Thread: Kilts!

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

Also, the very fact that you are going from this state of non-conformity-for-the-sake-of-it into a more mature 'I no longer care whether I conform or not' attitude is ITSELF conforming to the norm called growing up.

Confused? You will be

The growing up process continues and eventually you get back to the "I can do what the hell I want" stage again. Which was why my gran used to chase the piper, to check if he was wearing his kilt right, at the new years balls at the mess when my father was in the Navy.

Barney

If I may chime in, You don't "have" to have Scotish-Irish ancenstry to wear a kilt in fact there are alot of tartans that don't belong to any one family. Such as the Black watch, or you could just go with a nice solid color. The beauty of the kilt is that you can wear one just for your own freedom, but alot of people also use the kilt to show off their own ancestry, not because they have to, just that they want to. Make sense? I have Irish ancestry but I only wear solids because I don't wear it for ancestry but just because I love the freeedom of a nice kilt, wear it and wear it proudly. Its just cloth!

Photoguy67

Personally, I don't much care about the heritage thing. I'm such a mutt that I can probably claim any ancestry that I want. A Scottish friend said that the whole to-do about who wears what tartan is overdone because no in in Scotland generally cares that much.

Anyone can wear a kilt of course - I wear a tartan that is closest to my family lines because I choose to. If they did a snake tartan I would prob wear that (not sure what that would look like actually). In a postmodern society anything goes - in fact I would imagine most Scots take someone of another nationality wearing a kilt as a compliment. Absolutely it doesn't matter which tartan you wear. Maybe when resources run out and civilisation breaks down and we get back to small groups fighting for survival then identity and symbols of belonging will mean more again.

Originally Posted by Photoguy67

If I may chime in, You don't "have" to have Scotish-Irish ancenstry to wear a kilt in fact there are alot of tartans that don't belong to any one family. Such as the Black watch, or you could just go with a nice solid color. The beauty of the kilt is that you can wear one just for your own freedom, but alot of people also use the kilt to show off their own ancestry, not because they have to, just that they want to. Make sense? I have Irish ancestry but I only wear solids because I don't wear it for ancestry but just because I love the freeedom of a nice kilt, wear it and wear it proudly. Its just cloth!

Photoguy67

I don't have any scotch ancestry though there may be a bit of irish (my paternal line is quite muddy.) But I still wear the Black Watch colors, it's more an appreciation of a culture than a heritage thing for me, I'm glad others see it the same way.

But I've been surprised at how many people who should know better think my black watch colors are clan tablecloth.

Originally Posted by Nickelking

But I've been surprised at how many people who should know better think my black watch colors are clan tablecloth.

Technically, they're correct. The Black Watch tartan's sett is exactly the same as the Clan Campbell tartan sett. The only difference is that the colors in the Black Watch tartan are bolder.

I agree with everyone on the idea that you don't need to have any specific heritage to wear or appreciate a kilt. There are a few family tartans that didn't even exist until recently. I think the tartan I wear came about in the 1950's.

Originally Posted by jockeys

barney, makar-> I hear what you're saying as far as non-conformity goes, and that's definitely why I wore my first kilt, (20 years ago this fall) but as I've gotten older, the whole non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity thing gets rather tiresome. I still wear my gauged earrings (five ear piercings at the moment) when it's practical or I don't have to look nice for work, I've given up the tongue bolt and cover my ink when I'm at work. makes me feel like a fogey sometimes, but if it means keeping your job, guess there's not much choice. we've all got to pay the mortgage somehow. (<-yupppie nuremburg defense.) hah, I remember the first job I had out of college, I underestimated the stodginess of old folks and wore my kilt and kept my chin length hair in dreads... wound up getting fired for that

A little OT here but:

I remember the first time I donned the "preppy uniform" of blue dress shirt and khaki pants, removed the tongue stud, and covered my ink up. It was to hang out with a girl of course. I had a kind of break down after hanging out and told her that I couldn't stand looking like every other guy there, and I couldn't tell any of them apart. She told me that she couldn't tell any of my friends apart either because they were all inked, pierced, and dyed. I hadn't ever thought of it that way. So, I married her.

Originally Posted by ewanhuzarmie

Technically, they're correct. The Black Watch tartan's sett is exactly the same as the Clan Campbell tartan sett. The only difference is that the colors in the Black Watch tartan are bolder.

By clan tablecloth I meant the disparaging term used for false tartans. sorry for confusion.

Originally Posted by fpessanha

What do you think? Do you have to be scotish/welsh/irish to wear a Kilt?

nope. 100% Texan redneck here, no clue about my ancestry, I just like kilts. my "family tartan" is such because it sounds like my name, that's it

Ok Attempt 4 to post on this thread

Wearing a cilt is an attitude, not a DNA profile. The 'Celts' would have laughed at the idea of a clan tartan or sett. Then they would have put your head on a pole at the village gates for being such a wussy Saesneg (Saxon, sorry).

Being a cilt wearing Celt is all about the attitude. Enjoy life & try not to harm anyone whilst doing so. But in-fighting is good practice for the real enemy. You don't believe me? Try going out on a Saturday night round here. Meet up with your mates get bladdered & have a ruck. The cops just come in & haul the winners off down the station.... No I've not gone out wearing my cilt in that delightful environment