The MacBitseach

Tomoye

2010-07-10T17:14:00.002-07:00

This symbol is a tomoye. Each of the three comma shapes represent one of the three essential ingredients of a healthy, happy life.
Mind, spirit, and body.
I haven't balanced these yet, but I'm on the right road.

I have always wanted a tattoo but set myself a one year waiting period for any tattoo idea.
That was twenty-five years ago when I was studying Karate and Jiu Jutsu.
Since then, I've always had one design or another in mind but they never felt right after a year's waiting. The tomoye has always been near the top of my list.
As I become more interested in balancing mind, spirit, and body, the tomoye feels right. It might be time to go see my friendly, neighbourhood tattooist.

Expect more about symbols here. Until then, consider this:
Everything changes and everything is connected. Does that mean everything changes together?

Cadpat

2010-07-07T14:44:00.002-07:00

I'm starting a run of Cadpat kilts.
If you want one, email your sizes. (W/H/L)

Treehouse clubs wars

2009-07-19T12:00:00.002-07:00

Enough is enough!
There are two main, (the largest), kilt forums. XMarks the Scot, (XMarks). and Brotherhood Of The Kilt. (BOTK.)

XMarks has been around longer and BOTK was founded and joined by those unwilling or unable to put up with the rather strict moderation at XMarks.

Follow me so far? The past month has seen bannings, warnings, threads locked ... all because these two sites are battling for membership and dominance.

Soooo ... As near as I can tell, it's all about which boy's treehouse club is better.

If you try to get my members I'll ban you from X treehouse. And if you try to talk about the rules at X treehouse, We will close the thread.

And B treehouse will wear badges of pride when banned from X treehouse.

And both treehouses will proclaim their superiority and have members that call their chosen treehouse 'Home.'

GROW UP!
What a bunch of adolescent BS!

I have been told that I represent all men in kilts when I wear a kilt; that I should comport myself with dignity and pride when kilted, so as not to besmirch the fine name of those who don a kilt.
I've been told that as a casual kilt wearer, I am besmirching the kilt and spitting on tradition.

If 'Real Men Wear Kilts,' then they don't run kilt forums. All I see these days is childish sniping on both sides.
And the real testament to the childishness? Most of what is happening isn't talked about openly because both forums do all the real talking in private messages.

These kilt forums are often a gateway for more men to wear kilts. And what do they see when they get a chance to meet other men who wear kilts? A bunch of childish, sniping, treehouse clubbers banning each other and calling names at the next tree over.

What a wonderful example! Instead of the image of a kilted man striding proudly across the hills of Scotland, we now have the image of two treehouses throwing pinecones at each other and sticking out their tongues.

Just grow up and treat your forum members like adults that are able to censor themselves, instead of children that need to be told what they can and cannot say or think.
Treat people like children and you'll get what you ask for.
And that's the way it is.

Cadpat Fabric

2009-06-12T18:20:00.002-07:00

I know, I know; this is a blatant sales post but this stuff ain't gonna last long, so first come first serve. And I want to give my readers first shot at this stuff.
Click the pic to go to the Bear Kilts In Stock page.

Fashion

2009-06-01T21:34:00.003-07:00

A kilt is an undeniably male garment. One of the few male garments left in the world these days.
There's a lot of male bashing these days. Anything that's purely male is frowned upon and labeled as unsightly.
Kilts, for some reason, are an exception to this.

What's a fella to do?
I wore a pair of grey sweat shorts to go play catch with my son today. When we got to the park, I took off my tee shirt in the hopes of tanning my "lily white belly." (I used quotes because that was said to me the other day ... in the spirit of a friendly challenge, of course.)
I've lost a lot of weight in the past few years but I'm not lean, yet. I just don't care what people think of me anymore.
It was very refreshing to go shirtless, to feel the sun on my skin, the wind whispering through my back hair.
That's right; back hair.
"Back hair! Eeeeewwwww!"
Shaddap!
I'm 50 and hairy. It's called being a man and I won't apologise for it, any more than a woman should apologise for having boobs.
Guys are hairier than women. That's just the way it is. It's not gross, or nasty, or eeeewwwww! It's only thought of as gross because society has taken such a feminine turn lately.
Burt Reynolds is a hairy guy. So are Tom Selleck, Chuck Norris, and yes ... Sean Connery. All sex symbols.
It's not the hair that's objectionable on the average, non sex symbol guy. It's the maleness.

Real men wear kilts. A lot of us don't feel the need to shave anything but our faces, if we even choose to shave those. It's not macho, or defensive, or defiant. It's biology or it's a preference.
How could the biology of one half of the human race be gross when the other half is all about beauty?
Beats me. Things are getting hairy around here.

It's about living naturally for me. Fashion is not my interest.
I have hair on my body. I'm starting to treat my body better with diet and exercise. I choose to wear a kilt.
I do these things because I feel better, more naturally myself, when I do them.
Why on Earth would anyone think maleness is repugnant? Or femaleness, for that matter?
Aesthetics? The anti-male aesthetic has been growing since the start of the women's liberation movement. More and more guys are shaving, not just their backs, but their entire bodies, because women keep telling them that they prefer 'smooth' men.

Whenever someone is grossed out by any large group of people for reasons that go against nature, it says a hell of a lot more about the person who is grossed out than the person behaving naturally ... and about that society.
We're all subject to unnatural societal likes and dislikes. I happen to prefer women with shaved legs because it was ingrained in me throughout my life. I understand that. But I also like bushy eyebrows.
That's a preference I can't explain.

It's Time

2009-05-20T00:33:00.001-07:00

You've probably heard the old Chinese blessing/curse, "May you live in interesting times."
Has there ever been an uninteresting time?
It's the person that makes what he can of the time he has. Some of us decide we're going to wear kilts, or play poker, or ride a unicycle to work, write a book ... or carry a whoopie cushion.
It doesn't matter! We're the interesting part of our time!
Time is a theory. We live.

I know people from all walks of life. I've had a hundred different jobs from the tech industry to ditch digging. I've sharpened skates, planted trees, sold my own oil paintings, written stories, and at times, gone hungry. I understand the joy of lifting a boulder way too heavy for me out of a hole and I understand how mass curves space.
I've been in love and I've been alone.
For most of my life I've had a part of me that is childlike in wonder of it all.
There has never been an uninteresting time. Ever!
I don't get people that stay in a job they hate because they're too afraid to leave it; they're unable to take a risk, even for their own happiness.
Drones.

I've never met a person that didn't have some interesting characteristics.
The people that I like to be with are the most interesting people, willing to take a calculated risk and do what they love to do. The people I don't understand are the people that chant the mantra of the drone.
"I'm bored."

Kilts and Poker

2009-05-17T16:59:00.003-07:00

I can't help thinking there's a lot in common between guys who wear kilts and poker players.
Both like to see a friendly hand. Ha!

With kilted guys and poker players, there's a mindset there that says, I can't be beaten; a certain risk factor ... no, a bit of derring-do that challenges others to do what so few can do. Sometimes it's a bluff and sometimes it's real and you just can't tell with either kind of guy unless you call the bluff.
Kilted guys and poker players can both look you in the face with a twinkle in their eyes, smiling and ... you just can't tell.
A guy in a kilt is usually bluffing when some guy makes a rude comment about his kilt. There's some danger of physical violence there.
Poker players have a similar level of violence in many of the games they play, though not on the higher echelon tables.
It's learning to live with risk. It's gambling that you'll be around to play another day.

But none of us are fools.
Smart poker players don't go into seedy back rooms with a roll of cash in their sock expecting to walk out with two rolls.
Bad planning.
Smart kilted guys don't go into biker bars and order a virgin Rob Roy with a twist.
Also bad planning.

Life is fractal: the large things in life resemble the small.
In poker or in kilts ... in life ... patience and well timed aggression are everything.

But don't forget the chaos theory that goes with fractals. Sometimes a fractal will morph into something unexpected.
Every plan, even patience and well timed aggression is susceptible to chaos.
Just ask any poker player who's had his pocket aces busted or any kilted guy on a windy day.
Busted or gusted? You can do either or both ... I'm busting a gut doing both.
Ooh! And I have the ultimate poker shirt coming soon. Once I find a place to sell it, these are going to be popular!
(Needs better exposure than my kilt site.)

