not like anything else

[Rex_Tremende]

what I find hilarious is that 1999 is considered 'vintage',

Well, it's Comme des Garçons, which means that it's a fashion piece, and if it's fashion, last year's stuff is, like, sooo last year.

Comme des Garçons is a label created by Rei Kawakubo (who happens to be Japanese), who I've mentioned before here on these boards before. She was inspired by- and working with a lot of tartan for a while, but I don't know if she still is. (Her Fall 2009 collection seems to indicate that she's largely moved beyond that, though there are a few skirts that appear to be made out of tartan fleece picnic blankets.) Most of what I've seen her design is just a mess (to my eye), including the "Shilt" (that was my term for it), and the "Wad" (also my term) that ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's fashion collection.

The piece for sale today on ebay could be a one-off, but it looks more like it might have been one of the few designs that ended up in limited production, seeing how the silk is printed. It's pretty clear that it is NOT the sort of silk/wool kilt that Rathdown has described.

I occasionally try to have a discussion on the influence of kilts and tartans on modern fashion, but that usually doesn't end up going much of anywhere here, as there is much derision of the concept of "fashion" on XMTS, and not much understood.

Regards,
Rex.

[Bugbear]

... I occasionally try to have a discussion on the influence of kilts and tartans on modern fashion, but that usually doesn't end up going much of anywhere here, as there is much derision of the concept of "fashion" on XMTS, and not much understood.

Regards,
Rex.

It's ok, Rex, I've given up too.

[Rex_Tremende]

Well, to be fair, I should add that such a discussion also tends to focus on non-kilt things, which can't get very much bandwidth on this forum, according to the rules.

Regards,
Rex.

[Bugbear]

True; though I was thinking of kilt related fashion, and all of the experiments I was doing with kilt jackets. Even a few experiments with the contemporary kilt...

It doesn't matter.
Just grin and... bear it.

[Howard Clark]

I have been casually looking for suitable silk fabric to make myself a summer weight kilt from. I think the silk/wool blend fabrics would be great for summer, and have several silk twill shirts that I am quite fond of. I am not so keen on this though. Partly because it is a print, but also I don't care for the trim/arms design on it. It does look to be "properly" made though.

And they are selling it as a "collector" piece. I wear kilts, not "collect" them. (though there are more of them in the closet than I ever imagined, when I started wearing one). But for the buy it now price, I'd order another from Barb (or maybe Kathy Lare, or a custom weave box pleat from Matt) first.

[Tobus]

I'm thinking a silk kilt would be nice for lounging around the house, but I don't think I'd wear it in public. I would think the fabric would be a little too similar to a woman's skirt for my tastes.

[McFarkus]

I think the silk/wool blend would be great for a kilt in a proper weight. The 'kilt' in this thread looks like a light breeze would lift the whole thing.

[dfmacliam]

I think in the proper weight, a silk kilt would be a very utilitarian garment.. Silk has been long known for it's insulating properties, while remaining breathable.. I would venture to say it's the wool of the Orient.. Another quality silk has, is it's strength, the Mongols wore silk as an amour, which was perfect for their style of warfare.. I have seen examples of it's durability, by being virtually unpenetratable by arrows..

Today, we think of silk as a high end fashion material, and not the durable utilitarian fabric it was originally intended. I think a silk kilt would be practicle, as long as the cost was not too much over the top.

[Bugbear]

Should I start growing silk worms...?

[MacLowlife]

"Raw" silk, sometimes called Matka, has a different texture from the slinky stuff and Dupionni, which shows up a lot in tartan and almost tartan patterns, has a lot more body than the garment pictured seems to. I think it would be too stiff to swing, though I expect it would hold its pleats very well. I believe many of the traditional mills offer silk tartan yard goods at very steep prices. I would imagine there are silk/wool blends that would be light enough to enjoy in summer ( I know, I know, I KNOW, heavy wool isn't always hot, but I am one of those people who don't drink hot coffee between Memorial day and Labor day ) If you look at sport coats, "summer tweeds" are often made of silk or silk and linen. I have a jacket made by the megalomaniac Ralph Lauren in what I think is Gordon- oops it appears to be linen and cotton.

I think the trouble with alternative fiber tartan is that different people want different things. If someone will start a thread on THAT topic, I will be glad to hold forth. I appreciate everyone's interest in the silk kilt ( which is NOT mine) and your comments.