Kilts and guts...

[g koch]

" But in my traditional kilt, I find that people think I need a REASON other than "I like it" to be wearing it, and get a bit perturbed when I don't have an answer that suits them. "

Thats been my experience as well. People want a story involving your grandfather, the piper in The Great War, and vows made on the clan claymore. I think my Polish grandpa was dodging Soviets and making vows on the family vodka still back then.

[Archangel]

" But in my traditional kilt, I find that people think I need a REASON other than "I like it" to be wearing it, and get a bit perturbed when I don't have an answer that suits them. "

Thats been my experience as well. People want a story involving your grandfather, the piper in The Great War, and vows made on the clan claymore. I think my Polish grandpa was dodging Soviets and making vows on the family vodka still back then.

Just come back from a Celtic Festival and some gentleman there was not quite satisfied with the concept that I was wearing an army surplus kilt when I hadn't been in the army and that I bought on eBay. He kept saying it was pretty (Maple Leaf pattern), still not sure if he was being complimentary or trying to push buttons.

so, your point is validated, yet again.

[Ziggs]

Well, I wear a both a more traditional kilt and a Philabeg. I would most definately wear a contemporary kilt. Being younger and of the punk generation, it just works with my kind of fashion sense. It's rough and tough, but still works with the kilt mentality. Personally, when I finally get a contemporary kilt, it's going to be jungle camo from Freedom Kilts.

[Shay]

Just come back from a Celtic Festival and some gentleman there was not quite satisfied with the concept that I was wearing an army surplus kilt when I hadn't been in the army and that I bought on eBay. He kept saying it was pretty (Maple Leaf pattern), still not sure if he was being complimentary or trying to push buttons.

so, your point is validated, yet again.

That might have less to do with the kilt and more to do with the fact that some folks think 'people who weren't in the military shouldn't try to look as though they were.' Not realizing that most military stuff is really, really good clothing and very practical- since it's been honed by generation of soldiers who need the ease and comfort!

I'm ex Air Force myself, and I'm a little POed only at the people who wear BDUs to bars and stuff and act the fool in them- I realize on the one hand it's not the same as wearing dress uniform with the patches torn off, but dang- that was really more my uniform than any set of blues.

Camo patterns, I'm used to- I live in deer hunting country- if anything I think the electric blue and pink 'camo' patterns are the silliest things. Where are you going to hide, in a cotton candy factory?

Anyway- there are some vets and some non-vets out there who can't seem to get it through their head that army surplus is anything but 'wanna-be' wear- I say if it's practical, wear it, just remember who you're representing!

[Archangel]

That might have less to do with the kilt and more to do with the fact that some folks think 'people who weren't in the military shouldn't try to look as though they were.' Not realizing that most military stuff is really, really good clothing and very practical- since it's been honed by generation of soldiers who need the ease and comfort!

I'm ex Air Force myself, and I'm a little POed only at the people who wear BDUs to bars and stuff and act the fool in them- I realize on the one hand it's not the same as wearing dress uniform with the patches torn off, but dang- that was really more my uniform than any set of blues.

Camo patterns, I'm used to- I live in deer hunting country- if anything I think the electric blue and pink 'camo' patterns are the silliest things. Where are you going to hide, in a cotton candy factory?

Anyway- there are some vets and some non-vets out there who can't seem to get it through their head that army surplus is anything but 'wanna-be' wear- I say if it's practical, wear it, just remember who you're representing!

agreed, and I always dress to respect that. Here's some context to my example: I'm wearing a web belt with the kilt, Eddy Bauer vented shirt, Australian Outback Hemp hat and Keen sandals, and an R-kilt sporran. So I don't think that wanna-be confusion should be there. The tartan may have caused confusion but, while it is the "official" Canadian Army tartan (there are other specific ones), it is also the "official" one for Canadians so that's fine but he's not likely to know that. He didn't get the birth and grundies question, I think, because the first question didn't fit his formula.

There was a cute experience, some teenager came up to us and wanted to make sure I was from Scotland. It wasn't what I thought. He wanted to find someone who knew real Scottish music because he'd heard really good bagpipes at the start of a song and nobody he'd asked knew the song or who did it. He came to the right person, I knew the classic Scottish ballad of the "water of life", Copperhead Road, by Steve "Mc"Earle.

[Kirkwood]

I've always wanted a kilt but I didn't know which tartan was appropriate and found the cost to be prohibitive.

Then a few years ago the local news station did a bit on Amerikilts (Don Polec for you Philly Pholk). Now here was a company that made relatively inexpensive kilts and they weren't tartan! It took me a little while while longer to screw up the courage to buy one and wear it (this March as a matter of fact).

Since then I've done more research, found & joined you guys and have ordered a SW blackwatch.

Do I prefer one over the other? No. I will probably get a few more solids either AK's or PK's and am now on the lookout for a kilt in the MacGregor tartan that is in the same price neighborhood.