Utilikilts- Can they be considered kilts?

[eloquentXI]

A friend of mine very adamently corrected me the other day when we were talking about kilts and I mentioned that should I have a significant other when faire rolls around, I'd buy them a utilikilt and they would fit right in.
Said friend said to me, that a utilikilt is not a kilt because of the pleating in the back or lack there of?

I am not very knowledged in the ways of kilts, just admiring them.  So, does anyone know the correct information on this? When compared to historically accurate kilts, do they have the same qualities? Can they be called kilts?

Thanks so much!

[Muffin]

Heck yes they are Kilts!! H/A.. No.. But really who cares!!!! No one likes a garb nazi!! If they are not kilts then what are they? Skirts? I know a few pirates on here that might disagree with your friend.. hee hee! 

I don't know all the dirty details, but they are kilts, and we love the men who wear them!! 

Should you find a lucky guy to be with you at faire, I say go ahead and get a Utilikilt!! Especially if this young man is new to faire, this is an easy way to "break 'em in"..   

*hugs*

[eloquentXI]

Heck yes they are Kilts!! H/A.. No.. But really who cares!!!! No one likes a garb nazi!! If they are not kilts then what are they? Skirts? I know a few pirates on here that might disagree with your friend.. hee hee! 

I don't know all the dirty details, but they are kilts, and we love the men who wear them!! 

Should you find a lucky guy to be with you at faire, I say go ahead and get a Utilikilt!! Especially if this young man is new to faire, this is an easy way to "break 'em in"..   

*hugs*

Amen to that sister! *hugs* Gotta love my kilt-wearing men, cause there is nothing better to swoon over! 

My friend that said they are not kilts, and another friend that was with, both think of themselves (one of distinctive Irish-heritage, the other distinctive Scottish heritage), more knowledgable than most about these things which makes me laugh. I know to take what they say with a grain of salt sometimes, as the Scot got puffy whenever I talk about faire and the McLotofUs Clan and "how that's not a clan so don't call it such!" 

I was just curious about the kilts though.

[Zaubon]

I don't own one and have no desire to wear one. The garb nazis don't consider my modern kilts to be kilts either. It's not bifurcated, it's a kilt.
Tell your snooty friend that when she stops the kluckers we'll think about quitting.

[*Teach*]

I have a utilikilt and wear it whenever I get the chance.
Is it a technical "kilt"? Who cares? I wear it because i want to wear it.
I wear it as part of my scottish garb because it looks good with a doublet.
I wore it when I got married because it is nice enough for that as well.
If I wanted to wear a traditional kilt I would... but anything with stitching in it isn't a "tradtional" kilt. It takes for freakin' ever to put on a traditional one and making it all straight and I just don't want to spend that much time putting my kilt on when I could spend my time having fun.
Garb Nazis... I love it when they come at me... I never have more fun laughing at anyone else. Really?... they can't enjoy faire without snarking someone ? Really?... Their own garb is that accurate? Really? Really? Bah

*If I were totally period on stuff then I couldn't have rum and THAT is NOT going to happen*

[Master James]

I own a UtiliKilt and LOVE it!  I wear it all the time!  Well not in the winter because, well poplin is just too damn thin and its cold!  Plus I'm not crazy about doing my Seven Year Itch impersonation with the wind!  Now if I could find one in Denim that fits then I would wear it in the winter!  I'm not a big fan of wearing them as part of garb but that is me and I don't complain to anyone who does.  When in garb I have a very nice Stillwater Kilt in heavy weight wool that is perfect for garb if I want to wear one to faire.  As far as your friend saying its not a kilt, tell her that it sure isn't a skirt!  Its only a skirt if you wear something under it!   

[Anna Iram]

Pretty much what everyone else has said. No they are not HA. I think an HA kilt would literally be a long pice of tartan that one would pleat and wrap then pin closed. (I once saw a site of a lad with his great kilt laid on the ground and he just laid down upon it and rolled himself in.)

I think a Utilikilt is a great way for a guy to get into the spirit of faire garb without the expense and sort of mental adjustment it seems to take for folks to do garb full up.

Heck maybe he'll even wear it outside of faire.  A plus all around!

[LadyShadow]

If they want to throw that kilt thing up you can inform them that kilts were swindled into history.  There were 2 brothers that pulled a con on people and got them to believe that kilts were always worn and are what you are supposed to wear.  So if they want to complain, tell them to do some research about their history.

