Kilted inheritance? How true is it really?

[Cowher]

I seem to be invested in obtaining my kilts and accoutrements from either makers or retailers as I am the first in my family to embrace my Celtic roots. (until now it was mostly Pennsylvania Dutch and American Indian) I didn't have a kilted Grandfather to pass the family kilt down to me.
We hear a lot about hand sewn kilts and sayings like "you will be able to pass this kilt to your grand children" and "heirloom kilt". So this is a picture thread at heart but I really want to know how many of us have a kilt that we wear that has been passed from our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents down the generations to us. How do you feel about them? How are they holding up? Will you be passing them down to your children? Have you already passed a kilt from your kollection to your offspring? And again where's the proof?!? Pictures!!!

[Chas]

I don't wish to derail your thread, but I don't really believe in this. I don't understand the term "heirloom kilt".

Anything my father wore would fall off me, except for shoes. He had the smallest feet. Going down the generation, my son is skinny but has a far greater breach than me and has huge feet. So three generations and there is no way that any of us could swap clothing. For a start, we are all different heights.

And would I want to? Just because an article of clothing is woven by hand and every stitch is put in by hand and is made to fit an ancestor of mine is no guarantee that it will fit me. It could be argued that it is a guarantee NOT to fit me.

From what I can see an "heirloom kilt" is just an old kilt that has seen better days, that you can't throw away because it will upset somebody.

A sporran, sgian, dirk, kiltpin or cap badge would be different, but then again no different to having your father's pocketwatch or pen knife or fountain pen.

If a kilt is just "clothes", then I am not so destitute that I need to have my father's suits tailored to fit me.

Sorry

Regards

Chas

[sydnie7]

Chas, I can see your point about "if it's just clothing." On the other hand. . .
My sister Mary married a Reid whose family has roots in both Scotland and Canada. I'll get the details wrong if I try to get more precise, but his grandfather was in Canadian politics, wore the kilt to be received by the Queen (in the 1950s?), has a park named after him, etc. Grandfather's kilt was kept by a family member, in a freezer, for decades until it ended up in Southern California. Mary had it reworked to fit her middle son, who has worn it to many clan dinners and other events -- including his own wedding just a few years ago. The family treasures this kilt (and the droolingly gorgeous silver-cantled sealskin sporran that came with the package. . .) and it will likely pass along to another generation, if any of her children would get busy and provide one

OK, found a picture from a few years ago. One of those funny-after-the-fact shots, with my sister Virginia saying "Oh, so that is real silver and it belonged to your grandfather, too?" Forgive him the jabot with PC, it's all the rage in that family

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Chas, I agree with your comments concerning "hardware", items such as sporrans and the like, as these are the most useful generational "hand-me-downs". As far as kilts are concerned, well, I've given a few away here on XMTS, and the rest get "passed around" in the extended family. Growing up I can remember wearing kilts that had seen slightly better days, and that probably didn't fit as well as if they had been tailored for me. But, at least in my less-than-exalted circles, no one really paid that much attention to what gawky 12-18 year old boys wore, as long as they were appropriately dressed. Shiny shoes, socks tugged up, collar and tie, and a jacket that probably only fit where it touched, were (and probably still are) the norm for boys until they stopped growing.

So, would I be upset if someone in the family threw out an old kilt that was no longer considered wearable? Yes. Even if it's only fit to be a dog's bed, it could possibly be recycled into cushions, or a waistcoat; or in a pinch worn by a gawky (or chubby) 12-18 year old boy to compete in his first Highland games.

[AKScott]

So, would I be upset if someone in the family threw out an old kilt that was no longer considered wearable? Yes. Even if it's only fit to be a dog's bed, it could possibly be recycled into cushions, or a waistcoat; or in a pinch worn by a gawky (or chubby) 12-18 year old boy to compete in his first Highland games.

This.

Agree about sgains and sporrans and so forth being more likely useful to descendants.

[ForresterModern]

Like Chas I have no family handmedowns, and have not since I was a young teen. At 15 I outgrew not only by two older brothers but also my father and grandfather. I was the tallest ever in my family, and shortly thereafter the heaviest, and easily moreso now than ever. As a matter of fact the three boys are all at least 2 inches taller and some pounds heavier than any other male member of the family has or had ever been. There is no way my elder son, 23 now and still an inch or so shorter than I and easily 120 pounds lighter, or likely my younger son, only three now and following growth curves much below that of myself or my elder son, will bee able to wear my kilts or jackets unless they have amazing weight gains at some point in their life. As Scott mentioned the other hard goods can be passed along easy enough and quality matters there IMHO, as that is most likely to be the things that will be used by the next generation. Now Carter's kilt (my younger son) that we just had made by Bonnie Heather, is designed to be altered easily for him, but will also be reversible in those alterations to be able to be worn by one of my grandchilden, whenever they start showing up (no immediate prospects). Although I may hand then down I doubt that they will be anything more than heirlooms rather than a wearable heirloom. Plus anything more would equire that they share an interest in their distant scottish heritage, something my 3 year old at least has a little bit, as he wants to be like papa. I have seen no other interest from my elder son, and at this point in my life do not hav much communication with my 21 year old daughter.

So I would be interested as well to hear stories of true hand-me-down heirlom still wearable kilts, still worn kilts---pictures a great plus.

[McMurdo]

I did inherit a kilt and sporran from my father. Here he is in the kilt with the sporran


Here I am in the kilt some 57 years later

(this was my first kilt, I only had one pair of hose at the time. I do not wear them any longer)

I do not wear the kilt any longer as it no longer fits me, however I still wear the sporran, the longer I wear the kilt the more I appreciate the simplicity of the sporran. It has become a favourite of mine as time goes on. I've been wearing it more and more recently.

[mookien]

McMurdo: That's great! Thanks for sharing your story with us - and with pictures, too! You must be justly proud. I like to think someday my son could/would wear my old kilts (even if only on special occasions), when he gets old and fat, like me. ;-)

[Duke of Delrio]

I have a number of heirloom kilts, some of which are more than a century old. I have never regarded any heirloom, whether it be kilt, sword, or pistol, as valuable because I can "use" it or wear it.

The importance of these items, to me, is deeply rooted in who owned them and how they came to be mine. I could no more throw out an heirloom kilt than I could pitch out a Rembrandt in order to make room for a Rockwell that had been painted for me.

While I agree that sporrans, dirks, and such like, as heirlooms, are more useful, to my view, they are no more valuable . . . as heirlooms.

[Ian.MacAllan]

. . . I have never regarded any heirloom, whether it be kilt, sword, or pistol, as valuable because I can "use" it or wear it. . . .

I agree emphatically, and even apply this principle to housewares and furniture that don't "fit" my present decor, such as my grandfather's dental tools, parts cabinets, and office clock. They were his and they remind me of his many kindnesses without which my youth would have been emotionally impoverished.

There is little reason to hope that my son will be able to wear my kilts (he is much larger than I) but I will gladly leave their disposition to his judgment. Maybe his son, who is now just three months old, . . .


.