Advice for attending affairs!

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Hello all,

I have been reading some posts regarding the appropriate accessories to wear with a kilt. I am comfortable with what I have read posted by Matt and others in regards to not "going overboard" when wearing a kilt as part of your normal every day attire. I agree that you would treat a kilt in the same manner as any other piece of male clothing whose function was to cover the lower body and accesorize as appropriate for the occasion, formalness, and weather.

However, I will be attending a Celtic festival this weekend, and I wonder if the rules might be a bit different, as this is an occasion to celebrate everything Celtic. Many of the responses I have seen allude to this being an appropriate venue for "dressing up" a bit and the wearing of a kilt might fall closer to the "costume" world and require/expect to have all the accessories.

What are everyone's opinions? Personally, I feel that if I wear my SW Nightstalker kilt, which is reminiscent of a traditional kilt, that I would be correct in pairing it with a Jacobite shirt, sporran, hose, and shoes that are appropriate, even though I might not do the same if wearing it to the office (which I can only hope to achieve some day).

However, if I were to wear my gun metal grey Sportkilt, I would view that as just another type of casual, going out clothing and would probably just pair it with a t-shirt and sandals.

Thoughts?

RJI

[Dreadbelly]

Just make sure that you are comfortable and that YOU like what you see when you look in a mirror.

[Archangel]

I would suggest that you go with what you are comfortable with, in the sense that if you normally wear jeans, wear what you would wear with them. My feeling is that a sportkilt is too light to wear to such an event although they are common at Highland games where the competitors wear them.
My experience is that Celtic events are laid back and even if you do see other kilts there, they will be closer to t-shirt and sandals. Ham is right though, most sandals are off-balance with the kilt so short socks and Doc Martens would be more appropriate.
I also think that the Jacobite shirt doesn't usually fit, I'm not sure, My wife wants me to wear one.
Anyway all people see is the kilt so there you go. If you're looking for the formal answer, you would be dressed too formal for almost anything.

Relax, crash and burn and learn for next time. Make it part of you and not a third leg appendage thing.

[Kiltman]

I suggest that you start with the kilt. Archangel is spot on in his suggestions. I wear a kilt to lots of different events. Some, such as a Ball are very formal. However, a celtic festival should be a relaxed event.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Thanks for the quick replies. I did not expect any answers until tomorrow, although I also did not expect to be back on the forums tonight either!

I am actually comfortable with both. I think that part of my indecision is in what to expect at a Celtic festival. If it is just supposed to be a get together to celebrate those things Celtic, then it will be the Sportkilt and a tee-shirt. If it has some flavor, as I detected at the Renn Faire, of trying to show support for the Faire(Festival) then I would go with the SW, Jacobite shirt, etc..

I may also be the victim of too much reading/research! I want to view the kilt as just another piece of lower body clothing that I like to wear (like the tank tops that are my preferred upper body attire), but I thought that this type of festival and Renn Faires might have different rules/expectations.

RJI

[bubba]

Personally, I's wear the SW and a shirt to suit the weather then either boots with the hose rolled down or regular shoes with the hose up. Oh, and a sporran to hold the beer money. ;-)

[James]

But what is Celtic?

Today scholars are still arguing as to which tribes were Teutonic and which Celtic: in no small part due to the simplistic Roman allocation of asscriptions to this or that tribal grouping.

Bearing in mind that the Celts were both cannibals and enthusiastic headhunters: a few freshly severed heads at your belt would complete the look.

In the end you should also be thinking about coarse checked trousers, bare chest and moustaches down to your nipples with of course long hair, and be armed with a round shield and spear.

Too you can expect fighting to break out both on an individual and a tribal footing, and there to be several fatalities besides personal injury.

Enjoy.

James

[Archangel]

But what is Celtic?

Today scholars are still arguing as to which tribes were Teutonic and which Celtic: in no small part due to the simplistic Roman allocation of asscriptions to this or that tribal grouping.

Bearing in mind that the Celts were both cannibals and enthusiastic headhunters: a few freshly severed heads at your belt would complete the look.

In the end you should also be thinking about coarse checked trousers, bare chest and moustaches down to your nipples with of course long hair, and be armed with a round shield and spear.

Too you can expect fighting to break out both on an individual and a tribal footing, and there to be several fatalities besides personal injury.

Enjoy.

James

here in Canada it's much clearer, the focus is more to Irish so the traditional t-shirt of "kiss me, I'm Irish" becomes de regeur (spelling?).
Seriously, they're usually fun and emphasize the British Celtic and rarely the European.

[macwilkin]

You see all things at "Celtic" festivals & Highland games here in the colonies, and to my knowledge, unless it's a reenactment (and a "hardcore" authentic one tae boot), none that I have ever been to have any "rules" about attire.

Welcome to the board, and keep asking questions! ;)

Cheers,

Todd

[auld argonian]

I'll assume that you're going to the Chicago Celtic Fest this weekend - as am I - and this will be the first time that I'm going to wear the kilt "in public", as it were.

I'm just going to wear the kilt (a Stillwater Standard in Nightstalker), some "Irish over-the-knee socks" (turned down to make an adequate cuff) that I found online at Sierra Trading Post, a black t-shirt and the hiking boots. I'm really probably going to be checking out the Scottish-throwing-heavy-and-antiquated-objects part of the Fest mostly...my friend's band isn't playing this year. I'm trying to find a wide enough belt and a sporran...I will (please don't dump on me here, guys) most likely end up using a camera bag designed to be worn "fanny pack" style. I expect that there will be some vendors at the Fest and I may look for a sporran while I'm there.

Face it...it isn't that easy to get these accessories all at the same time and all in the same place unless you just buy a "package" from somewhere. There just aren't very many kilt shops here on the South Side of Chicago (come St. Pat's Day, you wouldn't think that...but anyway...). You can't stride into JC Penney's at the Mall and say, "Where's your kilt department?" So I'm just going to cobble this together a piece at a time, getting the things that appeal to my personal sense of taste - which leans toward very simple things. I trust that I will be adequately dressed to be in the spirit of the thing even if I don't have every perfect accessory right then and there...what?... am I going to run into the Kilt Police and get a ticket for not being dressed like some guy on the cover of a shortbread tin?

This is all by way of going along with some of the earlier posts: it's "kilt casual"...just wear what you feel you'd be comfy in and enjoy the festivities.

best

argonian