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What kind of man wears a kilt? A mature one.

We believe that, in addition to looking and feeling great, the kilt is a symbol of the mature masculine.  A mature man is a man who has faced his emotions, stood up, and freed himself from the social expectations of the old fashioned macho man.

The best description I have found for the new macho is by Boysen Hodgson published was on the Mankind Project website.  If you score 80% give yourself a pat on the back and consider rewarding yourself with a brand new Skilt!

‘He cleans up after himself.

He cleans up the planet.

He is a role model for young men.

He is rigorously honest and fiercely optimistic.

He holds himself accountable.

He knows what he feels.

He knows how to cry and he lets it go.

He knows how to rage without hurting others.

He knows how to fear and how to keep moving.

He seeks self-mastery.

He’s let go of childish shame.

He feels guilty when he’s done something wrong.

He is kind to men, kind to women, kind to children.

He teaches others how to be kind.

He says he’s sorry.

He stopped blaming women or his parents or men for his pain years ago.

He stopped letting his defenses ruin his relationships.

He stopped letting his penis run his life.

He has enough self respect to tell the truth.

He creates intimacy and trust with his actions.

He has men that he trusts and that he turns to for support.

He knows how to roll with it.

He knows how to make it happen.

He is disciplined when he needs to be.

He is flexible when he needs to be.

He knows how to listen from the core of his being.

He’s not afraid to get dirty.

He’s ready to confront his own limitations.

He has high expectations for himself and for those he connects with.

He looks for ways to serve others.

He knows he is an individual.

He knows that we are all one.

He knows he is an animal and a part of nature.

He knows his spirit and his connection to something greater.

He knows that the future generations are watching his actions.

He builds communities where people are respected and valued.

He takes responsibility for himself and is also willing to be his brother’s keeper.

He knows his higher purpose.

He loves with fierceness.

He laughs with abandon, because he gets the joke.’

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Kilts invented by English in Lord Dacre’s book – Telegraph

The last book written by the late Lord Dacre of Glanton also states that the Declaration of Arbroath, which confirmed Scotland’s independence in 1320, is plagued with inaccuracies and details of “imaginary” kings.

He argues that Scotland’s literary, cultural and political traditions, which are claimed to date back from Roman times, were largely invented in the 18th century.

The book, titled The Invention of Scotland: Myth and History, is to be published at the end of this month, five years after Lord Dacre died of cancer.

Its controversial findings debunk many of the cultural arguments for Scottish independence, and are likely to fuel the current heated political debate over the country’s constitutional future.

Lord Dacre, formerly Hugh Trevor-Roper, concludes in the book: “In Scotland, it seems to me, myth has played a far more important part in history than it has in England.

“Indeed, I believe the whole history of Scotland has been coloured by myth; and that myth, in Scotland, is never driven out by reality, or by reason, but lingers on until another myth has been discovered to replace it.”

He claims that the “myth” of the ancient Highland dress was perpetuated by historians to provide a symbol by which Scots could be universally identified, as well as to support the country’s textile industry.

The traditional dress of the Highlanders was in fact a long Irish shirt and a cloak or plaid, he states, and only the higher classes had woven in stripes and colours creating tartan.

“The kilt’s appearance can, in fact, be dated within a few years,” he reveals in the book.

“For it did not evolve, it was invented. Its inventor was an English Quaker from Lancashire, Thomas Rawlinson.”

He claims Mr Rawlinson decided to shorten belted plaids after workmen in the Highlands, where he was staying, said they were uncomfortable.

via Kilts invented by English in Lord Dacre’s book – Telegraph.

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BBC news on kilts: Army’s wartime bloomers revealed

British troops were involved in a secret plan to go into battle wearing women’s underwear, it has emerged.

The plan – recently declassified by the Public Records Office – was set up to protect World War II troops from mustard gas attacks.

Kilt-wearing soldiers in the Scots regiments were particularly at risk because their legs were exposed to the poisonous gas.

From the 1920s up until 1939, secret tests were carried out on volunteer soldiers dressed in long stockings and woollen bloomers.

Wearing underwear, soaked in protective chemicals dissolved in white spirit, volunteers were exposed to mustard gas.

The research and tests were carried out at Porton Down, the government-funded military research centre in Wiltshire.

Porton Down historian, Gradon Carter, said: “A great deal of attention was paid in those days to the impregnation of battle dress and socks with substances called impregnities.

“These were chemicals which could actually combine with mustard gas vapour to render them harmless.”

Although the tests showed the underwear did protect the volunteers, it was decided that the protective clothing would be too costly to supply to all Scots regiments.

As a result, the kilt was banned from the battlefield in 1940.

via BBC NEWS | England | Army’s wartime bloomers revealed.

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Satisfied customer: Stephen thinks his army Skilt is brilliant

Richard

All I can say is fantastic. Fit is great, wife is impressed, daughter likes, the whole thing is brilliant. Was planing for the first outing to be the Army v Navy game in May but now looking for any excuse to be able to wear it.

