many of them kilted. I expected to see plenty of fellow kilt wearers but saw none. These games have been a fixture for 50 years up there and you'd think people were used to it but I got the oddest looks when I went inside the restaurants. (Especially the Mexican place. They didn't quite know what to make of me!) I live a couple of hours away and this general area just isn't very accepting of kilts right now. It must be ze fact dat dis ist a German town, yah?

I had to chuckle over this one. While at the games on Saturday the wife and I were invited to join the Clan Home (her family) for dinner in nearby Newland. I was the only one to show up in a kilt! Everyone else had gone back to the motel to change before going public. (***?)

After it was all over a couple of folk came up to comment on the cammo PK I was wearing and were surprised to hear I wear kilts almost all of the time. These same people were puzzled that I was disappointed that they didn't wear theirs.

Go figure. 20,000 people scrambling all over the mountain, many in kilts but not many will venture into the public arena. Even with the climbing popularity of kilts it looks like there is still a way to go.

Mike

**Rigged** · 22nd July 05, 06:31 AM

A couple of years ago, my wife and I went to Florida. We visited the Kennedy Space Center and while standing in line waiting for the tour bus we were approached by a fellow from Oregon with his wife and two children. He said he also owned a Utilikilt and wanted to wear it, but his wife talked him out of it.

**Riverkilt** · 22nd July 05, 11:41 AM

Hey Todd,

I'm not a reenactor, but do own a few Union and Confederate reproduction uniforms to wear to various gigs or Veteran's parades.

When I was down in Phoenix it was fun to wear my Union Cavalry outfit over to Home Depot (including the Cavalry Regimental Supply knee boots).

When a young man would stare at me I'd go over to him and whisper in his ear, "Son, don't ever ever ever join the Army" then walk away.

Ron

**davedove** · 22nd July 05, 04:52 AM

Originally Posted by macsim

The funny thing though was at the end of each day my son and I would go out to eat at local restaurants. This is a mountainous region with a limited number of facilities and there are 20,000 people roaming the hills after the games, many of them kilted. I expected to see plenty of fellow kilt wearers but saw none. These games have been a fixture for 50 years up there and you'd think people were used to it but I got the oddest looks when I went inside the restaurants. (Especially the Mexican place. They didn't quite know what to make of me!) I live a couple of hours away and this general area just isn't very accepting of kilts right now. It must be ze fact dat dis ist a German town, yah?

It's okay with me if people only want to wear their kilt at a festival. That's their right. What really amazes me is these same people will go out of their way to change out of their kilt when leaving the event to go out to a restaurant. That makes no sense to me.

**macwilkin** · 22nd July 05, 06:12 AM

In fairness to these folks, I wonder if some of these people simply wanted to get out of their kilt after being in it for a weekend? When I was doing Civil War reenacting almost every weekend during my undergraduate days in university, after wearing wool uniforms for the better part of three days, you wanted to have a nice shower & then change into clean clothing. Others might only wear the kilt at festivals because of first-time jitters, etc., but as Dave said, that's all right. At least they're wearing the kilt!

And as far as the "locals" being aware of festivals, don't bet on it. I can't tell you how many times at a reenactment when we made a "beer run" into town in our uniforms and being met with stares and questions like "Are y'all some sort of Amish folks?" (Yes, militant Amish!) And these were small towns, mind you.

Cheers,

Todd

**davedove** · 22nd July 05, 06:18 AM

Originally Posted by cajunscot

And as far as the "locals" being aware of festivals, don't bet on it. I can't tell you how many times at a reenactment when we made a "beer run" into town in our uniforms and being met with stares and questions like "Are y'all some sort of Amish folks?" (Yes, militant Amish!) And these were small towns, mind you.

Todd is right. I've found that most people, myself included, tend not to remember if an event is occurring unless it falls within their own sphere of interests.

**macwilkin** · 22nd July 05, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by davedove

Todd is right. I've found that most people, myself included, tend not to remember if an event is occurring unless it falls within their own sphere of interests.

Or at least in our local case, the news media does a poor job of letting folks know that something is even going on. Our Scottish society has a heck of a time getting the local "fishwrap" to even publish our press releases (and I learned how to write them at university with my journalism minor!), and when we have special events at the battlefield, many times the news media will show up on the last day, and then there will follow a couple days of phone calls from folks asking when the next special event is going on. Many times, the media has to "pick and choose", and can't cover everything, in fairness to them. (Please don't think I'm generalizing all media with the "Springfield standard"!)

Cheers,

Todd