What is the future of the Kilt?

[Chaplain Harris]

Jim,
Well put. I feel the same way about when and why wearin' one. I'm not concerned that someone is or is not wearing a kilt or what 'looks' like a kilt. If that's what floats their boat, more power to them. Lots of guys go for the shock value. Speaking for myself.....i've got purpose, I don't think I'll buy any other type of kilt which represents a clan (unless I become one of their clergy) I think this can lead to foolish arguements.
1. You are not going to change anyone's very point about what they want to wear. They will soon enough find people calling their "Tripp" kilt a skirt as I do my wife and few friends. 2.
2. It seems quite ironic that a kilt wearing, scot decendant would mock someone else's wear. Consider everything you've defended in your right and/or desire to wear a kilt! Why would you want to put someone else in that place unless you just want to give them a hard time.

Let me assure you, I'm not crazy about that "Tripp" kilt. It seems quite silly to me, but my wife rolls her eyes when I come walking out in my kilt, "just to wear around the house". I guess I've matured since my first view that it was "IT'S NOT A KILT?" to more of It's kilt like, but I'm not crazy for it. Knock yourself out if you like it!

[Kid Cossack]

. . . and our gain!

[cessna152towser]

I think that over the past ten years, with the coming of single colour and non-traditional style kilts, the public expectation that a kilt must be made of thick wool and must be tartan has moved on considerably. Practically any knee length pleated garment passes a kilt nowadays; indeed I own an English made box pleat camo. which is in our eyes as kilt buffs, not a kilt at all as it fastens with a zip and buttons and the pleats continue all the way round rather than having double front aprons, yet when I have been out and about wearing this I have several times been complimented on my kilt and no one has ever referred to it as a skirt. My small collection ranges from the most formal 8-yard tartan tank to the more offbeat modern styles. IMHO there are kilts for weddings, dinners, dancing and highland games etc; which will normally continue to be wool and tartan; there are kilts for workwear which will normally be made of wool and formal in appearance but in muted colours such as black, navy, tan, or charcoal grey; and there are kilts for leisure and funwear, including clubbing for the young set, or attending sports events which can be any style so long as they are approximately knee length and feature some pleats. I think we will see these modern non-traditional kilts becoming more common, but proper wool kilts are unlikely to become mainstream.

[JimB]

Ok....maybe I should keep my mouth shut, but what I'm seeing between this thread and the Tripp Thread is starting to bug me.
I want to say that I think that everyone should be able to wear whatever they want given the right venue. There is a time and place for everything. Just like jeans and suits you pick the right time and place to wear either.

I am pretty much a traditionalists in my kilting. That's my style choice. While I like the 16 oz official tartans built tank style, those are not how I got started in kilting, and that's not how I got started in making them.
I bought a cheap Black Watch from a festival vendor and although I would never buy another, it was a good place to start because I sure wasn't going to spend $400 bucks on my first kilt and it DID get me started.
I started making kilts because I wanted to learn and saw making them as a way to get a kilt wardrobe affordably.

Yes I used cheap material to learn. I came away from that learning experience with a couple of kilts that have been looked down upon as "MacTablecloth" and worse by the Tartan police but by God, I made them, every stitch, and I'm proud of them and wear them.
I've made canvas kilts and tartan kilts, and MacTablecloth kilts. Learning how to make kilts is not easy. Buying a 16oz tartan kilt is easy ( but not cheap).

I will probably only make real tartan kilts from now on, because I now (thanks to all the mistakes on the cheap stuff) can make a kilt, out of any fabric with confidence.

I haven't seen this Tripp kilt because my browser is blocking me from seeing photobucket images, but I don't care if it's hideous, it's their choice and they have to wear it, no one else. I don't want anyone looking down their nose at my kilts and I will give the owner's of other kilts the same respect.
Kilts...many styles, many fabrics, many choices. Just that, and only that....choices.

