Whit is a utility kilt?

[morrison]

As a UK owner I have my version of what the Utilikilt is.
The kilt is originally a garment from the United Kingdom. Hopefully, to be more accurate, it is more Scots and Irish I believe. The Utilikilt has taken the kilt and redesigned its pattern into an american adaptation for easier recognition and acceptance in America as a man's garment for american men. Then all men locally and abroad. In that effort the usual clan tartan has been eliminated and replaced with cloth that is non clan and non tartan and made/woven in America.
The Utilikilt is in essence, "Son of Kilt." Likewise, are all the other american made kilts made in american cloth of non tartan weave. Many kilts are made outside of america and The U.K. with a variety of cloths. Those might be seen as second cousins or whatever, to the kilt. Not american, but related by pattern and intend uses. Of course, the kilts made in america of U.K. tartans are "Brother of Kilt."
I think I'm digging a hole for myself here. At any rate, the UK is an american's adaptation to the Scots/Irish kilt.

[Ruanaidh]

From what I understand, the daily wearing of kilts is largely an American trend, to include our cousins in Canada.

And a good trend it is.

[Curnir]

From what I heard.
At Dragon Con in Atlanta the Utilikilt guys claimed that a tartan should only be worn by a scot born in Scotland.(second hand gossip, can't confirm it)

I used to believe this but from what I've read since then I've come to this conclusion:
Wear the tartan you like, by doing that you honor the clan.
Exceptions to this rule are Royal tartans, corporate tartans, most military, and private family tartans (that you won't be able to get hold of if you're not a member of the family anyway)

Have I got it wrong?

[Monkey@Arms]

From what I heard.
At Dragon Con in Atlanta the Utilikilt guys claimed that a tartan should only be worn by a scot born in Scotland.(second hand gossip, can't confirm it)

I used to believe this but from what I've read since then I've come to this conclusion:
Wear the tartan you like, by doing that you honor the clan.
Exceptions to this rule are Royal tartans, corporate tartans, most military, and private family tartans (that you won't be able to get hold of if you're not a member of the family anyway)

Have I got it wrong?

UK has generally in the past staffed its event booths with volunteers, so its possible someone could say something that asinine, but I wouldn't give any credence to a hearsay statement like that. Certainly many UK wearers, like myself, also wear tartan kilts, and are not native born Scots. (At least not in this lifetime.) Your personal instincts are fine, as long as you don't try to impose them on others. Us kilt wearers are an independent lot.

Best regards,

Jake :(|)

[Kid Cossack]

Well, I might call it a "McKilt" but with the Scottish nature of the kilt, that might not be appropriate.

I've got a theory that I like. It might hold water, or it might be full of holes, but here goes. Part of the genius of the American "way" is that we take things from all over the world, cheapen them (usually in both sense of the word) and make them suitable for mass production, mass distribution, mass storage and mass consumption.

Now, that SOUNDS like I'm slamming America---but I'm not! We can, to quote Tony Montana, "really move product." If I go down to my local supermarket, I can buy tamales and sushi and canned spaghetti sauce and Thai rice noodles. None of the foregoing could be confused with what we might call "real" tamales or sushi or spaghetti sauce or Thai rice noodles, but frequently they're really not too bad---if you take them on their terms.

If you look at a Utilikilt, and you're coming from a "traditional kilt" background, you might be likely to say, "What a load of tripe!"

Similarly, if you look at our supermarket's brand of spaghetti sauce, and you're coming from a traditional Italian cooking background, you might be likely to say, "What a load of tripas! (Or however you say "tripe" in Italian.)"

The Utilikilt is NOT a tank. (We use tank as a term of art here, to mean a heavyweight, tartan worsted wool, eight yard kilt, hand sewn.) If you expect it to be a tank, you'll never be happy with it.

But they're not without their charms, and their uses.

[CameronTaylor]

From what I heard.
At Dragon Con in Atlanta the Utilikilt guys claimed that a tartan should only be worn by a scot born in Scotland .....

Have I got it wrong?

UK's volunteers are usually fine folks but there are occasional bouts of idiocy with some that would be better served (along with UK) keeping their opinions to themselves.
and ..

Maybe the corporate tartan part but only that.


CT - jonesin' on a HBC

[Union Richard]

From what I heard.
At Dragon Con in Atlanta the Utilikilt guys claimed that a tartan should only be worn by a scot born in Scotland.(second hand gossip, can't confirm it)

I used to believe this but from what I've read since then I've come to this conclusion:
Wear the tartan you like, by doing that you honor the clan.
Exceptions to this rule are Royal tartans, corporate tartans, most military, and private family tartans (that you won't be able to get hold of if you're not a member of the family anyway)

Have I got it wrong?

