Brief kilt-related conversations

[Milfmog]

...really what I'm asking for is a thumbnail sketch of the culture of the Cotswolds.

I'm not really qualified to comment on the culture of the Cotswolds but I was at School in Bath for five years and lived about ten miles away for another ten years or so.

Generally you will find people in agricultural areas such as the Cotswolds to be pretty relaxed about life and accepting of whatever you choose to wear, I've never had any problems either kilted or skirted when walking in the hills. Many of the towns are beautiful and Bath has some particularly spectacular architecture. The Georgian crescents and the Roman baths are fairly well known but the Abbey is also well worth a visit - dating back over a thousand years in parts.

A quick flick through any of the numerous guidebooks to the Cotswolds will provide you with many other places to spend time if you're short of things to do.

All in all, we'll be in the UK about three weeks.

If you fancy meeting for a coffee and a sticky bun let us know roughly what your schedule is, maybe it will fit in with some of the Brits here (you're too late for the Romans I'm afraid )

Have fun,


Ian (currently living about 80 miles east of Bath).

[Charlie]

If you fancy meeting for a coffee and a sticky bun let us know roughly what your schedule is, maybe it will fit in with some of the Brits here (you're too late for the Romans I'm afraid )

Have fun,


Ian (currently living about 80 miles east of Bath).

Can I come? I love sticky buns

(Never had any problems walking around Bath in a pleated skirt i.e. modern kilt.)

Charlie (20 miles south of Bath)

[Hotdog]

This summer my family and I will be taking a week-long walk in the Cotswolds.

Shall I pack a kilt skirt?

I have several kilt skirts - all of them in fact ladies skirts in tartan colors. Will they be 'found out' by the locals and disapproved of?

I do also have one Pakistan-sourced polyester Black Watch kilt. In the case of this garment we exchange the "it's a real kilt, not a lady's skirt" for it being of cheap-and-cheerful quality.

Of course, I am not asking for sartorial counsel per se, really what I'm asking for is a thumbnail sketch of the culture of the Cotswolds. Never been there. Not sure I can even find it on a map. (Guess I better improve on that before I fly over!)

All in all, we'll be in the UK about three weeks.

Thanks,

Chris M

If your kilted skirt is made of a Scottish Tartan no one will know that its really a woman's skirt, they will think that its a man's kilt as it is worn by a man. I have a Black Watch ladies kited skirt that I wear for hill walking in Devon and know one takes much notice.

[ChrisM]

Thanks for that - yes, my 'kilt' is in a black watch tartan, and in the USA it certainly passes for a 'real' kilt just fine.

Although last week - just before St. Patrick's Day here in New Orleans - I was wearing it on the street in the French Quarter, as part of a rather nice looking ensemble, when a passerby on the footpath saw me and muttered to his mate "Buddy, you BETTER be from Scotland."

I said nothing in reply, but in "l'ésprit de l'escalier" I realize I should have muttered "Buddy you BETTER be from out of town" (because we just don't think like that around here.)

I am looking forward to our wander through the Cotswolds. I'll report back afterwards and let y'all know how fun it was.

All the best,

Chris

[crfriend]

I am looking forward to our wander through the Cotswolds. I'll report back afterwards and let y'all know how fun it was.

It seems that you might be able to meet up with some of the SkirtCafe's UK contingent whilst you're travelling. I hope that comes to pass; it's always a wonderful moment when an "on-line community" becomes a "physical community", if even for an instant.

Have fun in your journey!

[Hotdog]

Thanks for that - yes, my 'kilt' is in a black watch tartan, and in the USA it certainly passes for a 'real' kilt just fine.

Although last week - just before St. Patrick's Day here in New Orleans - I was wearing it on the street in the French Quarter, as part of a rather nice looking ensemble, when a passerby on the footpath saw me and muttered to his mate "Buddy, you BETTER be from Scotland."

I said nothing in reply, but in "l'ésprit de l'escalier" I realize I should have muttered "Buddy you BETTER be from out of town" (because we just don't think like that around here.)

I am looking forward to our wander through the Cotswolds. I'll report back afterwards and let y'all know how fun it was.

All the best,

Chris

The only thing that I am slightly uncomfortable with is that my kilted skirt fastens on the left-hand side. However no one seems to notice and I think that the average man in the street would not know the difference anyway.
The company below makes a ladies kilt that fastens on the right-hand side in accordance with a man's traditional kilt. (to quote them) So if this so called skirt fastens on the right-hand side it surely must be a man's kilt and nobody could claim that you are wearing a skirt ? I am thinking of getting one this summer, bit expensive at £160, but its still cheaper than a traditional man's kilt.

The way that I look at it is this, a kilt is a male garment, women have adapted it by fastening it on the left-hand side and called it a skirt. Now men are afraid to wear it because women have put this skirt tag on it.
Now that just about every woman is wearing jeans, how much longer will it be before we are afraid to wear them for fear of being to feminine.

http://www.kinlochanderson.com/highland ... adieswear/

[sapphire]

Hmmm.....

Actually, I always thought of the kilts that I made for myself as "kilts" and not "skirts"

[Departed Member]

The only thing that I am slightly uncomfortable with is that my kilted skirt fastens on the left-hand side. However no one seems to notice and I think that the average man in the street would not know the difference anyway.