[Kilted Archer]

Are all the items in the first part of this post pants? Yes.
Are all the things in the 2nd paragraph kilts? Yes. are they each different from one another? Yes. SHOULD they be different from one another? You decide, but I will say this... wouldn't it be boring if they were all the same thing? How would any one company make something better if they were all the same thing? Things that are stagnant will die. Things must evolve to survive.

They all have their place. If they ALL succeed, then you'll have people being able to distinguish between the different KINDS of kilts like you have people differentiating between different types of Pants. Does anyone confuse Levis Jeans with Tux pants (except at "country western weddings"... J/K)?

I totally agree with Rocky. I think people who don't have their heads stuck up their rear ends know a kilt when they see it whether it's tartan or uni-color or has pockets or zippers or a sporran. For those who're deriding or looking down your noses at a kilt because it's not traditional enough for your tastes - get over it. As for the idea that somehow non-traditional kilts are going to corrupt the general public's idea of a what a kilt is and somehow dilute our garments history - sheesh! Can we not take this so seriously?! A kilt is a kilt and when a man wears a kilt and it's not pink with lace fringe and high heels, anyone with some common sense is going to see it and know it's a kilt whether it's tartan or black or has pockets or a sporran. Man, just be glad more people are wearing kilts.

[Raphael]

It is good to see we are passionate about the kilt. But don't get carry away and stop being such a bunch of snobs. This Tripp kilt isn't going have any impact in the fashion world. Why are we worrying about this so called 'mass produced' kilt.

[Chef]

Just as there are different types of pants, there are different types of kilts. There are jeans, khakis, fatigue (aka Camo), dress, Tux Pants, and ripped jeans. Are these all pants? Yes. Are they all worn by the same people? No (or at least, not necessarily).

Likewise, there are different types of kilts...

This is where I think the topic gets interesting. The question being is "kilt" a generic term equivalent to "pants" or is it a more specific term like "slacks" or "khakis". If I say pants almost anything comes to mind, but if I say slacks you are unlikely to think of leather pants, fatigues or jeans. If I say kilt to most people my guess is they have an even more narrow image of what a kilt is than they do of the term slacks. By most people I mean John Q, Public, not members of this forum.

Now if you ask members of this forum what a kilt is, I think you will find that many (and I will include myself) don't consider the Tripp garment to be a kilt. Many of course would. I'm sure there are those members that only consider an 8-yard wool tartan kilt the real thing and those that consider any pleated skirt made for a man to be a kilt. Of course most are probably in between like myself) and lean in one direction or another.

If you lump the groups together I think you still have a fairly narrow bell curve ** of what is considered a kilt and if a kilt was to be considered a fairly mainstream garment its use must grow within that bell curve. Don't get me wrong I am not necessarily a proponent of it being mainstream, I think whether it should or shouldn't is a slightly different question. I would bet that just as many people would be upset if it was as those who would like it to be.

So what is my definition of a kilt? My personal feeling is "pants" and "kilts" are not equivalent terms. I personally see kilts as the equivalent a nice pair of chinos up to tux and tails. I don't see them as a jeans or a fatigues etc. There are still plenty of non-traditional kilts that fall in that range, but they tend to be the somewhat less casual ones. I do not consider myself the "kilt police", most of the time and I will say that I have widened my definition since being here (i.e. new fabics, box pleats etc.)


** My idea of the bell curve runs from any male skirt on one end to tartan tank only suitable for military pipe band use on the other.

[ozone]

I'm not trying to be too sarcastic here, but why dont we just get rid of the tagline on this website "a kilted community" and join the rest of the MUG websites out there?

[pdcorlis]

This is where I think the topic gets interesting. The question being is "kilt" a generic term equivalent to "pants" or is it a more specific term like "slacks" or "khakis."

Interesting... so is the term "kilt" = family, genus, or species?

[Rigged]

I'm not trying to be too sarcastic here, but why dont we just get rid of the tagline on this website "a kilted community" and join the rest of the MUG websites out there?

Uh.... because sarongs aren't worn pleated?