Wanna Be A Real Rebel? Try Rocking A Kilt

[Big_John]

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1536111/20060711/index.jhtml?headlines=true

Now this is good publicity!

Sure, tie-dye T-shirts and Birkenstocks are perennial fashion staples at any warm-weather music festival. But recently, a bizarre trend has begun to take hold: men in kilts. And it's not just spreading on the feel-good fields of summer festivals

"It's about getting out there, enjoying yourself and feeling the breeze constantly." — Kilt vendor Joe Hunt

Photos, audio and video from this story

Korn
"Freak on a Leash"
Follow the Leader
(Immortal/ Epic)
Guns N' Roses
"Don't Cry"
Use Your Illusion I
(Geffen Records)
Madonna, Samuel L. Jackson, Sting, Korn's Jonathan Davis, More Show Off Their Kilts

Radiohead, Common, Matisyahu, More At The 2006 Bonnaroo Music And Arts Festival


— it's becoming a symbol of rebellion.

Kilt-rocking males were definitely out in force at this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, with bare-chested biker types bopping to Blues Traveler and jovial frat boys grooving in the grass to moe.

[Since1982]

"Once people get past the stigma that it's not a skirt, it's great," Hunt said.

But, a Kilt IS a skirt. According to the Mirriam Webster Dictionary anyway. It's defined as a "wrap skirt" indigenous to Scotland and other lands, originated from the Scandinavians or Vikings who raided the British Isles and left many blond, blue eyed Nordic looking English, Irish and Scottish descendents and also left their clothing choices...a wrap skirt that later became the Scottish Kilt. I know a bit about that stuff being a Fraser and still having blond hair and blue eyes at 64 and having researched it quite a bit.

[iain]

sure, of course, we all know that. but you can't expect the mainstream to jump the whole gap all at once. every fashion movement has to have some kind of acceptable edge for the masses, and if its kilts, then once it sinks in, skirts are a natural next step.

once these new kilts become mainstream, the line will blur so much more because manufacturers will come up with all different styles. the die-hard kilt-onlies will get upset about it, of course, you have to expect that. but if someone sells 10,000 semi-kilts which break the kilt-rules in some ways, can we really complain?

you're not going to get 10,000 guys to wear denim minis, but you might get them wearing kilts. progress is progress. after that, the whole trousers-only thing is just going to start to look silly.

[binx]

That's great! Let's start with the kilts being accepted, and go from there. Sounds like a major stride forward accepting the unbifurcated male!

binx

[crfriend]

But, a Kilt IS a skirt.

Yes, that's true in a broad context, and well within the dictionary definition. But, let's go beyond that distinction for a moment. Kilts are a very specific subset of skirted garments -- so specific, in fact, that the distinction has brought people to blows because of it (and the misunderstanding of same).

At this point in time, I'm willing to give the celtic kilt a separate status from the generic "skirt", if, for no other reason than to soothe those who so fervently believe that kilts are the only true "skirted" garment for males. It's ultimately semantic rubbish, but that's the way I think it has to be for the next few (couple of?) years.

I read, with some interest, the story of the lad in Sheffield that screwed up the nerve to wear a skirt to school to "protest" the requirement that boys wear long pants to school. Like our esteemed colleague Stu, I'll be sending off a note in the morning in support. As I've noticed before, but not posssibly elucidated here, skirts are merely the ultimate expression of "board shorts" here in the US of A; that argument has held some weight over time -- especially when reflective surfaces are available to those wearing said garments to be compared to out-and-out skirts.

[Bravehearts.us]

To me kilts are to skirts what jeans are to pants.
Lar

[binx]

How about dresses are to tunics as capris are to pants?:think:

binx

[iain]

I can never understand what crfriend says!!