The MacBitseach

The MacBitseach Physics and kilts? What's he on about now? What is it about kilts that makes them so damned comfy? Sure, there's the lack of constraint of pants and underwear, the ability to ... hang naturally and more comfortably. But what about getting too hot or too cold? Well, that's where physics comes in. Warmth: Simply put, heat rises. Air heated from your body tends to rise inside your kilt and stay there. Walking causes the pleats to sway, releasing some of the heat in the lower part of the kilt but the top stays warm enough. When you stop walking, you can feel the heat from your body warm your legs down to the knees. Coolness: The sway of the pleats, as mentioned above, is a natural cooling factor of the kilt. In summer, I prefer to wear a lighter kilt and let some of the upper heat escape through the fabric. I've never been as hot in a kilt as I used to be in pants. And there is a factor concerning evaporation of sweat to be considered with a kilt....

Kilted MacBitseach I get asked all the time, "Aren't you cold in that thing?" Honestly, I don't get cold in a kilt, even at temps of -15°, unless my jacket isn't heavy enough. Considering this today, I've come up with a few thoughts. Neitze wrote, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." (I know it's true because I saw it at the beginning of the movie, Conan The Barbarian.) Thisquote is the beginning of all exercise theories. To improve thebody, it must be injured enough to need to heal stronger. This works for cardio exercises that strengthen the heart, or weightlifting, which strengthens the muscles. (Generally speaking, of course.) Having worn a kilt for two years, and shorts for several years before that, my legs do not feel cold unless they get wet in freezing temps. Then I pull up my socks and they warm up my legs. People who have never worn a kilt, men and women, don't understand how well kilts insulate. Take 8 yards of any 12o...

Kilted MacBitseach I attended a whisky tasting tonight at the B.C. Regiment's Drill Hall. Good bunch of lads. There were several Bear Kilts there and tons of traditional, wool kilts, too. I'd had a full day working at the store and was tired, so it was refreshing not to be the centre of attention simply because I was wearing a kilt. Normally, I don't mind but, like I said, I was tired. I didn't get any of the usual questions about kilts from flirty women. Nobody asked me if I was cold. The only questions I got were from guys wanting business cards, asking prices, tartan info, etc. I took it easy and stayed mostly with beer because I have to go back to the store tomorrow and make kilts. I left when the pipe band stopped playing, the beer kegs ran dry, the door prizes were given out, and it was polite to do so. I gave out lots of business cards, was complimented many times on the Master Of Ceremonies' Bear Kilt, and spread the word about the March 5th Vancouver...

Kilted MacBitseach It was the standard morning routine; catch the bus, the usual assortment of looks ranging from surprise to unflapped, from amusement to annoyance. I'm lucky this morning. I get a decent seat where I can people watch those on the bus and still have a view out the window. I noticed two people get on the bus at the same stop. One was a young, short, stocky white guy. The other was an old, short, stocky Chinese woman. The similarities didn't end there. They were wearing the exact same clothes! Both wore baggy blujeans, grey hooded sweatshirts, blue jackets and white sneakers. The jackets weren't identical but with the hoods up, it would have been impossible to tell them apart. Is this what our society has come to? Are we so lacking in individuality that people of both genders, all ages, and all cultures can exchange clothes without anyone being the wiser? I prefer seeing a woman dressed in clothes that accentuate womanliness and I prefer seeing men dre...

Kilted MacBitseach Here's one for all you guys that wonder what it feels like to wear a kilt. Wearing a kilt is like slobbing out in the easy chair with pizza and beer ... and women think it's hot!

Kilted MacBitseach It will matter what guys look like in kilts when fat chicks stop wearing spandex! I have the above sentence on my autotyping program because I read comments by women all the time that go something like this, "I love men in kilts, if they have the legs for it." I've even been told by men that they won't wear a kilt because they don't like the way their legs look. (Too skinny, too hairy, knobby knees, etc.) Who cares what your legs look like? Are you so vain that you would rather be uncomfortable for the rest of your life? This is your life! Your one shot! What the hell are you waiting for? Stick your head out the window and see what's going on out there! See that woman with the wrinkly belly? Yeah, the one in the low cut jeans and the tube top. What about that woman in the lime green stirrup pants? See the short, fat one in the short shorts and high heels? Look at that skinny chick! Man, those have got to be fake! Look, it doesn...

Kilted MacBitseach Endings are easy. Beginning are the tough part. Here's how I fell into kiltmaking: I was a woodturner and working part-time in a lumber yard/hardware store. I was searching for a Celtic Christmas card and stumbled onto a casual kiltmaker's site. (No names.) It was $40.00 USD and I ordered one. By the time it crossed the border with all the duties and brokerage fees, it cost me $110.00 Canadian and the pleats disappeared the first time I washed it. I'd had a taste of what it felt like to be kilted; the freedom, the comfort, the way women looked at me. "I'll make a better kilt!" In my desire to be kilted, I was undaunted by the magnitude of the task. I learned how to use the sewing machine enough to sew fairly straight and with info found on-line, put together a pretty good first attempt. Feeling pretty happy with my kilt, I wore it to work at the hardware store. I took a lot of heat in the first few days from the staff and the buildi...