Casual Warrior Unbelted With Purple Kilt Hose Experiment

[Riverkilt]

This'll crack Rocky up. I'm the guy who asked for FIVE belt loops on my casual model USA Kilts please.

Having successfully rebelled against belts on my hand sewn kilts and USA Kilts semi-traditionals I thought why not try going unbelted with a USA Kilts Casual??

I'm on the Board of Directors of our local Domestic Violence agency/shelter and today was our monthly board meeting and our annual meeting where employees and the public are invited. Since the color of domestic violence prevention is purple I decided to wear my Warrior tartan casual today.

Then thought, as long as I'm experimenting with going beltless, why not also try the Warrior with Purple Lewis kilt hose and white (ecru??) traditional garter ties from Scottish Tartans Museum.

Thats the new Stillwater Kilts leather nightstalker sporran, the usual Z Coil shoes and a vest from a Ren Faire some years ago.

I think the flash washed out some of the purple in the Warrior tartan since its more purple in person than on my monitor.



Worked a 13 hour day today and never had a problem going without a belt on the casual. In fact, I was much more comfortable. No buckle jamming into my underbelly.

The velcro on the kilt waist and the sporran strap did just fine holding it up. As for the purple hose with a purple kilt, no one complained or freaked out.

So, purple kilt hose work better than what the pic shows with Warrior tartan and if you enjoy the comfort of no belt it'll probably work for you too with USA Kilts casuals.

Ron

[kiltedinUSMC]

Very nice Experiment

[Joel]

That looks great. It really does.

Keep on experimenting!

[James MacMillan]

The colors look OK, but I don't know about being beltless. Looks like something is missing.

Ron - Just why did you rebel against belts? Does your girth feel more freedom when not belted? Is it because you have to sit long hours at work and find the belt too confining? Or is it a fashion statement in the making.

Me? I feel undressed without a belt. Also I think the kilt looks more complete with a belt.

[pipesndrumsnun]

Very nice!

[Riverkilt]

Hey James,

I was a belt freak a first with my kilts. Had to have a belt. Then found they are a LOT of trouble to keep centered, with my belly they flop down under and look silly, they get in the way of the sporran strap, and I do sit a lot for a living and the buckle digs in to my underbelly.

I thought it through and figured the straps were there for a purpose and tried the hand sewns and semi-trads without belts and found not only did they stay up just fine, they were much more comfortable. They have a sort of "fit like a glove" feeling without a belt.

The more I wore the kilts without a belt, the more I became sold on the idea. Then when I'd wear a casual kilt I'd still use the belt and all the belt hassles would come back. So, yesterday, decided to experiment with it. Was mostly in meetings and groups all day so figured if it didn't work I'd still be okay. Big fear was the velco flying open (right...) but even if velcro failed I'd still have the sporran strap.

Of course velcro doesn't fail and all was well.

Still think belts are fine for dress up...and stand up...but I sure don't miss them when seated for a living.

And, when I forgo the sporran for a vest or jean jacket, and don't wear a belt, I thought I was setting myself up for "skirt" comments. But they don't happen. That's the most comfort for me working sitting down, no belt, no sporran.

As Utilikilts says, "Form Follows Function."

Ron

[Larry124]

...I don't know about being beltless. Looks like something is missing. ... Me? I feel undressed without a belt. Also I think the kilt looks more complete with a belt.

Those are my thoughts also.

But we each have our eccentricities. Me, I'm not crazy about centered sporrans. Any of them. I hang the Nightstalker from the waist belt and to the side. Or wear a fanny pack on the hip instead.

[James MacMillan]

Those are my thoughts also.

But we each have our eccentricities. Me, I'm not crazy about centered sporrans. Any of them. I hang the Nightstalker from the waist belt and to the side. Or wear a fanny pack on the hip instead.

I fully understand your feelings about centered sporrans. That's one of the reasons that I don't like nor use the sporran hangers that some here like. While I generally wear my sporran centered, I do twist it to the side quite often: Like now, seated at the computer on a chair that has a built in mouse pad on the right chair arm, the sporran gets shoved to the left to get out of the way; When driving, I also place it to the side to get it out of the way of the seat belt and the steering wheel; When working in the garage at my small workbench, I shove it to the hip which serves best to keep the front clear for working.

-But when out walking I want that sporran right in front where I can reach the stuff inside quickly and also to watch it closely. The fanny pack on the fanny lacks security for me. The historians among us will point to illustrations of pouches worn on the side as indications of the first sporrans, and they may be right. Make up your own mind as to what to believe. Don't trust something, just because it is written down somewhere. Just as lies can easily be placed on the internet by anyone, these same lies (or if you like - untruths) could be printed on paper by our forefathers. Proof of these lies (or at best, misinformation) has been shown in the early books of tartans written by certain brothers, for instance. Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Or to put it another way - When your individual BS alarm goes off, be careful!

Centering the sporran, and indeed wearing the sporran is and should be an individual choice.

After all, if we are wearing a traditional kilt, which has no pockets, we need somewhere to put our stuff!

[fluter]

Here's one outdoors, same kilt & hose:



Is that too much purple?

[David Dalglish]

I dont have the problem of belts digging into me as I wear my kilts a lot higher than you do, above the belly.