I will get the wife to take some photos soon, she wants to put them on her Facebook, and I will send them to you. A few colleagues have shown interest, so now I have mine, I will be taking in to work to show them.

Once again thank you and a fantastic job.

Stephen

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The kilt was invented by an Englishman

According to Andrew Bolton’s ‘Bravehearts – Men in Skirts‘ the modern style of kilt known as the ‘little wrap’ (feileadh beag) was invented in the first quarter of the 18th century … by an Englishman!  The little wrap was an evolution of the ‘big wrap’ or belted plaid (feileadh beag).

The belted plaid was constructed from a large rectangular piece of material about 5 feet wide and roughly 14-16 feet long and served as garment during the day and blanket at night.  In order to put the garment on the man would first pleat the cloth by hand and then secure it in place with a belt.  The end of the plaid could be worn in various arrangements over the shoulder(s) to keep the weather off.

For a great pictorial explanation of how to put on a belted plaid check out the website of the Clansman Centre.

How many thousands of man days went into this daily pleating exercise?  English highland dress fan Thomas Rawlinson had a bright idea that would make the kilt much easier to wear: to stitch down the tops of the pleats and so form the general style of the kilt we know and love today.  How he came to invent the kilt is explained in a letter by Mr Baille of Aberiachan published in the Edinburgh Magazine in March 1785:

‘About 50 years ago, one Thomas Rawlinson, an Englishman, conducted an iron work carried on in the countries of Glengarie and Lochaber; he had a throng of Highlanders employed in the service, and became very fond of the highland dress, and wore it in the neatest form; which I can aver, as I become personally acquainted with him above 40 years ago.  He was a man of genius and quick parts, and thought it no great stretch of invention to abridge the dress, and make it handy and convenient for his workmen: and accordingly directed the using of the lower part plaited of what is called the felie or kilt as above, and the upper part was set aside…  It was found so handy and convenient that, in the shortest space, the use of it became frequent in all the Highland Countries, and in many of our northern Low Countries also.’

I think it is great that Scotsmen are happy to embrace good design when they see it.  I’m always very pleased when a Skilt makes it’s way north of the border!

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Draught guidance: a kilt need underwear – Telegraph

The Scottish Tartans Authority has decreed that refusing to put on underwear beneath a kilt is “childish and unhygienic”.

It also warned that “going commando” flies in the face of decency.

Tartans Authority director Brian Wilton said kilt wearers should have the “common sense” to realise they should wear underwear beneath their country’s national dress.

He said “The idea that you are not a real Scot unless you are bare under your kilt should be thrown into the same wastepaper basket as the idea that you’re not a real Scot unless you put salt on your porridge.

“People should not be browbeaten into believing that nonsense. Just because Highlanders wore nothing in the days before Y-fronts were invented doesn’t mean that we, in the 21st Century, should wear nothing too.

via Draught guidance: a kilt need underwear – Telegraph.

My thoughts:

Can’t say that I agree.  I recommend that London kilts are worn with uncommon indecency!

Tip: if you are concerned about hygiene simply safety pin a piece of fabric to the inside of the front apron.  You can change it as often as you like without needing to wash the whole kilt.

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Wear your kilt at a Ceilidh … Scottish Country Dancing in London

For a person new to kilt wearing it can be challenging to think of that many places to wear the fantastic garment.  A Scottish Country Dancing evening is an ideal place to break yourself in gently as it is one of the few places you can be assured that you will not be the only one in a kilt.

Perhaps I can take this opportunity to recommend London’s Ceilidh (pronounced Kay Lee) Club.  They hold regular events at Cecil Sharp House and Hammersmith Town Hall.  Tickets are about £15, genders are balanced, and booking in advance is advisable (though not always necessary).

I’ve been to one of their events at Cecil Sharp House and had a hoot.  The main hall is absolutely massive and on the evening I attended it was absolutely full of people.  There was a good mix of sexes and most people seemed to be between the ages of 25 and 40.  I watched the first dance and was impressed by the quality of the band and how much fun everyone was having.  And, of course, there were LOTS of fabulous kilts.

Before long I was asking girls to dance and having a good old time.  Because there is a caller and lots of people who really know what they are doing it is really easy to understand what to do and when.  The emphasis is far more on having fun dancing together than it is on complicated dance moves.  Another feature of many of the dances is that you swap partners … that means that you get to meet more people and you don’t have to try to impress that girl you asked for the whole dance.  The one thing that I didn’t see any of is men dancing with men … I’m guessing this is a bit of a no no … especially with the partner swapping!  So, any gay guys out there may have to grin and bear dancing with girls.

When you get thirsty (as you will) there is a reasonably priced bar downstairs and, wait for it, a cake shop!  Genius!