Forum Fodder

2009-05-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

It's a long weekend? Whodathunkit?
Victoria Day.
For those of us who are struggling to make a home business work, (read struggling to pay rent), there's not even regular weekends off.
Long weekends are a myth, like three headed dogs ... or a photo of yourself that you're really happy with.
I have a large order of kilts I'm working on and will be finished soon. Then, I'll be trying to catch up on old orders and put more kilts on my In Stock pages. I'm hoping to add some women's kilts soon.

I'm still taking orders, too.

I found a kilt forum I really like. It has the feel of the now defunct Tom's Café but it's larger and more strictly kilts. It's called Brotherhood Of The kilt.

It's a fun forum and that's been lacking for a long time. Caption contests, haiku contests ... and there's stuff here that would be banned on other sites. Nothing too awful, as it is a family friendly site. It's a site that allows the fun of wearing a kilt to be expressed freely.

I still visit The Bravehearts Forum but sadly, it seems to be almost forgotten these days. It was once one of the top forums. I've mentioned before that it was one of the reasons kilts caught on in North America. And I still get a lot of hits from there. It's always been one of my top referral sites.

X Marks The Scot was a good idea in the beginning; a forum that prohibits talk of religion, politics, and weapons. It was civil and well, if abruptly, maintained.
It's still the biggest of the kilt forums but the advertisers are starting to run the place and attack other, non-advertising kiltmakers. I spoke up in defense of the kiltmaker being, (very unfairly), attacked and the thread vanished into the electronic ether with no explanation. I wanted to know why but all my private messages to the Mods went unanswered.
It's too bad. I have a lot of friends there. I personally like the Mods, and the owner, too. It just seems as if they have gotten used to the way things have continued to develop towards a censored membership and have stopped questioning what's right, in favour of what is most profitable.

Just you never mind, laddie!

2008-08-29T10:04:00.001-07:00

For reasons that are (politely) none of yer damned business, I’ve been writing reams lately. I sit and the pages fill effortlessly.
I had a thought about ‘traditional’ kilt styles.
I’ve had guys very nearly start fist fights when they’ve seen me in casual kilts. Sometimes I talk to them and make them understand it’s a garment to me.
Sometimes I smile and they go away.
But I thought of something just now while sewing.

It’s not the style of the kilt, but the wearing of the kilt that maintains the tradition.

Having said that, I’m enjoying wearing my higher waisted box pleat kilt in the MacDonald tartan lately.

Why? One reason is that it’s very comfortable. Box pleats are great!

The other reason is (politely) none of yer damned business.

4am

2008-08-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

It’s almost 4am and I’m awake.
There are lots of things that could cause me to be sleepless. You see, I’m in a weekend of change. Almost everything in my life is changing within a few days, but which of those changes is causing me to lose sleep?
It could be the late meal I had. Chicken strips and KD.
It could be that 10pm coffee.
It could be the nicotine patch or the reason for the nicotine patch.
It could be the stiff muscles.
It could be the new kilt design bouncing around my head.
It could be the old kilts I haven’t made, yet.
It could be home schooling my son.
It could be the usual money woes.
It could be that I fell in love 30 years ago and never got over it.

It could be any or all of the above.
All I know is that it’s almost 4am and I’m awake.
So, why am I smiling?

Think you're tough?

2008-08-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

There is a common thread in the winning of any Olympic event.
Toughness.
It isn’t always the best or talented in the sport that wins. Sometimes ... a lot of the time ... it is the toughest, the athlete that wants it most, the one willing to take more pain than the rest of the field, that wins.
Success in everyday life is much the same.
I just saw Simon Whitfield come from 15 metres behind to catch the three leaders in the triathlon, then pass them in a sprint for the finish.
He was caught and passed by the German for the gold but I am amazed at the toughness of Whitfield. (The German also gave him an accidental black eye in the swim.)
Simon sprinted to the gold in Australia and to the silver in China. In three Olympics he has been on the podium twice.
So who do I think of when I feel a little overwhelmed by life? What person do I use for inspiration when I’m feeling sorry for myself?
Simon Whitfield?

No, actually.

Simon is an incerdibly tough athlete and I feel very proud of him as a Canadian but there is someone else I think of to give myself a kick in the ass when I think I’ve got it bad.

There’s a hill that runs up a long way along Marine Drive in Vancouver that causes a lot of bicyclists to get off and walk. It is a long and hard climb.
I was getting a ride home in a truck from my construction job. I was miserable after a day of digging, covered in mud, 48 years old, feeling very tired and sorry for myself.

We passed a couple of young guys walking their bikes up the hill, puffing. Then we passed a good looking girl in her mid twenties powering up the hill. She had two prosthetic legs and one prosthetic arm. The road grime streaked her sweaty face and she was smiling.
Then we passed her and she was gone.

That’s who I think of to kick myself in the ass; an anonymous woman who has been through some heavy shit and came out swinging.
I only ever saw her that one time. I never talked to her and she doesn’t know the impact she had on me but in a strange way, she had more to do with shaping my current view of life than almost anyone else in my past.

I just added myself as a fan of Simon Whitfield on Facebook ... but I love that woman.

Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes ...

2008-08-18T16:17:00.002-07:00

I noticed something today. Changes are afoot.

All my chosen pursuits, (kiltmaking, writing, art), are lonely tasks.

Before you start feeling sorry for me, I enjoy all these things very much. It’s just that sometimes, I wish I was able to get out more, do some of the things I see friends doing.

I’m trying to build up Bear Kilts again, so it’s taking a lot of time and money is always tight. I am handcuffed to the sewing machine to pay rent and eat an occasional meal. (This is my second go-around at building this business. At least this time I know it will succeed.)
And, as a single parent who home schools his son, I’m further tied to the home.

I’m thinking about starting a daily walk, leading into a daily run. The Olympics always inspires me to get more exercise but this is something I’ve been considering for some time. I have a few routes worked out. Oddly, the far point of the routes seem to have coffee available. Serendipity?

Every now and then I re-invent myself to some degree. Often these changes are life changes. The last big change was becoming a kiltmaker and that was more accident than plan.

Maybe it’s time for some small steps, leading to a larger change in lifestyle. I bought some nicotine patches and I’ve been antsy for some exercise since quitting construction.

Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m giving up Guinness or coffee! These are positive habits.

And exercise will increase my energy level, allowing me to make more kilts.

I guess I’m aiming for balance. Socially/physically/mentally/spiritually ... and frakkin financially!

Now, where did I leave the handcuff keys?

Um ...

Little help here?

Golden Girl

2008-08-16T18:13:00.001-07:00

For me, the Summer Olympics has always been about the combat sports. Decathlon, pentathlon, wrestling, fencing, etc.
The Olympics haven’t been good to Canada so far but as I write this, Carol Huynh just won a Gold in Wrestling.

Carol’s parents came to Hazelton, B.C. from a refugee camp on a church sponsorship. She was the first born Canadian child of her Vietnamese parents.
Hazelton really stepped up in their support of Carol, doing car washes, and many other fund raisers to get her the training she needed to win gold. Well done Hazelton!

I watched with blurry eyed pride as Carol cried in joy and sang Oh Canada on the podium.

That’s what Canada is all about, isn’t it? The first Canadian born child of immigrants wins a gold medal and bursts into tears in Canadian pride.

I tried to go to Carol’s web site but it crashed my web browser. Then I tried to go to the CBC page about Carol. Another crash. Ya think Canada is proud?

I think we may have broken more Canadian records and personal bests in this Olympics than any other Olympics but have won very few medals. Armstrong lost the bronze in the shot put by 1 centimetre! Yes! 1 centimetre!

As I write this, Tanya Verbeek just won a Bronze medal in wrestling! Nice!

Our first medal was also today. A silver in double sculls. Well done lads!

Canada is not an Olympic powerhouse and may never be, but the few medals we win are treasures.

What does all this have to do with kilts?

SFA!

Kilts are garments, not Olympic medals!

Natural is the Key

2008-08-09T22:19:00.001-07:00

What is natural?