MMM
Now you are touching a raw nerve :-)

Alba - Scotland
Alba Nuadh - Nova Scotia
Breizh - Brittany
Cymru - Wales
Eire - Ireland
Kernow - Cornwall
Mannin - Isle of Man

The above mentioned are Celtic nations and tartans were worn as well as the Scots, so that information of course is incorrect, whether it be gossip or not.
If it was not hearsay then they need to be out right.
There are over 50 welsh family tartans as well as national tartans and I am sure more Irish and other family tartans aswel as the Scots tartans, so if the quote is it should only be Scot born in Scotland that can wear Tartan then they or whom needs to be put right.
As for family tartans not being available, well there are many who wear a family tartan of which they are not belonging to, you can even buy them off e-bay.

It does bother me at times when I wear my Kilt with comments like (your not Scottish why are you wearing a Tartan Kilt) well my Jones and St David’s Tartans are of course Welsh but trying to explain this to the ignorant is hard work, yes of course you see many more Scots wearing Kilts than here in Wales maybe the reason it is why they all use Scotland as the Kilt land, and of course the Tartan Army of rugby fans certainly make it so.
I am sure all here know this, I just thought with not seeing a reply to the fact I thought I would just mention it :-)
No offence intended if it reads so.

regards all
Richard

[Curnir]

MMM
Now you are touching a raw nerve :-)

Alba - Scotland
Alba Nuadh - Nova Scotia
Breizh - Brittany
Cymru - Wales
Eire - Ireland
Kernow - Cornwall
Mannin - Isle of Man

The above mentioned are Celtic nations and tartans were worn as well as the Scots, so that information of course is incorrect, whether it be gossip or not.
If it was not hearsay then they need to be out right.
There are over 50 welsh family tartans as well as national tartans and I am sure more Irish and other family tartans aswel as the Scots tartans, so if the quote is it should only be Scot born in Scotland that can wear Tartan then they or whom needs to be put right.

Aye, I knew about this.

As for family tartans not being available, well there are many who wear a family tartan of which they are not belonging to, you can even buy them off e-bay.

Oh ok, I know I've read somewhere that some mills only sell certain tartans to family members. But then again that could have been a rumour.

No offence intended if it reads so.

None taken

My question arose from listening to a podcast where they discussed kilts and Dragon Con, and one of the fans (they tape the podcast live with an open chatroom) who is Scottish and damn proud of it commented that non-tartan kilts are not kilts at all (something I disagree with btw).
The podcasters then started talking about tartans being seen as "holy" by the scottish and that only scots should wear them, and that the UK rep at dragon con had said something to that effect.
The scot and I responded with something similar with what I wrote earlier.



I myself wear my Campbells of the 42nd and MacDonald modern with pride.

[Curnir]

Ah I found the podcast.

http://media.libsyn.com/media/dragon...012_070919.mp3

the kilt talk starts 43 min 30 sec into the show.

[McG]

MMM
Now you are touching a raw nerve :-)

Alba - Scotland
Alba Nuadh - Nova Scotia
Breizh - Brittany
Cymru - Wales
Eire - Ireland
Kernow - Cornwall
Mannin - Isle of Man

The above mentioned are Celtic nations and tartans were worn as well as the Scots, so that information of course is incorrect, whether it be gossip or not.
If it was not hearsay then they need to be out right.
There are over 50 welsh family tartans as well as national tartans and I am sure more Irish and other family tartans aswel as the Scots tartans, so if the quote is it should only be Scot born in Scotland that can wear Tartan then they or whom needs to be put right.
As for family tartans not being available, well there are many who wear a family tartan of which they are not belonging to, you can even buy them off e-bay.

It does bother me at times when I wear my Kilt with comments like (your not Scottish why are you wearing a Tartan Kilt) well my Jones and St David’s Tartans are of course Welsh but trying to explain this to the ignorant is hard work, yes of course you see many more Scots wearing Kilts than here in Wales maybe the reason it is why they all use Scotland as the Kilt land, and of course the Tartan Army of rugby fans certainly make it so.
I am sure all here know this, I just thought with not seeing a reply to the fact I thought I would just mention it :-)
No offence intended if it reads so.

regards all
Richard

I hae tae be honest, but a hae never associated Welsh wi' kilts nor there national dress. However a dae realise they are Celts. Are the Welsh tartans naw a modern thing? And of course Scotland is the kilt land!!!