[Carl Heinz]

It's sometimes kinda fun watching some of the celt clan folks rolling into their great kilts in the morning.  Regimental??

[SleepyArcher]

Master James: UK makes a corded one, I have one in blue, used to have one in red but didnt wear much so sold it and got blue, Its a lot warmer IMO.

I have 4 UK's and I think DB has like 6, Bacardi has a few of em and we wear em as much as we stinkin can, EVEN in the winter. I think there is a pic of Bacardi and DB standing in the snow while it is snowing in their UK's.

Anyways I wear mine to fair quite a bit. Their are some cheap plaid ones out their like stillwater kilts and the frugal corner and each has internet sites. I have one from each and like em both. Gees I have quite a few kilts now that I think of it.

[Grov]

I've got a Great Kilt, a Sport Kilt, and a Utilikilt.  They are all kilts.  Rarely wear the Great Kilt due to the hassle of getting it on and keeping it straight all day.  The Utilikilt is my urban wear kilt because of hte pockets.  My faire kilt is usually the sport kilt...velcro and all.  I've always heard good things about those Stillwater kilts.  Next time I am in the mood for one, I'll probably look them up.

How about you just find a man that already wears a kilt rather than go through the hassle of training one? 

[eloquentXI]

I've got a Great Kilt, a Sport Kilt, and a Utilikilt.  They are all kilts.  Rarely wear the Great Kilt due to the hassle of getting it on and keeping it straight all day.  The Utilikilt is my urban wear kilt because of hte pockets.  My faire kilt is usually the sport kilt...velcro and all.  I've always heard good things about those Stillwater kilts.  Next time I am in the mood for one, I'll probably look them up.

How about you just find a man that already wears a kilt rather than go through the hassle of training one? 

Mmmm, true. Too bad all my luck with men that already wear kilts has been nothing good to speak of.

[DeadBishop]

Yes they are.  End of story.   

[Master James]

LF: Yeah I want either a black denim one or maybe a cord one.  Just have to get the cash since I'm a "special order" and therefore a bit more expensive than the off the rack ones sadly.

[DonaCatalina]

It's sometimes kinda fun watching some of the celt clan folks rolling into their great kilts in the morning.  Regimental??

This my husband in his Irvine of Bonshaw great kilt. It takes about 15 minutes to roll him into it.


I have nothing against Utilikilts, I just can't consider them garb with all the obvious modern fastenings. But in a crowd at Faire, its not that obvious.

[Grov]

I've seen the black UKs pull it off very well, especially if the shirt or belt covers the loops and pockets.  A peek of back pocket label was the only thing that let me know it was UK.

[DeadBishop]

I wear mine while working the booth, as it's 100 times more durable than my wool/acrylic kilts.  Don't have to worry about snagging or ripping the material on rough/sharp things.  Easier to wash at the end of the day too.   

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

My husband says that if you wear underwear underneath it, it's a skirt.

If you wear just socks and shoes, it's a kilt.     lol

[Scotsman]

I do not own a Utilikilt nor do I see myself buying one ... that said, I see no reason not to wear them to faire. These kilts are fairly inexpensive and easy to adapt to any identity. I do consider them to be a kilt and would gladly stand by someone wearing one ... especially if it were at the pub and they were buying me a beer 

[Marietta Graziella]

Yup, that's Scotsman.  Always the diplomat and ever practical.

*snerk*

How goes it in the East, man?

Back on topic... Just got the husband into a kilt and I love love love it.  Still working on getting him into a UK for more day to day wear. 
UK's, not just a kilt for the faire!

[Adriana Rose]

I like a fella in a kilt!

UK are a kilt to me!

to hell with the garb nazis!

[Grov]

Yup, that's Scotsman.  Always the diplomat and ever practical.

*snerk*

How goes it in the East, man?

Back on topic... Just got the husband into a kilt and I love love love it.  Still working on getting him into a UK for more day to day wear. 
UK's, not just a kilt for the faire!

Maybe stop washing or misplace all of his pants.  Keep the UK ready to wear.    Compliments are always helpful.

[Randal]

Quoted from the Utilikilts website FAQ:

It is often suggested that Utilikilts* are not "real kilts." This is 100% TRUE!