A kilt is natural. Any guy who has worn a kilt can tell you the same thing. You notice the freedom of movement right away. The lack of constriction allows you to move as you were meant to move.
When guys around my age discover kilts, they invariably say, “If I’d only known this when I was younger! All those wasted years in pants!”
We’re not born to be constricted. Our bodies are built for kilts.

Consider the computer keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard is the standard for the English keyboards. Why is that?
When typewriters were first being used in by secretaries, (before the QWERTY keyboard), they typed so fast that the typewriter keys always jammed. So what stroke of brilliance did the manufacturers come up with? They invented the QWERTY keyboard. It was the most awkward and slowest keyboard they could come up with to slow down the typists. They couldn’t find a way to make the typewriters work fast enough to keep up with the typists, so they purposely slowed down their secretaries’ abilities to work fast!
Now that we have computer keyboards without keys to jam, we still use the QWERTY keyboard, instead of something like the Dvorak keyboard, which maximizes typing speed by placing keys in order of most used letters.
QWERTY keyboards are unnatural. Even worse, they are intentionally unnatural! Dvorak keyboards are naturally faster because they are designed for the language, not the inadequacies of an obsolete machine. They are designed for minimal movement and maximum speed.

Natural things augment the human form. They can be so natural as to seem part of us, unnoticed until we choose to notice them.
Unnatural things restrict natural movement. They are constantly felt and noticed because they are uncomfortable and their design does not compliment the human form.

Pants are the QWERTY keyboards of male garments. Few people know why we are stuck wearing them but even fewer know how much more free and natural are the Dvorak keyboard of male garments; kilts.

Lately, I’ve been taking a long look at the natural aspects of women and brassieres.
At least that’s the story I’m going with if I get caught staring ... um ... again.

A Multicultural Kilts Night

2008-08-08T22:07:00.001-07:00

Kilts Night started on a good note this month.
I’m about sixty feet from the bus stop when the bus, (of course), pulled up to the stop.
I don’t run for busses. I just don’t. Too many time the driver will pull away just as you get to the doors.
So, I keep heading for the stop at my usual pace when a few people run past me, trying to make it. The bus pulls out from the stop and the people moan and stop running.
Then, surprisingly, the bus pulls up to the curb where I’m walking.
The people who were running for the bus get on ahead of me, thanking the driver for stopping.
“Don’t thank me,” he said. “I stopped for the guy in the kilt. Thank him!”
I look at the driver, a large Sikh man with a turban and wild, impressive beard.
“You just wanted a better look at the kilt?”
“Yes sir. I couldn’t help myself!”
We laughed and I went to find a seat.

Kilts have occasional perks.

There was some new folk at Kilts Night, who were very welcome. Some were relatives of regulars and they seemed to have a good time. Others have been trying to get to Kilts Night for a while but have never made it. It was very nice to finally see them there, (even without the flirting and the ass patting.)
The Halifax Wharfrats were in fine form and had some of the gang dancing and the rest of us stomping our feet. Things got a little drunk out as the night wore on and we stayed later than usual.
Doolin’s is an Irish pub but the people that find their way there are always an eclectic bunch.
We had some Swiss on one side, a couple of Irish guys and a Turk, (my buddy Erman), at our table, a Scot who stopped to talk kilts, and a few Aussies at a nearby table.
Of course, there are always lots of Chinese guys and gals at our table who are members of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team.
I got home around 3AM ... I think.

The Chieftains play

2008-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I saw the Chieftains at the Surrey Fusion Festival. I would have gone just to say I'd seen them but, having seen some TV shows about The Chieftains, I knew I'd have a good time.
When I arrived after an hour's bus ride, The Halifax Wharf Rats were playing. They play at every Kilts Night but on the outdoor stage, they seemed to be even better than normal.
I grabbed some chicken and rice from the Phillipino tent, (it is a multicultural festival), which was very tasty.
I found it odd that at a concert for the most famous Celtic band in the world, (Paddy Maloney started The Chieftains 47 years ago), I was the only person I saw, outside of performers, wearing a kilt. (And received all the kilt flirts for the evening! Not two, or a few, or several, but ALL the flirts!)

The Chieftains show was amazing! It had all the appeal of Riverdance with the feel of a ceileigh. Aside from the Chieftains, (musical mastery, humour, and it looked like they were actually enjoying themselves), there was some great stepdancing, and some kids from a dance school doing Irish dancing who must surely remember the night for the rest of their lives.
There wasn't one part of the show that wasn't highly entertaining.
Near the start of the show, Paddy Maloney kicked a cameraman off the stage for blocking the view of the crowd. He asked him nicely the first two times, then got up and told him, "Get off the stage!"
John Lennon kicked Red Robinson off the stage when they played here in 1964. "Get off the fucking stage!"
16,000 people cheered when Chuck Berry stopped the show to let a young girl dance in the aisle when he played here in the eighties. "I said, let her dance!" (A security guard was making her sit down.)
Must be something in the water.

I didn't get to see The Beatles, but I saw Chuck Berry and B.B. King. And now I've seen The Chieftains. Three great performers with a lot of history.
I can remember each concert very clearly and they were three of the best concerts I've seen ... but The Chieftains put on the most entertaining show.
Somehow, The Chieftains made the concert personal. I'm trying to think of a way to describe what it felt like.
It was like a 12 year old, for the first time not being sent to bed on a Friday evening at his normal bedtime. He is sitting in a corner of the kitchen, drinking a root beer, watching the ceileigh, wide eyed, amazed at the talent, simultaneously feeling himself a spectator and part of it all.
And knowing that as much as he is enjoying the show, the real joy is is felt by the players.
The Chieftains didn't perform. They played. Like kids play ... just for fun. And it rubbed off on all the artists. And the audience.
A good band makes you want to hear them play. The Chieftains make you want to play.

Enjoying what I (don't) see

2008-07-17T02:19:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a kid, I liked to take things apart and figure out how they worked. Still do.
While I don't take people apart, it's still fun to try and figure them out and people watching is a must for any writer.
Sometimes though, it's enough just to watch, enjoy, and not wonder.

I'm walking home from the grocery store, wearing a restored wool MacDonald kilt.
(I know ... but if I don't say what I was wearing, I'll get emails wanting to know!)
It's dark and I'm about to cross at a sidestreet when I hear a car slowing to turn in front of me. There's two guys in the front seats and two people in the back.
I stop and wave the car ahead of me and I hear a woman's voice from the dark inside of the back seat. I can't tell you anything more about her than she was a woman. No looks, age, or anything else was revealed to me.
"Woohoo! Sexy kilt!" she yelled.
Then from the front, one of the guys said, "Shut up, slut," in a manner of fact tone that meant he was to be obeyed.
A bare half a second later came a resounding SLAP, followed by the guy, "Fuck!" That hurt!"
I'm guessing she got him on the ear, judging by his position when I saw him and ... well the sound of an ear slap is a little different that a face slap. Less flesh over the bone? Maybe the cartilage in the ear?
Then the car was down the road and I heard no more, other than the muffled voices of what I assumed would be a bad night for both of them.
Stuff like that ... a people watcher's dream.
It's good to be alive.

The other day, Raph and I were shopping for camouflage fabric at a huge fabric store. We searched the place 5 times as we picked up other stuff here and there. Finally, I asked a clerk where to find camouflage in the store. She led us to a table in the middle of the store, where it was sitting just below eye level!
That camouflage stuff is amazing!
We picked up some Cadpat AR (Arid Region/desert) and a very cool limited run of Cadpat in blues and black.
The line forms right over there.

