Kilts mainstream

Kilt-based fashions, both traditional and contemporary. Come on guys, bring on the pleats!
Hemitom
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Kilts mainstream

Post by Hemitom »

The Idea of kilts as a normal thing to see in the US is if some of the retailers would start carrying a selection of them. maybe it will catch on...then it might progress into regular skirt wearings. never know... :lol:
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mugman
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by mugman »

It would certainly be more convenient if outlets generally included some kilt product, but I guess most are not going to fancy wasting space on slow movers, unless there is an established localised market for kilts either through traditional or tourist reasons. It's not hard to imagine a future time when kilts, and skirts, will become more evident in a (dare I say fashionable :roll: ?) man's wardrobe, though I would prefer the idea to be more from common sense than just another short lived copycat fad.
At the moment we have thin support. But it doesn't stop us moving on forwards in an individual way, addressing the issue in whatever ways we choose.
But I agree that a wider initiative in the world of retailing would certainly help to bring a faster turnaround of the situation, and maybe pave the way for a more explicitly non-kilt male skirt image to emerge, and be properly recognised as a legitimate option in this day and age of progressive thinking.
It does, however, currently equate still to the act of pulling teeth :wall: . All we can do is just smile that we found a more satisfying solution to choice hindrance, and promote it as much as we can through practice.
Pete
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by Tassierob »

For Kilts to become mainstream and appear in shops I believe a number of things must happen.
Kilts must be seen as manly and practical garments to wear.
They must look modern, smart and be worn with confidence at every opportunity. The fabric must look rugged, not shiny and soft like a skirt.
Now for something to stir the pot. With great respect to the Scots who wear kilts every day..All kilt wearers should stop wearing Tartan and sporrans as everyday wear and embrace modern designs including plain colours and pockets.
Otherwise kilts will always be just seen as just another Celtic thing. Oh there is another guy trying to find his roots. Oh I couldn't wear that because I am not Scottish and neither were my family...the list goes on. Tartan should be kept for those special occasions when dressing up is required or for celebrating ones roots at highland games, Celtic nights etc..

Only when more rugged kilt like garments are accepted by the typical male will we begin to see them in anything other than a specialty retailer for alternates, as people like Utilikilts are seen by the bulk of people at the moment.
It will take far longer for more skirt like, softer, flowing garments have any chance of becoming mainstream. Remember when women started wearing trousers it was for work, they were practical garments made for women working in factories to help the war effort. Now look where they are! Who could believe a woman going out to dinner wearing trousers even 20 years ago.

It will unfortunately always be evolution, not revolution that wins the day.
If you haven't worn a skirt you haven't found freedom!
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skirtyscot
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by skirtyscot »

Tassierob wrote: With great respect to the Scots who wear kilts every day..
There are precious few of them - maybe none at all - so don't worry about causing offence.
Keep on skirting,

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RichardA
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by RichardA »

skirtyscot wrote:
Tassierob wrote: With great respect to the Scots who wear kilts every day..
There are precious few of them - maybe none at all - so don't worry about causing offence.
and this end of the country even less, I have yet to meet any other guy wearing a kilt in my area.
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by Tassierob »

We need a united voice but that is almost impossible while most men don't come out in public for their own very good reasons.

The ideal situation would be for a high profile media person, business man or politition to start wearing skirts full time. We need to make people think more about the issue and to do that they must be constantly reminded that men are entitled to wear what they want and we do have options.

And in the western world that wearing a skirt does NOT automatically make you a crossdresser or gay. Just comfortable and happy with themselves. A state a lot more men need to be in.
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SkirtRevolution
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by SkirtRevolution »

Tassierob wrote:We need a united voice but that is almost impossible while most men don't come out in public for their own very good reasons.

The ideal situation would be for a high profile media person, business man or politition to start wearing skirts full time. We need to make people think more about the issue and to do that they must be constantly reminded that men are entitled to wear what they want and we do have options.

And in the western world that wearing a skirt does NOT automatically make you a crossdresser or gay. Just comfortable and happy with themselves. A state a lot more men need to be in.

