Opinion column from the Scotsman: "Kilt police should stop pleating about shops"

[Monkey@Arms]

This opinion piece in The Scotsman is a response to the article discussed in this thread: Dir. of Scottish Tartan Authority Criticizes Edinburgh Shops

While I considered just posting it in the earlier thread, I thought it raised enough interesting points to stand by itself. Colored highlights are my own.

Sat 10 Feb 2007

Kilt police should stop pleating about shops
LIAM RUDDEN

HOOTS mon, the kilt police, otherwise known as the Scottish Tartans Authority, made the headlines this week when one of their number hit out at Edinburgh's High Street traders, accusing then of turning the Royal Mile into an "Eastern bazaar" full of "tartan tat".

Needless to say the shopkeepers in question weren't best amused.

The problem appears to be that, as it is a World Heritage Site, the STA believes the Royal Mile should be maintained as some sort of museum piece that, in their words, "epitomise[s] the quality ethos attached to almost everything Scottish". Whatever that might mean.

A quick flick through the city's history quickly shows that the thoroughfare from the Castle to the Palace has always been a thriving marketplace - it's just the nature of the businesses that have changed, that and the fact that the public hangings which were once the hottest ticket on the Mile are long gone.

If anything, the so-called "tartan tat" brightens the city's drab grey tenements, especially on one of the Capital's typically dreich wet winter afternoons.

The STA's biggest beef, however, seems to be with the ever-growing popularity of lightweight kilts, which led them to claim in Monday's paper that shopkeepers were misleading tourists by selling cut price acrylic kilts, for as little as £19.99.

You'll not get a "real" kilt for less than £240 apparently, and therein lies the rub. How many locals, let alone tourists on a budget, have a spare £240 to blow on a "real" kilt? So why shouldn't they take advantage of a cut-price alternative instead of forking out £50 a pop for a hire job. After all, as long as it is tartan (though not all are these days, camouflage or see-through plastic anyone?), has the pleats in the right place, and looks good with a Scotland top, boots and woolly socks, few are going to notice, let alone care that it's not the real thing.

Cost aside there's another reason for choosing a lightweight kilt, acrylic or otherwise (the Edinburgh Cashmere Store will sell you a 100 per cent woollen kilt for £30, it appears), and that's comfort.

The old playground chant may well have been, "Kiltie kiltie cold bum, never had a hot bum..." but as anyone who has worn full highland dress will tell you, there's no chance of contracting a chill on your kidneys while wearing a full-weight 16oz kilt - or anywhere else for that matter.

Having attended a friend's wedding in far flung Stornaway, at which donning the full kit and caboodle was more or less obligatory, I discovered that looking smart does not compensate for the scratchy, sweaty, sticky, experience of wearing Highland dress. Give me a lightweight kilt any day.

However, don't be misled into believing that the kilt police are driven by an altruistic desire to save our heritage. The organisation might sound like some historic body formed by the clan chiefs generations ago, but is actually a fairly new collective formed in 1996 by Scotland's leading weavers and tartan retailers ... no vested interests there then. Really, who cares what your kilt is made of, as long as you wear it with pride.

http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm...7&format=print

Best regards,

Jake

[cessna152towser]

Interesting, nice to read the alternative viewpoint and I am encouraged that the Scotsman have taken this approach as I've often thought that kilts will never become popular with the masses until cheaper mass produced copies are more readily available.

[McMurdo]

Thanks for posting this Jake, an interesting read.
I think you are right Alex, everytime I am out in a kilt someones enquires as to the price, $500.00 and up is just to much for most people to spend on what most see as a novelty item.

[Dreadbelly]

Having attended a friend's wedding in far flung Stornaway, at which donning the full kit and caboodle was more or less obligatory, I discovered that looking smart does not compensate for the scratchy, sweaty, sticky, experience of wearing Highland dress. Give me a lightweight kilt any day.

Funny, I felt that way in troosers... Are 16 ounce wool kilts really that abrasive?

[Randy]

Funny, I felt that way in troosers... Are 16 ounce wool kilts really that abrasive?

Not to me. But I do use my SWK economy on hot days instead of my dress kilt.

[McMurdo]

Funny, I felt that way in troosers... Are 16 ounce wool kilts really that abrasive?

I have never had a problem with 16oz wool.

[SnakeEyes]

I'm glad someone finally pointed out the cost issue. I was thinking about it, but I decided I've already caused to much trouble in my short time here . But seriously, I can't afford a $600 kilt .

[Bob C]

GREAT article.

[McClef]

I don't have any problem with 16 oz wool either.

I think the article fails to address the main issue complained of - ie the labelling and have posted the following comment to the page:

"The article fails to address one of the major things complained of - misleading labelling.

"Authentic Highland tartan designed in Scotland" doesn't mean it's made in Scotland and a lot of tourists are under the impression that if it's a kilt that it is.

But it's not only that, it's the instant gratification afforded by the off the peg kilts. Perhaps the more "traditional" shops should be thinking of fighting back on the same terms and offering a range of off the peg, genuine, made in Scotland kilts. Of course they can't compete on price but they can compete on quality and having items that buyers do not have to wait for."

The comment can be seen on http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=220502007#new .

Maybe others would like to add their own comments!

[cessna152towser]

I'm not registered for the Scotsman so can't post a comment but I'm surprised nobody's fed the troll in the first post which looks like a wind-up by someone in the Scotsman office in the hope of drumming up some comments. Real Scotsmen don't need to wimp out by wrapping themselves in trousers.