A single thought

2008-07-07T18:52:00.001-07:00

As a writer, I often hear things that I question, things that most people would shrug off as inconsequential. I thought of one of those things while walking with Raphael to his place from the Highland Games.
I was once told that I shouldn't wear my denim jacket with my kilt because it reflected badly on other kilt wearers, whom I was representing.
At the time, I probably said something like, "I'm not representing anyone but myself!"
I was telling Raphael this story as we walked and I thought of the answer I wish I'd had back then.
"I'm not trying to tarnish the reputation of kilt wearers. I'm trying to raise the reputation of denim jacket wearers!"
There have been swings in the kilted communities. At first kilts were a 'movement'. Wearing a kilt made you part of the movement for men's fashion freedom.
My response was, "When I have a movement, I don't want a bunch of guys around. Just some paper."
The trend lately has been to wear kilts according to a newer set of rules that tell you how to accessorize properly for each occasion.
I follow my own guidelines for kilted wear and they change with the function I will be attending. I did much the same before I started wearing kilts.
My motto from the start has been, "Kilts are garments, not costumes!" While there are certainly times where 'proper' kilt etiquette must be observed, that same etiquette doesn't apply in everyday wear. I've seen guys in Prince Charlie jackets and bow ties show up to the pub for Kilts Night. Sometimes they've been to a formal function. Other times they just felt that a kilt should be worn formally, or not at all.
To each his own.
I often wonder why people think they can tell another how poorly they're dressed while kilted, when those people are inevitably wearing brown shoes with a black suit, or the dreaded socks and sandals. (Socks and sandals are fine with me. I don't understand the fuss!)
Kilts started out as everyday wear for the Scottish Highlanders. After too much history to list here, kilts have become overly romanticised to the point where you can get into trouble just for wearing one. I know a fair bit about the history of kilts and the Scots and Irish, including some of the widely believed myths that some are willing to fight about.
Kilts are popular in the movies at the moment. Mel Gibson, Liam Neeson, Ewan MacGregor, Sean Connery, and Samual Jackson have all somewhat recently been in kilts in movies orin the public eye.
For whatever social reasons, people think a thing is suitable to wear if a celebrity wears it first. Many fashion fads have started with celebrities. (Remember all those bras without shirts in the pubs? Thank you Madonna!)
Kilts are not widespread enough to be called a fad but interest is slowly and steadily growing. People of all cultures and races are starting to wear kilts, because they are comfortable and a lot of women like men in kilts. Personally, I think a lot of guys would wear spiked underwear inside out if so many women thought it was sexy, but I'll stick with the comfort of kilts.
So here I am, representing myself, an creative, odd man in a kilt, pushing fifty, making kilts, telling sometimes unpopular truths, with a humourously skewed way of looking at the world, wearing what I please, (and doing as I please.)
Is it any wonder I am amazed to find myself single?

BC Highland Games

2008-06-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick notice:
Saturday, June 28th

•Whiskey tasting
•Beer garden
•Vendor booths
•The Games
•Highland dancing
•Lots more!
Fun time!

http://bchighlandgames.com/

Here's a little tune ...

2008-05-15T03:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tune that I heard from a friend. Her father taught it to her when she was a wee lass. (I'm told he always had a bit of funny up his sleeve.)
It made me laugh, so I thought I'd pass it on to you.

Tickle me, tickle me, you know where
Under me kilt and through me hair
And if you don't tickle me in the right place
I'll lift up me kilt and piss on your face

The top 10 alternate Bear Kilts slogans

2008-04-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

I came up with the Bear Kilts slogan 'Go Bear!' months after naming the company after the cave art logo. I laughed when I thought of it.
Some of the following brought tears of laughter to my eyes. Most of them were just written for this blog entry.
Some of them have been tee shirts. Others will be.

Here are the top 10 alternate Bear Kilts slogans.

10 - Go Nuts!
9 - We aim to pleats!
8 - I'm cooler than you!
7 - Can you feel it?
6 - Swinging into action!
5 - They're blue from the cold!
4 - Because the wind doesn't complain when it blows!
3 - Guaranteed: no shrinkage
2 - Easy access!

And the number one alternate Bear Kilts slogan:
1 - Because guys are sluts, too!

Pleats yourself

2008-04-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

Kilts Night. March 2008
I'm there with all the regulars and some Poker friends from Facebook. We're all into our cups nearing midnight and I'm talking to a non-kilted Turkish friend (FB Poker) and his wife and friends, when I notice a draught and feel my pleats fall back down to my legs.
I look behind me and everyone is looking occupied, either talking or listening to someone else.
I go with the model thin beauty who seems to be watching me peripherally and point at her. I know she was that thin because her jeans were skin tight. (This will come into play later.)
"It was you," I said.
She smiled and said, "I couldn't help myself!"
I grinned and went back to my conversation.
She must have lifted my kilt 7 or 8 times, flirtingly, when I wasn't looking. Always the pleats in the back and always a smile.
Then, later in the evening, or morning by now, I saw the person I was talking to look over my shoulder. I waited for his eyes to drop a little lower, knowing he would be watching her hand reach for my pleats.
Without looking, I grabbed her wrist tight enough to hold her but not tight enough to hurt her, and turned to face her. She was smiling.
I smiled back, "are you interested getting personal with what's under my kilt?"
Her eyes widened.
"No!" she said, a little shocked.
I gave her half a spin and a resounding spank on her ass. A real loud one. Her tight jeans gave little protection. My hand stung.
She did a little jig because of the sting as she went back to her friends.
Two minutes later she lifted the pleats again.
I laughed. Some girls just won't quit.
I'd say she liked the spank but she backed up very quickly after the first one, so who knows?
Thursday, May 1st is the next Kilts Night and I'm looking forward to it. There's always something odd at Kilts Night.
Maybe it's me.

A Forest Memory

2008-04-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

I wrote a poem.
I started to write what it felt like to wear a kilt, then the words laid themselves down and became something more, probably something better than I had planned.
Writing is like that for me. I try to stay out of the way and let my fingers do the work.
I like this poem. I think I captured part of the feeling of naturalness, of the free feeling of wearing a kilt. But it's not exactly what I started out to write.
I think I'll continue with kilt poetry and see what happens.

A Forest Memory
In the filtered green light of the deep forest,
my steps guided by game trails,
caressing leaves as I stroll alone,
I am encompassed in the fullness of life.
It moves over me, through me,
my head swims hazily with it,
and I revel giddy in the misty joy,
holding it loosely with open arms,
for it will pass into memory,
as pain can be remembered,
but not felt anew.
Terry Varga
April 23rd, 2008

Human Nature and Kilts

2008-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

We, as humans, have a natural need to discover the new, to propogate at an insane rate, create tools that are ever more complex, and to communicate our artistic ideas to as many people as possible. We are curious and we have an insatiable need to explore new places.
All of those attributes combined will eventually take us to other worlds. Humans are the natural explorers of planet Earth.
We live in an incredible time in human history!
New metals are being made. Titanium hammers are found in carpenter's tool belts.
Sports drinks are designed to replenish lost nutrients and keep athletes playing longer.
Pills are made to prevent sexual dysfunction. (The term 'hard to swallow' takes on a whole new meaning!)
New martial arts are still being invented. Aikido was possibly the greatest invention of the 20th century.
New fabrics are being woven. Goretex is breathable and waterproof for rain gear. (Imagine! It keeps water out but lets air through!)
Socks stay up without garters. (Elastic! An amazing invention always overlooked!)
And, I believe, poly viscose is the best fabric for active wear kilts.
I know of a customer that has walked the big three North/South trails in the United States in a 4 yard Bear Kilts poly viscose kilt. It is worn on one of the belt loops where the backpack rode on it and slightly faded from months of humidity and direct sunlight, but I'm told the pleats still hold and it is as wearable as when it was new.
I don't know of another fabric that could have taken that much of a beating for that long and still been in one piece, let alone hold its pleats and look reasonably wearable.
Wool, cotton, or hemp would have lost its pleats after the first humid day in Tennessee. Polyester would have been far too hot to wear. (Body Glide can take you just so far!)
Kilts are not a new idea but they're not as old as you might think. The Model T has evolved into a Porsche. It didn't stop as a Buick. It kept evolving.
Nature's law is adapt or die. Kilts are adapting. It's just natural.
The kilt I wear most often in my daily life is a wool MacBitseach tartan grizzly cut kilt. It's comfy and my favourite tartan.
But if I am going to go hiking, for a long walk, or out in the rain or snow, I'll usually wear one of my poly viscose kilts. (Though I did put on a heavy wool kilt for a snowstorm recently. Wool is warm!)
One of my favourite aspects of poly viscose is its weight. At 11 ounces per yard, it is more likely to blow up in a gust of wind.
Consider again at the human characteristics at the start of this blog entry.
•Propogation rate increasing
•Creative tools.
•Artistic communication.
•Exploring new places.
•Curious nature.
All can be, (at least loosely), linked with your kilt blowing up in the wind.
What could be more natural than that?

