Kilts and costumes

[haukehaien]

To be honest though, aside from the characters I've mention above and Jake's kilted pirate how would one costumize a kilt? Now, I don't wear a kilt daily but I wouldn't go out at hallowe'en in my kilt night get up, not even if it was a kilt night.

I think one could "costumize" a kilt by going for a period look, for instance. I know we have several members who do re-enacting, and who (in my opinion) wear the kilt as a costume while re-enacting. (NOTE: I am not saying "costume" in ANY sort of negative sense. I think re-enacting of all types is cool, and have at various times considered it, before realizing that I need another hobby like I need a hole in my head. Or wallet, which is closer to how hobbies work.) That is to say, these members are not in fact members of the Bonnie Prince's army at Culloden, or one of HM's highland regiments during the American Revolutionary War, (or the Zulu wars, or WWII, or anything else.) All of these are to some extent examples of wearing the kilt as a costume, and I for one think they're just fine. If someone who does this wants to wear their period outfit for Halloween, then more power to them. Or if someone (someone who has the physique for it, which rules me out) wants to wear a kilt in the manner of one of those bulging lads on the covers of the trashy romance novels, that could be a good costume. (Especially if he can persuade his lady friend/wife/whatever to dress up as the other half of that tableau.) Or one could try a modern/non-trad kilt with appropriate accessories to appear as one of Heinlein's heroes, or some other sci-fi adventurer. There are lots of ways to wear the kilt as a costume, none of which appear to coincide with wearing the kilt for everyday life. For me, I come down on the side of "wear the kilt how you like, whether as costume or whatever." If wearing the kilt as a costume offends you, then don't do it. If it doesn't, and you feel like it, then go ahead.

[dpseadvr]

Sooo Dpseadvr, your son is going as a frogman, how cool is that. Be sure to wear a kilt and have a pic taken with him so you can post a pic of the little guy .


Liam loves playing with dads and uncle Chris's gear so we are dressing him up in little UDT shorts well Khaki shorts we found a blue and gold toddler shirt with a Trident on it and we are going to camo paint his face I am looking for a play M4 or MP5 for him my wife wanted to make him a candy corn BOOOOO !!!
I will wear my UK extra pockets for the candy people LOVE Liam so I am sure we are gonna end up with way to much candy...hey theres a topic can you realy have to many peanutbutter cups on holloween
I would say no

[ccga3359]

...hey theres a topic can you realy have to many peanutbutter cups on holloween
I would say no

Yes and no. My son has an allergy to peanuts, so daddy gets a decent haul with Alec doing all the work . I usually over do on the candy that night .

[ChromeScholar]

I wish it were true that others see the wearing of a kilt in the same way they do jeans, etc.; but they don't.

Remember, to many the kilt has symbolism beyond the type of garment it is. That is the type of identity I was talking about. Not the type where part of your identity is wearing designer names.

These statements both amount to the same thing. Which is that someone out there, with little or no knowledge (or too much specific knowledge and no perspective), might draw some negative conclusion about my clothes.

I don't care.

[ccga3359]

Might I point out that no one on this forum wears a kilt in any less than the respect that it deserves.

[ChromeScholar]

This is true, or we probably wouldn't be here. So, anyone here is likely to wear a kilt, even as part of a costume, in a way that would show the kilt in a favorable way. People who are liable to see the kilt as "just a costume" aren't posting here. With that in mind, all the arguments about cheap Scottish costumes doesn't apply to the members here. When I wear my kilt on Halloween, I will be wearing around 250.00 worth of quality merchandise. It will be worn in the proper fashion (for those items that have a documented fashion), and I will no doubt get many positive compliments on my outfit. At least a portion of those people will ask intelligent questions about kilts, and a few of them may even be inclined to get their own kilts. I don't see the drawback.

[James MacMillan]

Oh heck - Wear what you want! Come to my house when you are out trick-or-treating, and I'll talk kilts with you, and even offer you a beer or a single malt..............