I completely agree. Other minority groups have become completely accepted in society in the past because they were a lot more organised and militant in raising awareness. I believe we need to do 2 things affectively. 1. Be seen in public 2. Re-educate society as to why guys are wearing skirts (comfort, equality and it masculine etc) I have recently started a facebook site called Men’s Skirts so if you are on facebook come and friend request me and I will add you.
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mugman
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by mugman »

The easier a time a man has in choosing what to wear, the happier he is. Wearing kilts and skirts is, so far, an anti-easy subject for most men.

There has to be a reason for slipping into a skirt, or buckling up a kilt, instead of climbing easily into trousers. So far we haven't determined our reasoning in any compact way - there are too many reasons being banded about which, when reeled off one after another, always sounds like desperation to convince - well, anyone. And they are all fairly unimportant issues where a man is concerned...

Greater Choice Of Styles (does the average man actually get really up tight about lack of choices? I've never heard any of my acquaintances condemning any lack of choice.)
Equality Of Clothing (commendable, but is a man actually going to feel strongly about claiming equal rights by donning a skirt in public? Doubtful.)
Freedom From inseam Annoyance (I never heard of anyone complaining about this, apart from on here. So, probably not.)
Possible Prostate Cancer Reduction (which I believe still has to be proven. Personally I believe things are being confused with reproductive success - so a completely different issue altogether.)

If we found a reason for skirt wearing other than that of just wanting to, then we might begin to get somewhere. But what does it matter anyway? Do we need every male around to be wearing skirts just because we want to? Many people go sky diving, or bungee jumping, which is very possibly a great adrenalin-generating experience, but I won't be, despite any websites I might come across by accident devoted to the subject.

The way I see it, men either want to wear kilts and skirts, or they don't. But the more we openly practice what we preach with great confidence, the more evident becomes the notion that wearing a skirt needs no more reasoning than that of choice.

So going back to the beginning...

...the easier the choices a man has as to what to wear. the happier he is. Just show that wearing a skirt (or a kilt) is as easy a choice he can make as any other!

Pete
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couyalair
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by couyalair »

mugman wrote:... there are too many reasons being banded about which, when reeled off one after another, always sounds like desperation to convince ...
Not necessarily to convince, simply to provide an answer to the question "Why on earth are you wearing THAT?" -- a question that may be asked or merely implied with a cocked eyebrow.
Freedom From inseam Annoyance (I never heard of anyone complaining about this, apart from on here.
No, men don't complain, because we are brought up that way, with coarse cloth compressing our tender spots. But watch how often men have to pull at their trouser crotch to make things more comfortable. Sooner or later, the genitals are bound to get pinched, stretched, scratched if there is not enough space for them.
Possible Prostate Cancer Reduction (which I believe still has to be proven.
Indeed, poor sperm counts are a far more likely result of hot tight clothing, but this is not a thing men like to talk about. In many cultures it is considered shameful for a man not to produce offspring.
If we found a reason for skirt wearing ... But what does it matter anyway?
Probably not, but people do wonder what moves us to be different. We have our own reasons, and sometimes need to air them.

So I quite agree that
the more we openly practice what we preach with great confidence, the more evident becomes the notion that wearing a skirt needs no more reasoning than that of choice.
and the less we shall need to answer why?

To tell the truth, i have very rarely been asked why I am wearing skirts or kilts, but I suspect the question is in many people's minds.
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mugman
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by mugman »

I've never ever been asked why I'm wearing a skirt. People around me - at least in my part of the world - tend to mind their own business. I've been asked many times if I'm Scottish whilst wearing a tartan kilt - or even a black one which had more to do with Cornish Independence at one time, but I don't know if it's still the case.
If people are silently wondering why I am wearing a skirt then surely the image of a man confidently doing so without acting in a feminine way provides the answer - because you can.
Tight trousers were the thing of the disco-ing 70's. I don't see evidence of this fashion nowadays. Even the old idea of briefs have now more or less been overtaken by looser boxers. Tightly hugging menswear isn't the scene now. And the act of pulling down the crotch now and then when it gets too uncomfortable is probably not enough discomfort for having to wear a skirt.
It comes back to the original reasoning. We do it because we want to. They just feel good.
In my 'CV' at my music club's website - (if any of us play an instrument ourselves we were invited to contribute a short history of how we got started, and what we've maybe achieved, musical or otherwise, - if anything!) - I mention in mine that I wear kilts and skirts which may seem crazy to most, but '...until you try it for yourself, you won't understand why.'
And I leave it at that.