The company below makes a ladies kilt that fastens on the right-hand side in accordance with a man's traditional kilt. (to quote them) So if this so called skirt fastens on the right-hand side it surely must be a man's kilt and nobody could claim that you are wearing a skirt ?

The way that I look at it is this, a kilt is a male garment, women have adapted it by fastening it on the left-hand side and called it a skirt.

Unfortunately, we are arriving at the stage where all clothing is classed (by Joe & Jill Public) as either "womens" or "unisex"!

I suspect that in the UK, the casual observer may very well notice that you are wearing a 'kilted skirt' as opposed to a 'Kilt', but being the generally reserved lot us Brits are, will be too polite to comment (other than between themselves!). My eagle-eyed wife would certainly notice! They will probably just come to the conclusion that the wearer is an "American", especially if one of those silly little bonnets is part of the outfit!

That said, tweed 'walking skirts', designed for (and still occasionally seen worn by) men (usually oldish, from observation) have no obvious apparent gender-specific 'attributes'. They're definitely NOT Kilts - no pleats as such, but don't seem to attract adverse comment from those who even notice!

[Big and Bashful]

Tweed walking skirts? that's one I haven't heard! Tell me more...

[Departed Member]

Tweed walking skirts? that's one I haven't heard! Tell me more...

I first remember seeing these being sold on Princes Street, Edinburgh and also in Perth, and 'marked up' as "Walking Skirts" around 1985. Made up from traditional 'tweed' and intended (I think) to be worn with matching ('hunting' style) jacket and waistcoat. The rest of the (full) outfit comprised stout brown brogues and woollen (usu. khaki) knee socks, shirt and (dare I say the word?) tie!

At a glace, looking like a tweed shorts suit (i.e., knee length), the whole, rather understated, outfit would certainly not have gone amiss amongst the heather. However, the first time I saw anyone wearing said outfit was on Wansford station on the Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough!

The next sighting was much more appropriate, Rannoch Moor, sans (tweed) jacket, waistcoat & tie! I've no doubt some here would condemn the brownish-beige outfit as 'too bland', but the concept looked surprisingly 'right', if rather expensive.

[Hotdog]

Hmmm.....

Actually, I always thought of the kilts that I made for myself as "kilts" and not "skirts"

Yes, my wife had several 'Kilted skirts' in the 60's and 70's but she never called them skirts, always kilts. A 'kilted skirt' seems to be a throwback to the 60's when women wanted to experiment with men's clothes without being too obvious about it. I can remember when women's trousers fastened at the back like a straight skirt, indeed most women's clothes fastened at the back, I often used to wonder how they fastened those back buttoned blouses? Most women's clothes now fasten at the front like men's.
In this age were many women wear men's clothes which the buy in a man's shop, a ladies kilted skirt as such is now obsolete and can now be made with the fastening on the right-hand side and called just a kilt. This would make it unisex and we would then have a cheap source of good quality kilts.
Jeans are now just Jeans and are worn by both sexes, many men wear women's jeans because they are a better fit. Women have bigger waists these days so its much easier to wear their clothes, its time to take the gender labels off of clothes!

[ChrisM]

A tweed walking skirt with complementary jacket and waistcoat! Where can i get one? Where can I SEE one?

If anybody could find an image of this ensemble I would appreciate it. I would then set myself to assembling same from local resources.

It sounds perfect!

Thanks,

Chris M

[Departed Member]

A tweed walking skirt with complementary jacket and waistcoat! Where can i get one? Where can I SEE one?

I rather regret now not taking the (NVR) gent's picture. It's just that, at the time, I did not wish to appear voyeuristic. I can only suggest that the various tweed clothing manufacturers may still produce these items?

For the record, the skirts were fairly straight and knee-length, with conventional waist, two slightly slanted side pockets and rear (concealed) vent.

[Peter v]

I will not offend true kilt wearers, but who cares a ............ what name a garment ever had. If it looks good on you, left or right, WHO CARES?

It is a garment. The garment looks good or not on you.

It is still a question that nobody can reasonably answer, why men's clothing closes to the right, and women's to the left. Just plain stupid if you ask me. And if a man's kilt was made the other way over, which is it, left over right or right over left, by mistake, and you would wear that item, would you be a womman instead of a man? Just bloody stupid. Nothing to be worried about.
Only when you want to wear "conform the Kilt fraternity" then you may wish to wear what they subscribe.

I have several women's denim skirts, some of which have left to right and some right to left fly closures ( none of which are long enough to be accepted for use by men as a fly) but are ALL women's skirts. Men's shirts left to right, what would it matter right to left?

If the "women's" kilt has the correct fit for your body, and is much less expensive, then why not wear it? What is in a name?

If the fit was the same, you could market a left and a right kilt, both the same, but just for a personal taste.

Peter v.

I personally love the look of kilts, but the initial cost price is unfortunately quite high, for one garment, although it is suggested that they are worth every penny / pound / euro / dollar.

[knickerless]

Ladies clothes traditionally fasten the other way because they were dressed by a maid or servant.
Regrading women's kilts that fasten the opposite way to men's - I would not worry. I doubt it anyone will notice and if by a rare chance they do - I don't think they will say so.
I am only 20 mins from the Cotswolds.

Nick