I require whisky, so if you'll excuse me.

So here’s the deal. Any adult showing up at my house after eight PM in a kilt, will be served beer or a single malt. Any adult showing up kilted before eight PM (especially is they are towing three rug rats) will be met with an amused smile. Any adult showing up at an adult style party kilted, will be forced to listed to the question, until they run screaming into the hills.

Now I too require whiskey, and you can bet your sweet bippy that I know how to drink it………………

[Archangel]

I think part of the problem is that some people don't know when it becomes a costume.

The picture on the first page is offensive except that you end up feeling sorry for the guy.

I think a jimmy hat and towel isn't that bad in some situations. A jimmy hat with the tartan army is part of the uniform, isn't it.

Something that has been touched on only slightly is the racism that happens in the UK. It is rare but it is expressed through mocking the kilt. Some of the stereotypes that were common in turn of the century comedies and dance halls are seen in almost the same light as black-face, and as unwelcome.

If somebody's out trying to have fun and looks silly, that's one thing. If it somehow looks like they're mocking me, it's another.

If they've got a jimmy hat and a kilt towel on game day, they're with me, oh dear.

[James MacMillan]

Showing my ignorance, I didn't know what a jimmy hat was, so I googled it....

You're kidding, right?

[adam]

Yeah, took me some time to figure out what a jimmy hat was too.

This topic reminds me of the tartan question. Should a person be required to belong to a certain family / clan / organization to wear that tartan. Everyone has their own opinion on that, and it's not going to change. That doesn't mean that it's not fun to debate the topic as long as nobody gets offended. Also reminds me of the Americanization of kilts, such as UK and the like. Not everyone likes it, but it is happening.

This is my take on it, which might already be partly known, as my soon to be costume and its accompanying thread is what was mentioned in the first post. (Which, if you gave me advice on the matter, thank you, and there's going to be another one in the thread.)

A kilt can be used IN a costume, and it can be used AS a costume. As Mel Gibson's Braveheart, as Groundskeeper Willie, as a traditional Scot, they are all costumes. And they will be known as such. There will be no mistaking what the costume is. If the kilt was replaced with another garment, the character, well known or out of the wearer's head, would be lost. The kilt IS the costume in that case. If done in good taste, it can be pulled off well. If done in bad taste, it's just another bad costume that will be forgotten about, or laughed about, or worse. These kind of kilt wearings would reinforce the "kilt as a costume" mentality greatly, especially if first seen on All Hallows Eve.

If the kilt is used IN a costume as a small detail, it's very similar, but the costume would still be very clear if the kilt was switched for shorts, or pants, or something similar. My costume is going to be a raven. Raven mask, black clothes, etc. I thought of this last year, when I saw someone in Salem, MA dressed similarly. Now that I've been wearing kilts enough to feel mostly mentaly comfortable in them (and completely comfortable physically) I've decided that the look of the kilt would add to my costume. The swish if you'd like. Monkey@Arms has decided he will be a kilted pirate. If the kilt was switched for pirate tie off pants, he'd still have the costume. The kilts will be remembered, but we will not be basing the costume off of the kilt. I will be remembered as the black bird, he as the pirate. There will still be some connection in peoples minds of kilts equaling costuming, but not nearly as much.

This is my opinion: If a kilt can be seen in a favorable light, whether full greatkilt garb, complete with claymore, or black Xkilt as part of a low budget, high quality bird, go ahead. No matter what, what ever you wear will be seen there after as part of a costume. It's the other days that matter. If I would to wear that same kilt with a t-shirt the week after, nobody would say anything different to me, since everyone I deal with has been acclimated to me and my kilts. If I were to try to wear the great kilt, I might get some stranger than normal looks.

If I think of my kilts as a costume, I'll wear it only on costume days. If I think of my kilts as garments, I'll wear them whenever I see fit. If people's only impression is that they are costumes, who the hell cares what they think anyway. If I cared about their thought, I wouldn't go against the norm and I'd be wearing pants and shorts anyway.