What kind of guy wears a kilt?

2008-04-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

Why do we write? Why do we draw, paint, and sculpt? Why do we do art? For the same 2 reasons we drink.
To get laid.
To communicate.
Alcohol is a vocal laxative. We can say things we dare not say when sober.
Art is as powerful as sex. We can say anything to our art and through art, we speak to everyone.
Thinking on it, those reasons are pretty much why we do anything, including wearing kilts.
How we dress is part of how we face the world. Similarily, we tell the world a lot about us with the clothes we wear. We can dress in hoodies and pants around our knees, jeans and a cowboy hat, or a three piece suit from Saville Row. Each will tell you about the man behind the clothes.
What does a kilt say about the man who wears it?
Is there anything aside from the points we always hear about, like confidence, alpha male, etc?
I have found that in many cases, men who wear kilts are creative. They have careers or hobbies that involve some form of art.
They are also intelligent, for the most part. They realise the societal pressures brought by friends, family, and strangers, but have decided they'd rather be different than a drone.
Often, it comes down to willingness to lead, which is different than being an alpha male. An aplha male requires followers. A person willing to lead will do so, even without followers. It is his own behaviour, not the behaviour of others, that is most important to him.
I noticed another thing about these guys. They don't need alcohol to say what they choose to say.
Wearing a kilt requires a lack of fear for societal pressures, or at least a defiance or indifference to them. So does speaking your mind.
Speaking your mind is one of the worst things you can do in today's world.
And the most important.

My Ass

2008-04-19T17:12:00.001-07:00

Lately, when I feel like going to the grocery store, or 711, or just out for a walk, I'll likely wear a pair of hiking boots with grey, wool work socks, or runners with low cut socks. Comfort and function are my goals for everyday wear.
But not yesterday.
Yesterday it snowed 2 inches in an hour. Big, white flakes the size of silver dollars. Random, bastard winds gusting all over the place. This is when I decide I want to cook some burgers and it's time to go get groceries.
I put on my 'Loud' Macleod, heavy wool kilt, my Aran sweater, and a rain jacket. I wore hiking boots for traction, (falling on your ass in snow whilst kilted is more awake than I like to be!) and high wool kilt socks.
Half way there and I realise it was snowing on my ass. I don't mean that as slang; the wind was lifting my pleats and it was snowing on my ass! I've worn a kilt long enough to be ambivalent about randomly flashing in the wind. (Besides, in this weather, there wasn't a whole lot to see!)
I got there, bought some hamburger and some fresh buns that were warmer than mine, and headed back into the weather. Just outside the door a guy in a tee shirt was waiting for his ride.
We looked at each other and said simultaneously, "Global warming my ass!" and cracked up.
Then I pulled on my hood, put my head down and showed everyone on the way home how cool my ass truly is!

As I'm cooking the burgers, I realise something that might be viewed as trivial by some and drop the jaws of others. I thought I'd like some mashed potatoes with my burger and thus the realisation.
I have never cooked a potato.
Never.
There's a lot of things I haven't done in my life. Some I intend to get to; others I'm thankful for missing. But cooking a potato seems like something just about everyone in North America will have probably done at some point in their lives.
Although, (I'm told), it is nicely shaped and symmetrical, I keep noticing how odd my ass is!
And I'll leave you with my participle dangling in the snowy wind!

Old Meat

2008-04-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

In other words, a few day's worth of beefing.
(Thought I was going a whole different route, didn't you?)

It seems some people think I should have defended 'men's rights' and mentioned that if the genders were reversed in yesterday's blog, the young 'boys' would have been dealt with severely.
Rubbish!
Men and boys have been saying things like that as long as women and girls have been saying things like that, and that's been for as long as there have been people on this planet. The only controversial thing about these comments is the puritanical nature of North American culture.
Men are men and women are women. I'm happy with this arrangement.
Let's move on.

I've been told that while wearing a kilt, I am representing all kilt wearers and should act like a gentleman at all times.
First, I try not to 'act' like anything but the person I am. I have my own personal honour and values.
Second, I don't represent pantsies when wearing pants; why should I represent kilties when wearing kilts?
Let's move on.

"Caring for a wool kilt is difficult."
Well, it's not as easy as poly viscose, but it's easier than some would have you believe. I wash mine in Woolite, in the washing machine. Yes! In the frakkin' machine! Then I brought them upstairs to my apartment to HANG DRY! The Woolite bottle said to lay flat on a towel but that didn't make sense to me, so I hung 'em up. There are a couple of dents where the hangars grabbed the kilts but they ironed out.
When I ironed the pleats, I basted them first, to hold everything in place. When I removed the basting, I could see thread marks in the wool, so I pressed the kilt again ... and they disappeared in under a minute!
Again, caring for wool kilts is not as easy as poly viscose, but in my opinion, it's preferable to dry cleaning. I just don't like giving my kilt to a stranger's care.
Let's move on.

Oh, wait. That's all I have for now.
Drop by anytime you want some old meat.

20/20 Kiltsight

2008-04-15T02:18:00.000-07:00

I wear reading glasses. 1.00x for reading or computer work and 2.75x for kilt work. My eyes were always 20/20 until I noticed my self holding a book at arm's length when I was in my early forties. I've worn reading glasses longer than I've worn kilts!
There are a lot of guys discovering kilts at my age or older and I've wondered if kilt wearing is an age related decision.
Many of us older guys start with casual kilts of one kind or another and move into traditional kilts. Is this because we have a greater sense of approaching death and are trying to make sense of life by reaching into our heritage? Or does it have to do more with losing a sense of rebellion and trying to fit into society without giving up kilts?
I have a traditional, military box pleated, wool MacDonald kilt that I've worn once on a 20 minute walk to the grocery store. It isn't uncomfortable but it isn't as comfortable as my MacBitseach classic cut wool kilt. And poly viscose is more comfortable than wool!
I'm not pitching sales for Bear Kilts here. (I'd rather sell a $750 traditional kilt than a $150 casual kilt.) I'm wondering why older guys are choosing the less comfortable traditional kilts over modern kilts.
Aside from the above two ideas, I can't see any reason. Nada. Squat. Bupkus.
Maybe it's like the glasses that you can't find. Maybe I can't see the reason because I'm blind to it. I don't have a big fear of death and while I don't understand life as a universal concept, I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin and can accept the limitations of my age.
I'm sort of excited to see if my opinions will change as I age! Either way, I'll notice.

2008-04-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

I was playing a bit of Facebook poker earlier and an odd thing happened.
A quite pleasant woman seated at the table, (Katherine), told me, I'm taking a trip to your homeland, Scotland."
Her pic was a statue with a bird sitting on the head. For some reason the pic was horizontal.
"I'm not Scottish," I replied. (Online chatting seems to be an exercise in brevity.)
"So, you're a poser!"
I didn't know where to begin to briefly explain that I wasn't a poser, just because I wear a kilt. Frankly, I didn't want to take the time to explain how kilts were evolving from a strictly Scottish garment. How wearing a kilt as a non-Scot didn't make me someone who was pretending to be Scottish, or someone who wanted to be Scottish.
So I simply said, "No. I'm a kiltmaker," which is an easy out for me but what would I have said if I wasn't a kiltmaker?
As she busted out from the table I asked her to add me as a Facebook friend because I wanted to find out why she thought as she did but she had gone.
I did a search for her name, which came up as 'No Matches Found.'
I have several friends who use a different name to play poker than the name on their Facebook profile because there are a lot of nut jobs on Facebook poker.
Apparently, Katherine was using an alias, while calling me a poser.
I just found this encounter odd enough to mention, since I've been kiltmaking all day and had nothing noteworthy to write about.
It often happens that the thing someone complains about is what that person is guilty of doing.

