A Real Man in a Kilt Tells All

Today I have a special treat for you... a real man in a kilt answering my questions (and yours) about what it's like to actually wear a kilt, not just on special occasions, but all the time. Shawn was very generous with his time and information and may even drop by to answer your questions, if you have any additional ones.

Welcome, Shawn and thanks for providing all this great information! Why do you like to wear nothing but kilts?

I bought my first kilt after I started taking bagpipe lessons. I figured I better get used to them before I had to wear one during performances. As it turned out, there was nothing to get used to! I liked wearing kilts so much that I stopped wearing anything else. There were some adjustments that I needed to make. The first thing I learned was that you really shouldn't bend at the waist. Unfortunately, I learned that lesson in a room full of my girlfriend's friends. The second thing I learned is if you walk next to a wall and there's a quick gust of wind, your kilt ends up flat against your back. Otherwise, kilts are surprisingly well behaved on windy days. Other bonuses include riding in convertible cars and floor mounted air-conditioning vents.

Whoa! Okay, this is giving me some visuals. :)

There's also the connection to the past. I have several Scottish clans in my family including Gordon, Mac Neil of Bara, Campbell and MacDonald. I know, I know... Campbell and MacDonald... sometimes I have to beat myself senseless in my sleep to keep the feud going. :) Occasionally someone recognizes the tartan I'm wearing and I'll meet someone I'm distantly related to.

LOL!! Too funny! We were just discussing the Campbell MacDonald feud in one of my groups. What other interesting things can you tell us about kilts?

You're a romance writer so I'm assuming you're interested some of the more intimate details of kilt wearing. Kilts don't have pockets, of course, so the solution to that is the sporran. What is less obvious is that the sporran is a modesty shield. When you drop your sporran, there's no doubt about what it was keeping in check. Kilts are not pleated in front so the apron of the kilt just follows any contours that are under it.

See, this is yet another reason women like kilts on men so much. So, what kind of reaction do you generally get from women (strangers) when you wear a kilt?

The reaction I get from women is overwhelmingly positive. Kilts are the male version of the wet t-shirt. If you wear a kilt, you'd better be prepared for women behaving badly. Boston is a college town and this time of year we get a flood of new students. The other day I was standing outside my house and two college age women started yelling at me in French (I assumed they were actually French). The only words I understood were 'ooooooooww!" and 'keeelt!' In another case a woman grabbed my rear end in front of her boyfriend. More commonly, I get cat-called by women driving by. I just smile and wave.

In general, I get asked the typical question, "What's under your kilt?" I have a bunch of stock answers... The sidewalk.... Socks and shoes... etc. More conservative women ask if I wear kilts for comfort to which I reply "No, convenience." I also get photographed a lot. Even more so when I'm walking my Irish Wolfhound, Fergus. He's a handsome hound and more of a ham than I am.

While not strictly kilt related, another thing that women seem to like is the sgian dubh, the 4" knife that's tucked into your kilt hose. I have two. One is a Scottish stag horn coronet handle and the other is black wood with a silver and amethyst stylized thistle pommel. Women will crouch down or get on their knees to get a closer look at it and run their hands over it. There's a metaphor in there somewhere.

Umm, I think they may be trying to take a peek. Okay, and what is the reaction from men to your kilt?

I get a mixed reaction from men. The guys who don't get it tend to be guys who clearly have insecurity issues. Jocks or office workers who only wear cotton twill pants and tasseled loafers seem to be the most common. A couple of weeks ago some guy in olive Dockers, loafers and this ridiculously loud Hawaiian shirt snorted "What? Are you from Scotland?" I just looked at him and said "What? Are you from Hawaii?" and then laughed. These guys get really freaked out in the men's room. Often a guy will walk into the men's room, see me at the urinal, turn around and walk right out. I get a chuckle out of that every time.

The guys who get it are either butch construction worker types or successful business men (think Mr. Big from Sex and the City). I've had a bunch of conversations with tradesmen about whether you can get any work done in a kilt. I tell them that heavy lifting etc. is actually easier in a kilt because you don't have to hike up your trousers, but if they do any work on ladders their coworkers may or may not appreciate the view. Then they ask if they really have to go 'commando'. I'll tell them there's not really a rule per se, but we get the word commando from the Highland regiments. The drill sergeant would carry a mirror on the end of a rod and walk behind each man. If anyone was caught wearing underwear, he was officially out of uniform. Besides, answering 'boxers' to the classic question would be kinda lame.

