Tartan kilt questions v. modern kilt questions

[Hamish]

This is a knotty one, for it is not just the tartan v solid: it is also the cut and how it is being worn.

Possibly Hamish could comment on this?

For as stated there is a tradition of solid colours, and there are also variants on the so called traditional in recent years-and I've never had a comment about my wearing of either the hillwalker of the 'gentleman's'.

Here to be blunt I have seen chaps wearing a traditional kilt: but my eyes have told me they are wearing a skirt-a major oops that.

Too as a very young sodier I was helping collect the kits of men of an English regiment who'd been posted to a highland one-and I asked how they found the kilt-they said it was fine once they got used to it. Then I was told how when they first paraded with their new kilted unit-there were horrible screams across the parade ground to the effect of 'get those horrible skirted things off my parade': instructions being given that they had to learn to wear the kilt before appearing ever again.


James

You are absolutely correct there, James. There is indeed a number of variants of the traditional tartan kilt as we know it. My only first hand experience of these is with my four Kinloch Anderson Breacans, my recently acquired tartan BearKilt and my even more recently acquired Welsh cilt. I know that these are not tailored in precisely the same way as our 'traditional' kilts, but I guarantee that 99% of members of the general public would neither know nor care about that. Most people refer to my other kilts (TFCKs, UnionKilts, Utilikilts, R-Kilt, Amerikilts, Albanach kilt, BearKilt, KiltStore kilts, House of Bruar kilt, Savannah Kilt and my brand, spanking new Freedom Kilt) as kilts.* Of course, the TFCKs are virtually identical to traditional kilts - really, only the wide range of fabrics used and the machine stitching are different.

I've not thought of this before, but you have probably hit the nail on the head: it is HOW they are worn that sends out the message. A properly tailored kilt, worn correctly with pride and a swagger, can never seriously be taken for a skirt, no matter whether it is in tartan or a plain fabric, leather or canvas, camouflage or bleached corduroy.*

*Except by my aforementioned neighbour, that is!