Anohter Kilt Blog

I found another kilt blog named "Henry's blog about kilts". 

http://blankets-and-kilts.blogspot.com/

New Solid Green Kilt

I ordered a heavyweight solid green kilt from Stillwater Kilts. The kilt arrived today. This is actually my first heavy wool kilt. The color is a dark green. Now I have to figure out what to wear with it. I am not very good at picking colors that go together. I am the geek nerd you see wearing black pants with a navy blue sport jacket. Ok, so you see where I am coming from. One of the kilt boards I frequent have had many discussions of the color of kilt hose to wear with what. A lot of you can't wear that color because that is for pipe bands, or some other such reason as to why a particular color can not be worn. The problem is when I look for kilt hose I find very limited colors available. The last time I went for kilt hose I ended up getting solid color soccer socks from the local sporting store. They had more color options but unfortunately not the nice thick wool socks which are nice in the winter.


As for shirts I know different shades of the same color can be a problem. A very light shade of green may go with this dark green kilt. Other shirt color combinations that I think will work are off white or beige with kilt hose of the same color (or as close as I can get). For Christmas functions a red shirt and red kilt hose maybe? Of course the shade of red will never match between the shirt and hose. Maybe I am more concerned about this than I should be.

As for kilt jackets it appears you have black and that is about it. USAkilts have some argyle jackets in different colors. Those jackets are expensive so some have taken to modifying regular blazers and sport coats. I am game for that. The local Goodwill is an option for finding something to experiment with. I also found this website for blazers: http://www.blazersmen.com/pages/mens_blazer/madison.html . They have a lower cost jacket also. My thinking is to go with one of the red or burgundy colors for this green kilt?? I am taking a risk I may screw it up if this is my first jacket modification but such is a good education. There are articles on making such modification on the web and on the kilt forum I visit.

I have a second wool kilt on order from the BOTK group. It is a special order in a tartan they registered. It will have blue in the tartan so will need a jacket for it also. I want to wear that one for more dressed up occasions.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Last night I attended TSO for my third year. Of course went in a kilt as I have done in previous years. The first year I wore a denim kilt from Union Kilts. That was a very cold night with wind and temperatures in the low 20's. That kit has a lot of material so it was warm. The second year I wore my USA Kilts American Tradition. This year I wore my Irish National tartan from Stillwater Kilts. We had very warm weather this year for November. Temperature was 60F and maybe lower 50's when the show was over.


I got a lot of good comments this year. More than last year. The kilt was a good conversation starter with the rather attractive lady sitting next to me. This was her first TSO show. TSO knows how to put on a good show so I am sure she is now hooked and will be back next year.

Only got one "nice skirt" comment from some guy that appeared to have too many beers even before the show started.

On the way out, walking through the parking lot, I passed a very attractive blonde. She was on her cell phone and as she turned around I was about five feet from her when she spotted the kilt. With a big smile she said "Nice!". I thanked her and continued on my way.

I thought I might see a few Utilikits this year at the show but did not.

I plan on going back for next year's show.

Giggles

Went to the movie Amelia last night. I have always had an interest in her story. This movie was on her life and not just centered around the tragic 1937 flight. I liked the movie but again I have an interest in her story. Ok, what does this have to do with a kilt. Well nothing really other than I wore my tan Alphakilt. I attended the late show so not many people in the theater. I did get a number of giggles from ladies of various ages. I have had that happen before but this time a little more than normal. I wonder if I would have gotten the same reaction in a more traditional tartan kilt. Maybe time for an experiment. Go back to the same theater next week, same time, wearing a traditional tartan kilt and see what happens. If I don't get busy with something else I will consider doing this next week. On Tuesday nights this theater has reduced ticket prices so it is a good night to go.

For others out there reading this blog what have been your experience with reactions to contemporary kilts vs the more traditional tartan?

Kilt Night Columbus Ohio

 We occasionally get together for what is called Kilt Night.  This is were a group of us in our kilts have dinner, go for drinks, or go for some other form of entertainment.  Last night took me to Columbus, Ohio for Kilt Night.  I have gone over there several times and we always have a good evening.  Normally there are three or of us.  Last night one guy came down from Cleveland and another new person from the Columbus area joined us.  We go to the The Pub Polaris on the north side of Columbus several times.  I don't know what it is about that place but we get more attention there then anywhere else.  During the evening we had several conversations with other patrons abut the kilt.  At this Pub the waiters all wear kilts so we are not unique from a kilt standpoint.  We are still somewhat unique in that not too may of the customers are in kilts.  We run into a few but on this night we were the only ones.

We were all standing around the bar and I noticed two ladies in a booth behind us.  One of the ladies got Jeff's attention and we must have spent an hour at their table.  They did not quite know what to think of the kilt. Must have had some impact for them to spend an hour with us. 

We found standing around the bar allows us to interact with others more than would be possible at a table.  This place was packed on a Friday night and many migrate to the bar area waiting for a table.

From an earlier visit to this establishment I had a photo similar to this one.  I made a 11" x 17" poster out of it with a Celtic Knot and some text about wearing a kilt.  I took copies to give to the guys that were in the original picture.  That poster was a hit.  It got passed around the staff.  Some of the girls in the photo were still working there.  I think that poster allowed us to making another picture. 

Without the kilt none of this would have taken place. 

Geocaching

Saturday I attended a Geocache Meet-n-Greet event north of town. This is where a group of Geocachers meet for lunch/dinner and conversation. I always attend these wearing a kilt. I was the only one in a kilt at this event but I am not the only kilted Geocacher in the area. There are a couple of others but they were not in attendance at this event. The event was well attended as they normally are around this area. I always learn a few things when I attend one of these meeting. After lunch many of us went around Tipp City, OH looking for caches. I traveled with three other cachers. It was great spending the entire day kilted and doing something fun. Normally I would have been in one of my contemporary kilts when Geocaching but this time I went dressed a little better in my USAKilt American Tradition. I added about 12 new caches to my list of finds. Today I went after a more local cache and ran into two cachers from the Meet-n-Greet yesterday. They did not remember my Geocache name but they remember the kilt.  

Your a long way from home

Had some errands to run on Monday. Stopped for lunch and while standing in line a lady came up to me with an obvious Scottish accent. "Your a long way from home" she said. No, I am from the area but like the kilt and Celtic heritage. I think she was a little disappointed I was not actually from Scotland. She was from Edinburgh if I recall. We had a short conversation about Scotland.


Later another man asked if I was Irish. I have been asked that several times before. In one of my contemporary kilts of a solid color I can see how that may happen. I am not clear how prevalent kilts were with the Irish. I have heard that the Irish kilts were likely to be a solid color but I don't know the facts on that subject. I suspect kilts were mostly limited to the Irish that migrated from Scotland. Anyone attending Irish festivals in the area will see plenty of kilts. I think some people see that and assume kilts were more prevalent in Ireland then they actually were.

Another fine day in kilt.