Can I do it?

[beloitpiper]

I know there are full time kilt wearers on the forum here, but I am not one of them. Nowadays I wear a kilt about 3 days a week. But for November I think I might try to wear a kilt everyday of the week. Can I do it? It'll be interesting to try.

Today was day 2: Pride of Scotland with gray hose and sweater with white oxford shirt.

[Bugbear]

Good luck. Sounds like a nice outfit.

[Chas]

More to the point - what would stop you? If there are no constraints on your kiltwearing (work, health & safety), then why not?

Try the first week - if it works for you, don't just double up, go for the whole month.

Good luck and keep us posted (like a daily blog).

Regards

Chas

[BEEDEE]

Welcome to the wonderful world of full-time kilted.

Brian

[dfmacliam]

If it feels right... Go for it..

[GMan]

Of course you can do it, as long as you desire it.

[OC Richard]

"Full-time kilted." Interesting...

It's a revolutionary idea to me, coming from the Pipe Band scene as I do.

The vast majority of people in the Pipe Band scene regard Highland Dress as sort of a necessary evil, something they are required to don for competition. Most every pipe band player would tell you that they would much rather compete in T-shirt and bluejeans if the rules allowed it.

Many walk about at the Games in their everyday clothes until the last possible moment and tear their kilts off the second they return to the Band Tent following the closing ceremonies. Oftentimes they'll walk about wearing portions of the Band Kit, say the band shirt and hose but with shorts and trainers/sneakers. They often complain about their ghillies being uncomfortable.

All in all it's about the same attitude that "classical" musicians have towards the tuxedo they must wear for gigs. Wearing their Concert attire when not actually playing a gig is unthinkable. Wearing their tux to go grocery shopping? Absurd.

At the same time many Pipe Band people take great pride in their band kit and want to present a good show when the band performs.

The concern that top-level Pipe Bands take in their appearance has been taken up to a new higher level since 2006 when the BBC began filming the World Pipe Band Championships' Grade One Finals each year and selling the DVDs all over the world. In 2009 for the first time this video was streamed live on the interenet for the world to see in real time.

The first DVD in 2006 was revealing in that for the first time the world's best bands were seen in numerous closeup shots and all the little problems in the band's kit could be seen by all. Mismatching touries on the glens, mismatching cap badges, wrinkly kilts or shirts, hose worn in an non-uniform way, all were to be seen. In succeeding years all the bands have tightened up their kit and now each band looks flawless: all kilts just the right length, all hose/flashes worn just so, all kit items matching, etc etc. (Well most all... it seems impossible to get all the touries in a band to match!!)

Anyhow I've always had the attitude towards my personal Highland Dress that it's work clothes, same as a "classical" musician's tuxedo. I wear it for gigs and that's that. I take great pride in my kit and I've spent a large amount of money on it (just ask my wife) though I do write off these as business expenses for tax purposes.

However, I do differ from most Pipe Band people in that, since I've not owned a suit in over 20 years, I do wear Highland Dress on those very rare occasions that I attend an event at which a suit is required, about once every five years or so.

This very topic came up a while back on a Pipe Band discussion forum and many there were dismayed that anyone would wear Highland Dress outside of actually performing pipes even once every five years.

Full-time kilt wearing?? Those people would have a difficult time coming to grips with that.

[Tobus]

Pics, man, pics! I'd like to see what kind of variety you put into your wardrobe when wearing a kilt every day. One of these days I'd like to go kilted full-time, but I feel like I would need a great number of wardrobe combinations so it didn't seem like I was wearing the same thing over and over. Are you doing different styles each day, or just varying color combinations?

[McFarkus]

Greg, since your employer encourages you to wear your kilt, I say, "Go for it." Remember, we DO want pics.

[Nighthawk]

Good luck. Sounds like a nice outfit.

That was my thought! It does indeed sound like a nice outfit. Me, I'm wearing my saffron shadow tartan from Stillwater with a green shirt and green hose, with black leather accessories. I only wear pants to my martial arts classes, and that's only because they're part of the uniform. For me with my body shape- I'm very large- it's much more comfortable.