MacBitseach Kilts Profile







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Multiculturalism

Vancouver is a Multicultural city. I see that as a chance to learn about my culture by viewing it side by side with other's cultures, and through people of other cultures' eyes. So, I'm waiting in line at a corner store, listening to a man from Bandladesh asking the Chinese lady behind the counter questions about phone cards. Both spoke good English, though with accents. When he buys one and turns to leave, he sees my Maple Leaf Grizzly Cut kilt. "Ah, is that your traditional costume?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "Canadian tradition. This is the Maple Leaf tartan." "Ooh! Very nice colours! What is the special day today?" "No special day. I always wear a kilt." "Splendid! Very nice to see!" and he said goodbye and left. The lady behind the counter was smiling widely, having listened to our entire conversation, but there was a look in her eyes. "I like your skirt!" she said. "Thanks. It's called a...
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Physics and Kilts

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....
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It's a garment!

Okay, let's try to stay real, here. I have had several guys say things like, "sorry Bear, I wore my kilt fully traditional but it was a wedding." Or, "Don't tell Bear but ..." and go on to say how he wore his kilt with a jacket and tie. Just because my motto is, "kilts are garments, not costumes," doesn't mean you shouldn't wear them traditionally. Kilts are a traditional garment. If you get all dressed up with a plaid and ghillie brogues, I'm not going to be disappointed, nor should you care what I think one way or the other! "Kilts are garments, not costumes," has more to do with being free to wear your kilt casually than restricting its use traditionally. There are some guys who wear their traditional wool kilts to our Kilts Night with untucked tee shirts and piper hose. The look works. That's what matters. Wearing your kilt as a costume has its place and there are dress rules for such occasions. For casual wear, ...
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