That's true. Have you worn a traditional great kilt or belted plaid? If so what did you think of it and was it difficult to put on or wear?

I don't own a great kilt. I do want to get one, but I probably won't until I join a band like Albannach. The time it takes to hand-pleat the cloth alone would make wearing one with any frequency impractical at best. I do like the way they look, though. They also make for dramatic disrobing. Unhook the belt (the only thing keeping the kilt together) and pull the buckle - the kilt drops and you're standing there naked with a three inch wide belt in your hand. Wait, now I'm thinking I should get one of these sooner rather than later.

LOL! Well, now I know I wrote my historical Highland heroes disrobing properly. :) Speaking of real Highlanders and their environment, what is it like wearing a kilt when it's cold out?

Kilts are actually warmer than most people think. In fact, in the summer, even a light weight kilt can be uncomfortably warm. In the winter I wear thick wool kilt hose which are actually warmer than your typical pair of pants. On really cold New England winter days, I wear a full length wool overcoat that is essentially an Inverness cape with sleeves. When I'm dressed for the weather, I'm actually more comfortable than the people around me who have waist length jackets and jeans on. There were two snow storms last winter where shoveling the snow was a bit uncomfortable, but it would have been uncomfortable even if I was wearing jeans... and I can shovel much faster in a kilt so it's worth it.

Interesting. What are you favorite kilt accessories, aside from the sgian dubh?

Hmmm... Not sure if I have a favorite kilt accessory. Kilt pins are fun. Right now my favorite pin has a small St. Andrew holding up his cross. No matter how bad a Monday is, I can look down at the poor bastard and say 'Could be worse.' :) The sporran is definitely more useful. There's no transferring your wallet, etc. to the next day's outfit. In the evening you take it off and in the morning you put it back on.

What do you think of the non-tartan kilts, like the Utilikilt, and do you wear them?

First, there are non-tartan traditional kilts. The Irish wear saffron colored solid kilts... but I know what you're saying. I have four Utilikilts that I wear mostly for yard work. I wouldn't try to pass them off as anything but functional. Occasionally, someone makes a comment that Utilikilts not 'real' kilts and I point out that since their pants don't lace up the middle, they aren't 'real' pants. The point being that clothing changes over time.

I actually think these comments say a lot about traditional kilts. From Roman times through the 16th century, the kilt (brat) was basically a woolen cloak. Then from the 16th century up until the early 18th century there was the great kilt. Since the switch from great kilts to kilts that have the pleats stitched in place, there hasn't really been a need to change the design in the past 200 years. It's pretty impressive that the kilt has only had two major design changes in the past 2000 years! If modern kilts have some design changes that make life easier, I really don't see a problem with that even if they are less formal.

I think one of the big problems with Utilikilts is they're often worn by guys who have trouble dressing themselves in general... kilts, pants or otherwise. Kilts are about the waist and calves. If you're the type of guy who can't stand to have your shirt tucked in, don't wear any type of kilt, you'll look ridiculous.

When I visited Scotland, I only saw a few men in kilts (maybe 3 or 4) and they were usually playing bagpipes outside a tourist attraction or else they were tour guides. I've heard Scottish men don't like to wear kilts these days. Is this true and if so why?

Well, if you're playing the pipes, you'll just look better in a kilt... unless you're from northern France. Le Bagad Cap Caval from Brittany wear trousers when they perform, which is their custom.

I have a few acquaintances who are Scottish (in Scotland) and like wearing kilts but only wear them for special occasions. I think there's an aversion to kilts among Scottish men because of the stereotype or because it's an old-fashioned style of dress. It may be similar to people who live in older London flats who absolutely detest their fireplaces. I love my fireplace, but theirs reminds them of an outdated form of heating... something that poor people who couldn't afford gas heating had to use. Not being Scottish myself, I can't be 100% certain, but this is the impression I get.

I bet you're right. Scottish men need to know that women love kilts, so put some on, guys! Give a few American women tourists a thrill. :) Thanks so much for being here today, Shawn, to give your very honest, candid and fun answers to our questions! This is important research information, for me especially, because most of the heroes of my stories wear kilts. And when I write from the male point of view, I need to get the kilt info right.

So, ladies, do you have any other questions?