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crfriend
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by crfriend »

mugman wrote:It comes back to the original reasoning. We do it because we want to. They just feel good.
Indeed, and ultimately the "Because I feel like it." argument is the one that trumps all others. Face it, one does not need a concrete defensible reason to do anything; if one takes the approach that external reasons are required for each and every action what effect does that have on free will?

As far as the average bloke grouching about lack of choices in apparel goes, that's probably a non-starter unless he's got a strong desire to not look like the herd around him and has an almost visceral revulsion to the current uniform. I fit that mould, but am not exactly "average" -- and sometimes the choice of what to wear gets overwhelming and I go back to something "safe" for a bit, but "safe" does not include uniform.
[...]'...until you try it for yourself, you won't understand why.'
I like that!

It's nice to see you active again, Pete.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
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rick401r
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by rick401r »

Hemitom wrote:The Idea of kilts as a normal thing to see in the US is if some of the retailers would start carrying a selection of them. maybe it will catch on...then it might progress into regular skirt wearings. never know... :lol:
There is a chain of shops that are in many malls here in the US that cater to a younger, goth type of crowd. I can't recall the name, but I have seen a kilt or 2 hanging on the racks. Admittedly, it was more of a costume than a genuine article of clothing. Bright green tartan, with a lot of buckles and chains. And it was near Saint Pats Day that I saw it.
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by ramoninaskirt »

'Hot Topic' is a nation wide chain that caters to the goth and alternative fashion crowd and it would be the perfect place to market a real kilt for men. Not a costume type kilt. One visit to this store and you can see the potential for marketing and as far as fashion goes marketing is where its at.
I remember the late 60s early 70s it got to the point where bellbottom jeans/slacks took over. Then it tapered back to the flared jean/slack and after decades is gone.But the power of marketing got men that otherwise would have scoffed at the idea of wearing anything but straight legged pants , wearing flared pants. What man prior to 1968 would be caught wearing bell bottom jeans and tie dyed tee shirts ? The trend started and marketing kicked in to the point that all the manufactures were on board and I'm sure they made a pile of money before it was all over.
You have to reachout to the average person and price it right. 'Hot Topic' is the perfect place and I'm amazed they haven't started the trend. You have to think 'outside the box' to make it in todays market. If anyone could do it they could.
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rick401r
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by rick401r »

I live in a small village that boasts a liberal arts college, many offbeat and unique shops, and a reputation as a "hippie town". I've seen men in kilts, skirts, and dresses. I believe I could sell kilts and maybe a few skirts for men here but I doubt I could do enough business to pay the rent on a shop. Also, that fact that I'm broke, I don't have the resources for a building or inventory. I don't think anyone would give me a small business loan for such a venture. I've thought about approaching an existing shop about letting me set up a display in a corner somewhere but still have a problem of inventory. Any ideas?
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Re: Kilts mainstream

Post by Big and Bashful »

rick401r wrote:I live in a small village that boasts a liberal arts college, many offbeat and unique shops, and a reputation as a "hippie town". I've seen men in kilts, skirts, and dresses. I believe I could sell kilts and maybe a few skirts for men here but I doubt I could do enough business to pay the rent on a shop. Also, that fact that I'm broke, I don't have the resources for a building or inventory. I don't think anyone would give me a small business loan for such a venture. I've thought about approaching an existing shop about letting me set up a display in a corner somewhere but still have a problem of inventory. Any ideas?
I'm no business man, but how about approaching a shop with a "What if I could get stock?" as well as approaching a manufacturer of skirts or maybe one of the vendors who work on line, with a proposal along the lines of "I would like to become an agent/ franchisee, working in a male skirt friendly area to sell your product" If you could get both possible premises and possible stock to sell, with a viable sort of business plan, then maybe, just maybe, you would have a chance of putting your plan to someone with finance to back you and give you the chance to put the plan into action. If you could convince them that you could make such a plan work, then they give you some cash up front to rent a sales area and invest in stock, maybe it would all come together. It doesn't look very easy!
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