I'm back

2008-04-13T03:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a long 2.5 years. My life in that time has been a fight to keep what I hold dear. I barely managed to keep Bear Kilts from going bankrupt after my divorce, but I did. My son lives with me. And I have good friends that care about me.
You'd think what I've been through would make me cautious, less willing to take risks and to grab a 9-5 job and hold on to it for dear life.
No.
People have been telling me to grow up all my life. I always have the same reply.
"No."
I try to think the way I did when I was a boy; fascinated by everything because everything was new to my young eyes.
Some of my favourite things are still prisms and magnets. Intellectually, I understand how they work but holding a prism and actually watching light break ... yes, watching light split into the visible parts that together are invisible ... amazing!
Or pushing two magnets together with opposite polarities, felling them repel like some kind of invisible force field ... what a wonder! Invisible force!

When someone tells me to grow up. what they're really telling me to do is fit in, to be like everyone else, to be inconspicuous.
They're telling me that they can't (don't) do what they would prefer to do, so why should I have that right?
They're quoting the Japanese saying that goes, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down."

I am creative and fascinated by how things work. To deny that very large part of who I am, just to fit in ... well I honestly think it would kill me. I'm just not capable of being a drone in the hive. The last time I tried I ended up in the hospital for a weekend, bleeding inside. The stress of trying to fit in almost killed me. My joy was gone and that is death for me.

So I'm back to kiltmaking full time and learning to love life again. I'm fascinated again, by everything from the communication we call the English language, to the curves and lines of women's bodies.
I did an oil painting the other day and am planning more. I'm designing a new kilt. I'm home schooling my son and teaching him the most important lesson; how to learn.

Am I odd?
Yes.
Do I regret it?
Never.
Am I happy?
Not yet, but I'm happier than I've been for a lot of years.
Thank you to those who helped me through dark times.
Thank you to my long suffering customers still waiting for kilts. They are being made again.
I'm back.

Changes

2008-04-12T05:04:00.000-07:00

Bob Dylan had it right. The times, they are a changin'!
I'll be fifty this November. I haven't lived what anyone would call a sheltered life. I mean, I've been around the block, over it, under it, and climbed all the trees. But now and then something shocks me. Not that I swooned, or blushed, or even let on that I was shocked, but I let out a good laugh when I was out of earshot!
I'm on my way back from the grocery store, carrying three plastic shopping bags, wearing a wool kilt, hiking boots, socks pushed down, Aran sweater, and the usual accessories. I'm not dressed up, but I'm looking all right for a guy my age with a week's worth of grey beard.
I passed two cute young girls, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Not just too young for me but too young for anyone.
As they pass me, one of them says, "Nice kilt!"
"Thanks," I said over my shoulder, and kept walking. That happens a lot in Vancouver and it doesn't even slow me down anymore.
Then one of the, wolf whistled. I raised my eyebrows and grinned but they were behind me, so they couldn't see my expression as I walked away from them.
"Very sexy!" one of them called from about fifteen feet away.
I chuckled because they were so young, calling me sexy.
In a lower tone I probably wasn't supposed to hear, and wouldn't have if the traffic hadn't suddenly disappeared, one of them said to the other, "I'd f*** that!"

Now ... I didn't falter in my walking rhythm. I didn't do a comical sudden stop, or a quick spin with my mouth agape and my eyes wide. I kept walking until I got to my apartment building, turned into the walkway, unlocked the door, and entered. I was out of sight and cracked up laughing.
Girls didn't talk like that when I was in my mid-teens. At least I never heard it in public! Where the hell were girls like that when I was their age and would have traded two meals a day to meet them?
I'm still laughing! All those boys their age in this city, hormones raging, half crazed with puberty, not knowing how to get any, and these girls are talking about doing a guy almost four times their age!

I thought about whether or not I should write about this incident. The girls were minors and I didn't want to seem like a dirty old man. Then I thought, wait a minute! I didn't do anything but walk down the street! I wasn't the dirty one in this incident! I'd write it.
But ...
Or what if someone got offended by this post? I don't much care if reality is offensive to a small minority. Don't like it; don't read it.
Nope. Can't think of one good reason not to post this ... what was that? Manners? Etiquette? Common decency?
The times, they are a changin'!

Did you miss me?

2008-04-10T23:21:00.001-07:00

What do you mean, "was I gone?"
I have spent the last 2.5 years picking up the pieces of my life and sticking them back together with spit and elbow grease.
Anyway, I'm back and full of piss and vinegar, with big plans, (New kilt design coming out), and some help, which I'll tell you about later.
First, Bear Kilts is starting a Referral Incentive program. Send me a kilt sale and earn credits towards your next kilt. See details here:
http://bearkilts.com/creditpg.html

A guy walks up to an anteater and says, "Hey buddy. Why the long face?"
That's a favourite joke of mine. It's short, easy to remember after a few Bushmills, and usually gets a small laugh. I get a little bit humourous when I drink and I'm usually in a good mood, so this surprised me:

A guy walks up to me last Kilts Night, (he had to make his way through at least half a dozen kilted guys), puffs up to his full height, and asks rudely, "Are you trying to mock Scotland?"
I was talking to a lady at the time and was a little taken aback.
"No," I answered. "What are you talking about?"
Angrier, "Are you trying to mock Scotland?"
"No. What the f*** are you talking about?"
"Well ... okay then!" he said and turned and walked right out the front door.
Maybe it was my Star Trek kilt pin. Maybe it was my hiking boots and pushed down socks. Maybe it was because The Canucks missed the playoffs that night. Maybe he wanted to see if I was man enough to wear a kilt. Maybe he'd had too much Guinness.

2.5 years later and I'm still kilted, still coming up with new ideas, and still attracting the odd bit of trouble. Fortunately, there are still ladies that appreciate a man in a kilt, so no long face here!

Bear's Birthday Sale!

2005-11-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's your chance to get a deal. I try not to use this blog for blatant commercialism for Bear Kilts but I'm having my first ever sale. If it goes well, I'll do it every year.
Bear's Birthday Sale!
If you don't have a kilt yet, this would be a good time to start!

Leather Kilt Coat

2005-11-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

A guy walks into a bar ... no wait. That's not the joke. A guy walks into a second hand store ... never mind.

Does anyone here have the ability to walk BY a second hand store? I don't. Same thing with a thrift store, though you don't (usually) get the same quality of stuff.
Every now and then, I get lucky and find a deal on just what I want. It's hard to find a kilt jacket/coat because they have to be cut short at the bottom to allow the pleats to move freely. Not all styles look 'right' with a kilt, either.
Check out this leather coat I bought for $40.00! It really suits being worn with a kilt. The best part is that it works with all my kilts, unlike a wool jacket.
I guess the joke is on those who don't dive into second hand stores!

Ironikilty

2005-11-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

There is a double standard, even among those who go kilted, that is generally accepted as a good double standard. It has to do with proper accessorization of kilts.
On the bus to work today, I noticed a man in a black suit wearing brown shoes.
"Never get away with that in a kilt," I thought. Then I mentally slapped my own face.
All day I've been seeing guys 'dressed up' in suits, committing horrible gaffs in their wardrobe choices - and nobody cares!
Put on a kilt though, and every stranger on the street feels the need to point out that your shoes don't match your sporran, or one sock is higher than the other by half an inch. And the people who comment invariably have a glaring fashion faux pas to throw back at them.

I'm also told by the kilted community that I am representing all those others who are wearing kilts, so if I'm rude to someone, it reflects badly on the kilted. WTF is with that?
My worry is that people will start to think of men in kilts, not as real men, but as those guys who can be insulted without consequence. Milquetoasts. Dressy metrosexuals.

People in or out of kilts want you to think, act, and dress the way THEY think you should think, act, and dress.

You get a crash course in control when you start wearing a kilt all the time. It almost always leads to more self control for the guy in a kilt.

How old is your tartan?

2005-11-08T01:32:00.000-08:00

What if I told you that the clan tartans as we know them today are only 200 years old?

This link is a page on the albanach.org site. Matt Newsome states that clan tartans came to be recognised and listed much later in history than I had imagined; in the 18th century!

There have been kilts and tartans in Scotland for at least since the 16th century. Nobody I know is questioning that, nor have I seen any solid evidence that kilts were invented anywhere else but Scotland. (My Irish blood compells me to add that if a Scotii combined a leine and brat, he'd get a rudimentary kilt.)
I had also thought that clan tartans were from the 16th century but the albanach.org site gives evidence to the contrary, even telling you the where and why that the clan tartans were made.