"Real Kilts" are defined as: "A knee-length skirt with deep pleats, usually of a tartan wool, worn as part of the dress for men in the Scottish Highlands."

Utilikilts*, on the other hand, are manskirts (as are Scottish traditional kilts, and, for that matter, any M.U.G (Men's Unbifurcated Garment).

That being said, Utilikilts* are not Real Kilts, as in "I don't need a Utilikilt*, I have a real kilt at home"

And so the conversation begins; "Then why aren't you wearing your real kilt on a gorgeous day like today?"

We hear all the standard excuses:

"Well, it's wool, so it gets hot"
"Well, it's wool, so it gets itchy"
"Well, I spent a thousand dollars on it, so I only wear it for special occasions"
"Well, it has to be dry-cleaned, so I only wear it for special occasions"
"Well, it doesn't have any pockets, so I can't carry my stuff"
"Well, I didn't want to wear my hose with flashes and my shiny shoes today"
"Well, I rode my motorcycle today, and plaid doesn't really go with my leather boots"
"Well, I only wear it when I play the bagpipes..." *shudder*
"Well I didn't know what kinda trouble I was gonna get myself into tonight so I thought it would be better to ....blah blah blah."

...And not don the kilt? Well the trouble you'll get is a helluva lot less than had you worn the kilt! And here you are crying me a river? You should be two sheets to the wind, pub bound, and already up to your neck in trouble!

That's not a Kilt!
Heresy!
Sacrilege!
And so I want one!!!

Okay, enough said.

Listen, here at The Utilikilts Company, we have nothing against "Real Kilts," we just think they're impractical. If you want to spend that kind of money on a skirt that you only wear 3 times a year, be our guest. But we think Freedom should be more convenient, cheaper, and more comfortable than that.

AND ONE MORE THING: "NICE SKIRT!"

When people see you in your Utilikilt* and scream out "NICE SKIRT", don't try to lambaste them into calling it a kilt. (And, not to point fingers, but it's usually the Scots who force the "it's not a skirt, it's a kilt" onto every possible conversation.)

Sheesh, if somebody says "nice skirt", don't be an ungrateful arse! Thank them very much and then turn them onto our website. This is usually best accomplished in the privacy and ambiance of a proper pub: "Guinness Talk" we call it. The instigator is usually anxious to buy you a round, and this also gives him the chance to see the Utilikilt* in action. After two rounds (you ARE going to spring for the second round, right?), he'll have seen enough women making eyes at you, or, even better, trying the proverbial "kilt check", to understand that this skirt is not without it's benefits. If he didn't already think you were a god for wearing the thing in the first place, he now knows you're a god because, well, there's a slim chance in hell that you're not getting laid tonight.

Randal

[silverstah]

My husband at faire, in a Utilikilt/shirt/doublet:



My husband at faire in the sane shirt/doublet with a traditional 'great' kilt:

back:


front:


I can't find the full length photo of him in the great kilt at this exact second... but you get the idea.  The Utilikilt is, most definitely, a kilt - and can be worn at faire just fine.    Himself wears the same shirt and doublet with either the Utilikilt or the great kilt, and both looks fit in beautifully.

[groomporter]

I admit, depending on who I'm talking to I refer to Utilikilts and the similar garments as "modern pseudo-kilts" or "neo-kilts" or "non-traditional kilts" to separate them from the more traditional gament.

Of course, I've also had someone refer to the fabric my trews, http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/Groomporter/Misc/naseby1995j.jpg which are made from a generic tartan, as mere "checkered cloth" as opposed to "tartan" since it's not a pattern actually associated with a clan. People can get snooty about a lot of details.

But I believe the definition of tartan is really about how the pattern is woven, not whether it has a name. I read recently that when Scotland really started exporting tartan cloth in volume during the 1700's it was actually identified by number, not any name.

[The Amadan]

I have Amerikilts, Utilikilts, Stillwater kilts, and 2 hand-pleated phillabeags, and 2 great kilts.

Without going into long-winded history, the standard argument is: The only true Scottish kilts are phillabeags and great kilts (or belted plaid).
The others, including those that you see on, say, a pipe band, are actually more British inventions.
Not all ancient kilts were tartan plaid... whatever the local weaver supplied, is what you got.
And few of the tartans from that era were in any vivid colors, as you see today.
Mostly muted earthy tones prevailed.


But for me, I wear what looks & feels right, and consider them all kilts.