Yeah, took me some time to figure out what a jimmy hat was too.

This topic reminds me of the tartan question. Should a person be required to belong to a certain family / clan / organization to wear that tartan. Everyone has their own opinion on that, and it's not going to change. That doesn't mean that it's not fun to debate the topic as long as nobody gets offended. Also reminds me of the Americanization of kilts, such as UK and the like. Not everyone likes it, but it is happening.

This is my take on it, which might already be partly known, as my soon to be costume and its accompanying thread is what was mentioned in the first post. (Which, if you gave me advice on the matter, thank you, and there's going to be another one in the thread.)

A kilt can be used IN a costume, and it can be used AS a costume. As Mel Gibson's Braveheart, as Groundskeeper Willie, as a traditional Scot, they are all costumes. And they will be known as such. There will be no mistaking what the costume is. If the kilt was replaced with another garment, the character, well known or out of the wearer's head, would be lost. The kilt IS the costume in that case. If done in good taste, it can be pulled off well. If done in bad taste, it's just another bad costume that will be forgotten about, or laughed about, or worse. These kind of kilt wearings would reinforce the "kilt as a costume" mentality greatly, especially if first seen on All Hallows Eve.

If the kilt is used IN a costume as a small detail, it's very similar, but the costume would still be very clear if the kilt was switched for shorts, or pants, or something similar. My costume is going to be a raven. Raven mask, black clothes, etc. I thought of this last year, when I saw someone in Salem, MA dressed similarly. Now that I've been wearing kilts enough to feel mostly mentaly comfortable in them (and completely comfortable physically) I've decided that the look of the kilt would add to my costume. The swish if you'd like. Monkey@Arms has decided he will be a kilted pirate. If the kilt was switched for pirate tie off pants, he'd still have the costume. The kilts will be remembered, but we will not be basing the costume off of the kilt. I will be remembered as the black bird, he as the pirate. There will still be some connection in peoples minds of kilts equaling costuming, but not nearly as much.

This is my opinion: If a kilt can be seen in a favorable light, whether full greatkilt garb, complete with claymore, or black Xkilt as part of a low budget, high quality bird, go ahead. No matter what, what ever you wear will be seen there after as part of a costume. It's the other days that matter. If I would to wear that same kilt with a t-shirt the week after, nobody would say anything different to me, since everyone I deal with has been acclimated to me and my kilts. If I were to try to wear the great kilt, I might get some stranger than normal looks.

If I think of my kilts as a costume, I'll wear it only on costume days. If I think of my kilts as garments, I'll wear them whenever I see fit. If people's only impression is that they are costumes, who the hell cares what they think anyway. If I cared about their thought, I wouldn't go against the norm and I'd be wearing pants and shorts anyway.