Kilts and Their Cousins

Kilt-based fashions, both traditional and contemporary. Come on guys, bring on the pleats!
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Fred in Skirts
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Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by Fred in Skirts »

Great kilt worn by Liam Neeson in "Rob Roy"
greatkilt.jpg

Kilt - Kilts are skirt-like garments, traditionally worn by men in the Scottish Highlands, which usually have the following basic features:

■ They wrap around the waist and thighs, with overlapping panels in the front. The outer front panel of a man's kilt (called the apron) opens on the wearer's right side. They are usually fastened with buckles.

■ They are relatively short - usually coming to the kneecap or just above it.

■ They are pleated. A man's kilt usually has deep, overlapping knife-type pleats in the back. The front panels usually are not pleated.

The traditional Scottish kilt is made of 8 or 9 yards of smooth, tightly woven wool with a tartan (plaid) design. Kilts may also be of solid colors - as frequently seen in Irish kilts. Recent variations of kilts sometimes use less or lighter material and alternative fabrics. Traditional men's kilts are are usually worn with a pouch, called a sporran, hanging in front. Some modern varieties of kilts have pockets.

Boy Scouts in kiltsGreat kilt (feileadh mor) or belted plaid (breacán filleadh)
scouts.jpg
- This is the original Scottish kilt, made from two pieces of tartan wool joined together, wrapped around the body, and fastened with a belt. This is the type of kilt seen in Braveheart and Rob Roy.

Little kilt or phillibeg (feileadh beag) - This is the type of kilt usually seen today. It lacks the upper portion of the great kilt, and the pleats are sewn in place. Its invention is often credited to an English factory owner in 1725, but there is evidence that some Scotsmen were already wearing it prior to that time.

Breacan - This Gaelic word, meaning "checkered cloth," has been adopted by Kinloch Anderson as the name for its light-weight, casual kilt.

Utilikilt - Trade name for an American line of utilitarian kilts for men, featuring belt loops and cargo pockets. The original design is a pleated skirt with a front fly, which goes on like trousers. The "neo-traditional" model wraps around like a kilt and fastens with snaps.
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weeladdie18
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by weeladdie18 »

I am going to be pedantic regarding the photo of the Scottish Boy Scouts in their Family Tartan kilts.....The Kilt was often worn to church or childrens parties or
as part of their senior school uniform.....My stories from my Scottish friends show that some of the boys were given a kilt to wear when they were
four years old and their Kilt was raised at the rear and they were given a thrashing if they misbehaved...

The general theory of correction kept the boys in order as they grew up....Many recorded that they always wore the Kilt when they went out with
their mothers ....As they looked sweet in their Kilts......There are references that the Boys in Kilts fashion became popular in America.

Our members who live in Scotland may disagree with this post.....I am referring to Scottish laddies who were the sons of Professional Gentlemen
and would now be possibly up to 80 years old.....However the wearing of the Kilt varies from region to Region.

One of my uncles had his Kilt in his wardrobe and I remember seeing him dressed in his Kilt back in the seventies.

I have worn The Kilt with Scottish Kilties in Scotland , In Southern England .and in Cornwall...... Upto 50 Kilties at a Ball with a live Scottish dance Band

Lord Baden Powell recommended that the Scottish boy Scouts should wear The Kilt as part of their uniform as The Scottish Highland Regiments wore
and still wear the Kilt.....

Look closely ....only one Scout is wearing his family tartan to the correct length.....some lads are not wearing sporrans or belts , their Kilts are falling down.
Some are not wearing Kilt hose flashes ...some are not wearing suitable black shoes for Scouting Activities.....
I am not clear why these young gentlemen are unable to pull their shirt tails down when they dress themselves in their traditional family Kilts.

I am quite sure that if their Great Grandfathers were alive today .....they would turn in their graves...................L.O.L...........weeladdie
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by crfriend »

weeladdie18 wrote:Look closely ....only one Scout is wearing his family tartan to the correct length.....some lads are not wearing sporrans or belts , their Kilts are falling down.
Some are not wearing Kilt hose flashes ...some are not wearing suitable black shoes for Scouting Activities.....
I am not clear why these young gentlemen are unable to pull their shirt tails down when they dress themselves in their traditional family Kilts.

I am quite sure that if their Great Grandfathers were alive today .....they would turn in their graves.
This is one of the many reasons I don't wear The Kilt -- Kilt Kops. If I feel the need or desire to be corrected, instructed, ridiculed, or prodded about something there are better things than one's attire. Making matters worse -- and which offends the "traditionalists" no end -- is that the filibeg (or "little kilt") is a fairly recent development, dating to perhaps the late 17th Century (and possibly the last gasp of interesting male attire), and was only popularised during Victoria's reign which is when much of the lore surrounding it was concocted.
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by STEVIE »

crfriend wrote:This is one of the many reasons I don't wear The Kilt -- Kilt Kops. If I feel the need or desire to be corrected, instructed, ridiculed, or prodded about something there are better things than one's attire. Making matters worse -- and which offends the "traditionalists" no end -- is that the filibeg (or "little kilt") is a fairly recent development, dating to perhaps the late 17th Century (and possibly the last gasp of interesting male attire), and was only popularised during Victoria's reign which is when much of the lore surrounding it was concocted.
In modern Scotland and to the Scots, we dinnae gie a tinker's cuss for bams like kilt kops or ony o' their freens.
"Fa's like us, damnn few 'n they're a' deid"!
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by Ray »

