Ten-Story Tall Billboard

[Cory]

Hi.

Huge building-sized billboards have become common in some of the big cities here, and I assume that they are common in other countries, too, although I don't travel much, so I don't know for sure.

Anyway, there is currently a ten-story-tall billboard in Tel Aviv (I hope I have attached the picture correctly so that you can see it) by Fox (a popular clothing chain here) of what looks like a man in a kilt with a kind of sporran/waist bag. He's very professional looking, with a white shirt and tie. Upon closer inspection, the kilt seems actually to be a pair of shorts, but the overall image and message could be a preparation for the introduction of kilts.

Anyway, it's a welcome step forward from the standard man-in-pants advertisements, and I plan to visit a Fox store soon to see the garment and ask if kilts for guys are coming, as they have already achieved a degree of popularity in cities like Seattle.

Cory

[Big and Bashful]

I see what you mean, it looks very kilt-like, and with the sporran type bag the illusion is good. I hope you are right about their plans, every little helps.

[crfriend]

Anyway, there is currently a ten-story-tall billboard in Tel Aviv by Fox (a popular clothing chain here) of what looks like a man in a kilt with a kind of sporran/waist bag. He's very professional looking, with a white shirt and tie. Upon closer inspection, the kilt seems actually to be a pair of shorts, but the overall image and message could be a preparation for the introduction of kilts.

It's kind of tough to tell from the photograph exactly what the lower garment is, but it sure does look skirt-like. The trainers leave me cold, though, and thematically clash mightily with the necktie, but that's just my personal aesthetic.

If you do visit the chain, an they have said garment, please do let us know what it is.

[...] it's a welcome step forward from the standard man-in-pants advertisements [...]

Hear hear!!

[Cory]

Maybe the availability of kilts for men at a mainstream clothing store isn’t so far off after all.

I went into a branch of the Fox clothing chain with a picture of the billboard and told the girl at the desk that I would like to see the garment that the man in the picture is wearing.

She told me that the store doesn’t carry it. I told her I’d like to get further information on it and left my contact details.

The garment on the huge billboard is definitely a kilt – advertised giant-sized in the middle of a major metropolitan city, and they have other pictures of guys in kilts in their ad booklet and on their website. (http://www.fox.co.il/english/) The picture that I hope I’ve attached correctly below is one of the ones in their promo booklet and on their site. The man on the billboard is taken from this picture.

The website has a way to contact them, if any of you are interested in doing so. I wrote them the following letter:


I can't help noticing your huge billboard on the Ayalon Highway (in Tel Aviv) every morning of a man in a kilt, and I decided I would like to buy one. I went into your Beit Shemesh branch near my home and they don't stock it -- they don't even know how to order it. I left them my contact information.

I picked up an ad brochure while I was there in the store and saw that it had several pictures of guys in kilts.

Can you please let me know how much your kilts cost and how I can buy one?

Kilts for men are increasingly popular on college campuses and in places like Seattle, Washington. The Utilikilts store alone there sells over 15,000 kilts a year -- many of them by Internet.

Since you are already showing kilts for men on billboards and in your booklets, I recommend that you make them more easily available for sale -- I think you will be surprised at how many you can sell if your price is reasonable.

Thanks--

[Jock]

This is indeed good to see. It is interesting that the ad department and supply chain don't know what the other is doing - a not unusual happening. I tried to get a mini kilt during the summer from a well known store. The ads were all over the web site but the store staff just looked blank when I asked.

BTW in the piccy of 4 kilted people, the 2nd one looks a bit girly. Is this another instance of commercial supplier blurring the lines between male and female attire? We are all striving to get skirts for men accepted, and a kilt is generally known (even by the great unwashed) as a man's garment. Showing a woman in one disnae help!
Kikoy are as bad, with the majority of their products being shown worn by women and just a single man ( 2006 brochure). And as we all know women will wear mens stuff with nae encouragement

{I tried the Fox website and after the initial screen it does not work with OSX/Firefox D'oh!}

Slainte!

[binx]

Looked at the web site with IE. In the Men's department there is definitely a woman (topless with a tattoo on her back) wearing one of these skirts, and the Women's dept has the pic posted above with the four people. I can't really say that these are kilts, as they are too long. However it is a positive that men's/unisex skirts could one day be available in stores.

binx

[crfriend]

Looked at the web site with IE.

I had a go at it and the ruddy site demanded Flash (and I usually preface the word "flash", especially the offal that Macromedia push, with another well-known word that begins with the letter "F") and gave up right then and there. I have one browser that Macromedia have figured out how to completely crash (Konquerer on Solaris) and have had to resort to "stringent measures" to keep *that* from happening. In any event, any online site that wants to sell me something will have to do so without "flash", 'cause if the site demands it, I'll take my coin elsewhere.

I can't really say that these are kilts, as they are too long. However it is a positive that men's/unisex skirts could one day be available in stores.

I could have done without the reference to the "topless female with a tattoo", but I'll let that one slide for the time being (being the prude I am, I don't find ritual mutilation attractive), but, on the whole, if skirted garments are made fashionable for men (albeit in a potentially "unisex" (read, "female crossdressing") role) then I'm all for it. What's "good for the goose", after all....

Cheers.

[iain]

now, now, let's everyone calm down about their software. fox is apparently offering men's kilt-styled skirts, agreed? and that's along the lines of what we always wanted shops to do, agreed?

the only thing is, you click on the germany icon (that's the nearest place to me) and nothing happens!! **&&!!%% FLASH again!!!

arghhhhh!!!!!