Whatever you think of the site, it's a fascinating read and Newsome certainly seems to know his stuff!

Also see The Irish Kilt Club for some interesting info on Irish kilts.

Padraig Pearce was a poet, a schoolmaster, a high ranking member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, and a leader in the Irish Volunteers. He was shot after the Easter rebellion in 1916. He had written in a letter in 1900 that the Irish national costume should be a kilt.

They made a movie called The Quiet man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in 1952. In the movie are some youngsters in solid blue kilts.

Here's my train of thought. There is only 100 to 150 years difference in Scottish clan tartans and Irish solid coloured or place tartans. Historically, that's inconsequential. And they both seem to have been invented for similar reasons. Why then, do so many Scots keep telling me that Irish tartans are, "not traditional because they're too new and just invented tartans?"

I'm not picking a fight with the Scots with all this. It just seems to me that a lot of people seem to have the belief that clan tartans are as old as kilts, and seem to want to defend their 'ancient heritage' and hold to the common, incorrect beliefs, in spite of evidence to the contrary.

Suppose I can say today that clan tartans were designed and catalogued in Scotland in 1800, then in Ireland in 1950. In 500 years from now, I could say that 700 years ago the Scots designed their tartans and 550 years ago the Irish designed theirs. It doesn't seem so far apart if you look at it from a distance.

A kilt among costumes

2005-10-30T23:58:00.000-08:00

There comes a time when kilts are so ingrained in one's everyday life that people don't see it as a costume on you, when it is a natural garment, when you can wear it and forget it. I can spot these guys in a crowd of kilted men.

I was stopped on the way to the bus yesterday evening by a bunch of twenty-something costumed party animals.
"Nice kilt!" I heard from a (pirate?) girl. There wasn't much costume with which to form an opinion of what she was supposed to be. "You're not dressed up for Hallowe'en, are you?"
" No, I wear one everyday."
Turns out she is a highland dancer and attends the same BC Highland games that I do.

I found it refreshing that she could see that I wasn't dressed up for Hallowe'en.

Will a guy in a kilt be thought to be wearing a costume on Hallowe'en? Probably, by some. But some will see the kilt as a garment. So, don't leave the kilt at home when you go out trick or treating.
What better way for people to see a kilt amongst costumes?

Kilted Viking

2005-10-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

I delivered a kilt today, to a customer who is leaving for Hawaii in a few days. Laurence got a lightweight Maple Leaf kilt, which will be perfect for Hawaii. He was quite happy with the weight.
I delivered the kilt to him where he works, a huge camping/hiking store. Other staff members took pictures of us two kilted guys. (He usually wears a kilt at work.) They thought it odd that there were two guys that wear kilts all the time. Until I showed up, they only knew about him.
We are both bearded, though Laurence's is long and forked. (Mine forks when it's that long, too.)
He looks like the Viking that is his ancestry. Tall, wide shouldered, fork bearded, tattooed, and huge bone earrings.
There's going to be a LOT of people seeing his kilt! He stands out in a crowd, even when he's NOT wearing a kilt!

Why did I wait so long?

2005-10-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

There are questions I get from the newly kilted or soon to be kilted. It's the same questions over and over.
"How do I sit without showing everything?"
"What do I wear to a wedding/office/pub?" and other fashion questions.
"What are some good smartass answers for 'The Question'?
And a ton of others.
I'll address some of them now and then but I want to start with a comment I ALWAYS get after the first few kilted outings.
"I wish I had started wearing kilts years ago! All those years and I could have felt like this! Why did I wait so long?"
That's what it's all about for me; getting guys in kilts and sharing that feeling of natural freedom. I say natural freedom to distinguish it from any kind of political or flag waving freedom.
This is a feeling of walking down the street and feeling natural for the first time; noticing things you never noticed before, just because you're in a kilt. Some changes are personal; others as basic as the way you walk. You'll notice instant, then longer term health changes for the better.
You will find yourself more in touch with nature; more connected. You'll notice temp changes and how your body reacts to them. You'll find yourself wanting to be outside more. You'll go for walks just to feel that feeling of freedom.
Touching nature after denying it for your whole life is a powerful feeling.
"Why did I wait so long?" I honestly didn't know any better!

Metro-what?

2005-10-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

A guy standing next to me at the bus stop asks, "What's with the fancy dress?"
I'm wearing a Black Watch kilt, work boots, pushed down socks, tee shirt, Irish cap, and team jacket with leather arms.
I figure there's no need to explain why I'm not dressed up.
"Nothing, I wear a kilt every day."
"Okay. Just curious."

A few minutes later I overheard a snatch of conversation between the same guy and a woman on the other side of him. The only word I heard clearly was metrosexual.

Metrosexual? Me? Hah!

As I understand the word, it means a man who is overly concerned about his appearance; every crease perfect, every colour matching, fingernails polished, hair perfect, and every pose calculated.
Metrosexuals used to be called dandies. Before that they were fops.

Wearing a kilt makes a guy look, (to the uninformed), like he is dressed up. Most people won't notice if your pleats are messed up a little. Nice, huh? I can dress like the slob I am and people think I'm all dressed up.

iFix

2005-10-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

The backlight on my iBook turned off. Everything worked but I could barely see what was on the screen.
I did some research on the internet and found that with my iBook 500, this is a somewhat common problem. Apparently, the wires travelling throught the hinge to the lid become worn with time, causing the backlight to go out.
The solution? Take it to the shop, or take the entire iBook apart, snip out the 4 worn parts of wire, and solder in 4 patches.
The sites on the internet recommended taking it to the shop and rated the job 'Very Difficult.'
I found a site that shows how to take the iBook apart but not how to replace the cable.
Close enough.
It was a huge job and I wouldn't have tried it without the step by step, on-line, disassembly instructions. It entailed taking apart the whole of the iBook, right down to the bare bones.
Now that the job is done and the iBook is working just fine again, it dawns on me that most people wouldn't think of trying something that difficult, with the potential damage to their computer. I considered the odds and figured if I couldn't make it work, the repair shop wouldn't charge me any extra for looking like a dope. The only part I was really worried about was the diagnosis. If the cable wasn't the problem, I wouldn't be fixing the backlight problem.
There is a confidence in me that allowed me to try it; the same confidence that allowed me to leave the house wearing a kilt for the first time. I remember that first time. I was nervous but shrugged my shoulders and headed off to Safeway.
Most guys wouldn't have considered taking apart their iBook. I didn't consider NOT doing it.
Most guys don't have the stuff to wear a kilt. I've been wearing a kilt for so long now, that I don't give it a second thought.
The kinds of guys that wear kilts are the kinds of guys that don't lose to self doubt. You might get beat by someone else, but not by yourself.

Site Meter

2005-10-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have started using a free program called Site Meter.
It tells me how many people log onto this blog, how long they stay, where they're from, etc.
I can't say enough about this product! It does exactly what is says it will do and provides you with detailed information about your site and it does it free. There is a paid upgrade available but I haven't looked into it, yet.
I had someone read The MacBitseach blog from Turkey today. I happen to remember a customer getting a kilt for a wedding, who was then going to Turkey to live, so I know who he is. The point is, I can actually know how many are reading my blog on a daily basis.
It's nice to know I'm not just screaming into the wind. I've had several people tell me they keep up with the blog but Site Meter tells me the numbers are getting bigger than I thought they would get.
I now get more referrals to Bear Kilts from this blog than from anywhere else.
Not bad, considering I just wanted someplace to speak my mind. Funny how I ended up talking Turkey!

The Cold Facts

2005-10-04T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have a cold.
I've got the whole sore throat, sniffly, shivering, headache thing happening. I can't remember the last time I had a cold. I can remember starting to get a cold several times but they always seem to go away. I'm pretty sure it's been over a year.

Here's my question; why are kilts healthier to wear than pants? I'm just talking about colds, flus, etc. I have heard of all kinds of skin/rash/heat related maladies (ick!) being cured by donning the kilt, but let's stick to general healthiness.