I’d agree with Steve. Most kilt obsessives aren’t Scottish in my experience. The garment is evolving. A kilt, doc martens, rugby shirt or chunky jumper is a great look. No flashes, sporran optional - tartan optional!
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Fred in Skirts
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

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weeladdie18 wrote:I am quite sure that if their Great Grandfathers were alive today .....they would turn in their graves...................L.O.L...........weeladdie
If they were alive they could not turn in their graves.
They would not be in their graves. :lol:
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by weeladdie18 »

Fred in Skirts wrote:
weeladdie18 wrote:I am quite sure that if their Great Grandfathers were alive today .....they would turn in their graves...................L.O.L...........weeladdie
If they were alive they could not turn in their graves.
They would not be in their graves. :lol:
Well Fred , If the Boy Scouts Great Grandfathers are still alive .. and they are all younger than the pair of us ..It is my opinion that the only safe thing to do
is to stay well clear of Scotland ........L.O.L..................weeladdie
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by Darryl »

As men who wear women's skirts....why should we give a darn about the Kilt Police?
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by weeladdie18 »

Darryl wrote:As men who wear women's skirts....why should we give a darn about the Kilt Police?
Well said Darryl....You beat me to it....
These people are considering wearing or not wearing their Male National Dress in Scotland ...when they are "Skirting The Issue "..........L.O.L. ......weeladdie
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

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weeladdie18 wrote:I am going to be pedantic regarding the photo of the Scottish Boy Scouts in their Family Tartan kilts.....
Not to be rude, Weeladdie, but that is exactly what you are, pedantic.

I'm with Crfriend when he considers rigid rules the reason why many men have given up the kilt, Scots included. The world has changed, and for the better, having become much more liberal than in the times of mentioned ancestors. Why should that not apply to kilts and wearing of them?

The picture shows scouts probably on camp, not taking part in a wedding or other formal event. And even if? Probably you have no children yourself. I don't see any problem at all.

To me kilt wearing is replacing shorts, jeans or dress pants by a kilt, fitting the situation. Everything else remains unchanged. And I couldn’t care about the kilt police.
GerdG

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Sinned
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

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A kilt is just a skirt with another name. I have a kilt but don't wear it very often as it's so heavy. But should I wear it it certainly wouldn't be with sporran and all of the other fripperies - just a kilt. a dress shirt and probably tights matching the colour of the kilt. Kilt police? Tush to the kilt police. They don't have any power over me. If I have the RSO's to wear a skirt I have the RSO's to wear a kilt on its own.
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by STEVIE »

I have no further input on this discussion but take a look at the section of shots in the "Skirters in the Music Industry" thread.
Some great adverts for the Kilt/kilt/skirt there.
Oddly, the "Police" are conspicuous by their absence in that area.
Steve.
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by weeladdie18 »

Sinned wrote:A kilt is just a skirt with another name. I have a kilt but don't wear it very often as it's so heavy. But should I wear it it certainly wouldn't be with sporran and all of the other fripperies - just a kilt. a dress shirt and probably tights matching the colour of the kilt. Kilt police? Tush to the kilt police. They don't have any power over me. If I have the RSO's to wear a skirt I have the RSO's to wear a kilt on its own.
Young man, you are unlikely to have any contact with The Kilt Police, you have SWMBO to keep you in order.................L.O.L.
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

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weeladdie18 wrote:Young man, you are unlikely to have any contact with The Kilt Police [...]
Nice to read you Rod, I'd been a bit worried about the absence and had horrid thoughts about the fainting episode from a few weeks back.

What, then, about the single guy who doesn't have a SWMBO? Some of like skirts, too.
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Re: Kilts and Their Cousins

Post by weeladdie18 »

crfriend wrote:
weeladdie18 wrote:Young man, you are unlikely to have any contact with The Kilt Police [...]
Nice to read you Rod, I'd been a bit worried about the absence and had horrid thoughts about the fainting episode from a few weeks back.

What, then, about the single guy who doesn't have a SWMBO? Some of like skirts, too.
I have been ok since last faint.....A neighbour who is a nurse had a faint which was diagnosed as Vertigo.....when the balance system in the
ear fails for some reason....and the casualty just falls over....She was prescribed pills and has had no further problems.......

If one has ever been flying or diving, one knows the problems of clearing the ears.....When I was in the ambulance I noted this problem
I saw no reason to disclose this problem to the consultant as I was unaware that this might have been my problem....

This is entirely separate from a Cardiac problem....
I have had one of the winter flue bugs... so this might explain why I might have been suffering from vertigo.....

Nice sunny spring weather now in Cornwall.....Light at 0600 .....dark at 1900.......Clocks change this evening ....so tomorrow ...dark at 8 P.M.

Could be good weather for Cliff Walking in a heavy Traditional Scottish Kilt...Please note my definitive description.......Rod.
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