What if kilts never really catch on?

[davedove]

I don't particularly care if kilts or any other unbifurcated garment become mainstream. I wear them for comfort, and simply try to leave people with a favorable impression of men who wear kilts.

I AM concerned with double standards - that is, where women are able to wear a skirt or pants to work, but men are limited to pants (even when safety is not an issue.)

Darrell

This is basically my point of view. I don't like the double standards.

I actually don't want the kilt to become too widespread, just accepted. If lots of people wore one, it wouldn't be special anymore.

[Kilted KT]

Blu, this might tempt you

more money...gone right there.

[Colin]

Well I have some theories about what "mainstream" really means.

Go to your local shopping mall, sit there for 120 minutes, and count how many women you see and how many of them are wearing pleated skirts.

Take that percentage and divide by 2.

That is the largest percentage of guys you will ever see wearing kilts.

It will be the guys who love the comfort, the freedom, and the comments from the ladies and don't care if they look "different".

Do you think that is a good formula and using that guide what percentage of guys will ever wear kilts? I don't think it will ever be mainstream, however if just one percent of guys wear them it could be called commonplace, right?

Firstly, how many people have the time to just sit in a mall for 2 hours?

Also, that theory doesn't work if you have ever been to a Burns Night, a Scottish wedding, any Highland Games, or a parade. I figure I have seen hundreds or thousdands of men in kilts in my community (which hosts the Highalnd games and has two World Champion pipe bands)

For me, kilts are mainstream. They are excepted formal wear, and the excepted National dress of Scotland. I see a kilt at least 2-3 times a month (including pipers and pipe bands). I have worn my kilt to Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Indian weddings. Not once has anyone questioned it. Most people except that kilts are a special occasion garment.

The only time people have questioned my wearing of a kilt is when I am doing anything that is run of the mill. People don't expect to see a kilt at the mall or at the grocery store and so they may ask you why (Personally, I would be more concerned and intriqued with someone sitting in the same spot in the mall for 2 hours ). That's to be expected as it is out of context not out of acceptance.

Kilts as commonplace, to me, brings up visions of kilts being sold at Old Navy or Walmart..........no thanks.

[auld argonian]

Kilts as commonplace, to me, brings up visions of kilts being sold at Old Navy or Walmart..........no thanks.

Hate to be the bearer of news...Target will have a women's Black Watch kiltie-skirtie thing for the ladies in its Issak Mizrahi collection in the next two weeks. Not like they're doing men's kilts...but possibly a good quick cheap fix for the tartan inclined womens in your lives.

Best

AA

[MacTavishOfJapan]

Oh dear. My other major garment love is kimonos. It's for much the same reason you lads wear the kilts; the sheer comfort!!

Anyhoo, once St. Paddy's Day rolls around and the fabric stores come out with all the Irish-themed fabrics, I plan on making a Celtic Kimono, compelete with a heavy tartan obi.

It'll be marvelous.

Now I absolutely have to see a picture of that!!!! My (Japanese) friends would love to see it!!!

[Colin]

Hate to be the bearer of news...Target will have a women's Black Watch kiltie-skirtie thing for the ladies in its Issak Mizrahi collection in the next two weeks. Not like they're doing men's kilts...but possibly a good quick cheap fix for the tartan inclined womens in your lives.

Best

AA

I'm talking men's kilts (as in made for men) not ladies skirts. After all, you have been able to get Black Watch and Royal Stewart boxers at Walmart, Target, Zellers, etc for years and years.

I am sure my wife will check out the skirts if she wants a BW skirt

[davezero]

What if kilts never become mainstream?

As someone who has not been mainstream most of his life it doesn't really bother me. I wear T-shirts of bands that nobody knows (Industrial music might be huge in Europe but it's mostly nothing here) and combat boots are my prefered footwear. I'm pretty used to getting strange looks, so, adding a kilt to my choice of clothing is really nothing. Who cares if it doesn't become commonplace, the last thing that we need are crappy 20 dolar kilts popping up at the swap meet.

[Randy]

So what, as long as I am comfortable.

[Kid Cossack]

Me, I don't mostly care. Hey, it's strokes for folks, or horses for courses. Some men will never wear a kilt. Some men will wear a kilt---with pride!--- at Highland Games or a Robert Burns dinner, but at no other time.

I think kilts make sense. They make sense for me, they're simultaneously a) an expression of pride in my heritage; b) comfortable as all get out; c) stylish, brother, stylish stylish stylish; and d) "my thing."

If no one else in the world wore kilts, well, I'd be a sad puppy, because then I couldn't buy from SWK and USAK and, yes, UK, and Neokilt and several other suppliers.

It's not about them; it's about me.

Big love, y'all.

KC

[Raphael]

I don't wear my kilts because I want to influence men's fashion. I wear my kilts because I want to. I don't let anyone to influence on how I dress. I dress to please me and not someone else.

There are major barriers that prevent the kilt from becoming main stream:

1. The attiude that Kilts are Scottland's National dress and they are for Scots only.

2. Men are very conservative in what define masculinity

3. Kilts are for formal events only and they are not for running day to day errands.