I've been told by more than a few people, (people trained in all kinds of non-medicinal fields), that the temperature difference in different parts of the body will make you more susceptible to illness. Others equally well trained have told me that allowing more skin to breathe fights off illnesses. Or being cold boosts your immune system the same way it increases sperm motility.

I think, (and I am equally trained in medicine as those others), the reason men who always wear kilts are healthier is because they are happier. Their bodies are producing the right endorphins to fight off common illnesses.

But why would wearing a kilt make a guy happier? The attention from women and the perception that you are an alpha male from most people will boost your self esteem and help make you happy. Those are other's perceptions, so I think there are more parts to the answer.
When you wear a kilt, you know you are doing something most other guys can't do. Most people simply do not have the confidence to break out of their societal niche. But we don't wear kilts to be free thinkers. We are free thinkers, so we wear kilts. A free thinker will know that kilts are more comfortable, so why not wear one? Societal pressure is not strong enough for confident men to deny themselves what they understand to be correct.

But the main reason kilted men rarely get ill:
Walking down a street in a kilt, sans underwear, is a feeling that is so comfortable, so correct, that it makes you happy. It is a balanced kind of feeling more than a sexual feeling, like this what we're supposed to be wearing. It is natural. And that's healthy.

'Tis the fashion

2005-10-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Bear Kilts and Utilikilts are having a kilt fashion show Saturday, October 1st, at Doolin's Irish Pub. The show starts at 6PM.
The show should be a nice mix of styles between the two companies. I'm taking a few extra kilts along in case of extra models. Utilikilts is bringing a wide range of their kilts, including a leather kilt.
There will be a pipe band and possibly a great fiddler by the name of Doug Medley.
I hope all you local guys can make it out to see the show. It will be followed by a large and boisterous Kilts Night.
If it's anything like the last fashion show we had at Doolins, it should be a very fun night!

Fey; in other words

2005-09-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.
A. Sachs

He not busy being born is busy dying.
Bob Dylan

There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.
George Santayana

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome.
Isaac Asimov

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
Leonardo da Vinci

Think not disdainfully of death, but look on it with favor; for even death is one of the things that Nature wills.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

The fear of death is more to be dreaded than death itself.
Publilius Syrus

As we look deeply within, we understand our perfect balance. There is no fear of the cycle of birth, life and death. For when you stand in the present moment, you are timeless.
Rodney Yee

Death is not the worst; rather, in vain
To wish for death, and not to compass it.
Sophocles

There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?
Woody Allen

Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Woody Allen

Life is a fatal complaint, and an eminently contagious one.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.
Robert Heinlein

The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.
Zeno

Every man dies, not every man really lives.
William Wallace (Braveheart)

Death makes life precious.
Terry Varga

Kilt Culture

2005-09-28T01:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it's like where you live but here in Vancouver we live in an incredibly rich and diverse cultural smorgasbord. It's not a great melting pot. There are sections of the city that are dominant in one culture or another and celebrating your own culture is encouraged.
It's great to be able to go to the second largest Chinatown in the world, (San Francisco is bigger), or go to Fraser street and shop the huge East Indian market, or go to the Greek Festival, or the serene Japanese Gardens, or the Italian coffee shops on Commercial Drive, or Gung Haggis Fat Choy; a Scots/Chinese fusion dinner where you can get haggis won ton.
Everything about Vancouver is related to this cultural diversity. Every weekend is another festival celebrating another culture.
There are very few other cities where I could walk down the street wearing a kilt and get 99% positive comments from men and women. It has to do with the multicultural aspects of the city, with the acceptance of other's cultures and other's manner of dress.
I have seen men wearing saffron Buddhist robes, Arabic robes, sarongs, kimonos, and Chinese robes. There's even a Greek restaurant on Robson street that regularily has a staff member stand out front in a fustanella.
I have personally seen Chinese men, Arabic, Black, East Indian, and any other kind of guy you can think of in a kilt but rarely do you see another wrapped garment being worn by someone from a different culture. Kilts are easily the most recognisable wrapped men's garment in the world, so men of other cultures often wear kilts instead of their own culture's wrapped garmant.
There has been a kind of denial of culture by the Caucasian people on this continent. Why isn't as important as a new willingness to search out where we come from. Yes, we can be Canadians and Americans and still be proud of our heritages.
Just look at all the Vancouver cultures that do exactly that.

Top 10 Canadian terms for 'Going Commando'

2005-09-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

Now that it's Autumn, I'm feeling a little better about the weather. Today it was 16C (61F) and I found that quite nice. I don't mind the cold but the heat gets to me.
I got to thinking of the 'stones' it takes to go commando in winter in some parts of Canada. Here in Vancouver it's not so bad, but the rest of the country gets a bit chilly!
Here are my Top 10 Canadian terms for 'Going Commando"

10 - Inukshuking
9 - Catching snowflakes
8 - There's an extra puck on the ice
7 - Feeling blue
6 - Ready to salt the road
5 - Playing shinny
4 - Snowballing
3 - Curling
2 - No tape on my stick

And the number one Canadian term for 'Going Commando':
1 - Shovelling the sidewalk!

Fashion Tips

2005-09-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

For some strange reason, people seem to feel it's perfectly fine to approach a kilted guy they don't know and tell them what's wrong with the way they dress.

Now, if some woman stops me on the street and informs me my kilt pleats are stuck up in the back and my ass is being shown to the world, I'll thank her. (Whether I flip the pleats back down depends on whether I knew they were up in the first place. lol)
But if she approaches me and tells me my socks are the wrong colour, or my kilt pin is too high on my kilt, or my sneakers shouldn't be worn with my kilt, I usually give that annoyed looking smile. That almost always works.

And everyone seems to know how I should dress. I've been given fashion tips from fully clad pipers to hunched over, twitching junkies. You'd think either one of them would have something better to do with their time. I mean, while giving advice they are even more irritating than normal. Okay, maybe not the piper.
The point is, I knew what I was wearing when I left the house.
These people are trying to get me to fit into their view of what a guy in a kilt should look like.

The funny thing is, every person that has given me unsolicited fashion tips has invariably been dressed with at least one glaring fashion faux pas. Like the lady with the lime green stirrup pants. Or the guy with the orange tie and blue suit.
Even the pipers. As far as costumes go, pipers are some of the most strikingly dressed men in the world. It doesn't make them experts on kilts as daily wear garments.

That's the thing, isn't it. Nobody stops guys in pants to offer fashion tips.
They want to see guys in kilts dressed the way they want them to look. They want to see kilted guys dressed in costumes. Traditional. Scottish. Call it what you want.
I just don't happen to fit their ideals. Luckily, I have my own.

Wooly Bully

2005-09-03T00:42:00.000-07:00

First, I like wool kilts. Two of my most frequently worn kilts are wool kilts. Another is a wool blend. Still others are poly/viscose. The point is, I am not anti-wool.
I am pro-truth.

Many people's opinions of what makes a kilt is based in pride of heritage and traditions. I understand and respect that. But a kilt that has lasted generations while only having been worn twice a year for the last 50 years is not a good test of a fabric's durability.
One of my poly/viscose kilts has been worn on the entire Appalachian Trail, over 2200 miles of extreme temps from snow in the mountains to some blistering, muggy, miserable days. At the end of the trail the pleats were still holding. Even I was surprised and offered him a new kilt for the old one. He won't give it back until he's walked 8000 miles in it!
I dare say a wool kilt would not have fared so well.

Some of the qualities of wool are better for kilts than poly/viscose but the reverse is also true.
Wool pros:
Warmer•better swish factor•more available tartans•can be pulled/stretched during the kiltmaking process in ways that poly/viscose can't.
Wool cons:
Varying degrees of itchiness•smell when wet•needs dry cleaning•needs frequent pressing.

Poly/viscose pros:
Machine wash and dry•cooler in summer•holds pleats better with much less effort•no itchiness•similar weight fabric is stiffer than wool, so it's harder for gusts to lift pleats.
Poly/viscose cons:
Less swish factor•less insulating than wool•fewer available tartans.

Leaving aside the traditional aspects of kilts, poly/viscose has to be seen as an equal or better fabric for kilts, especially in warmer climes, and for casual wear when frequent laundering may be needed.
For those who can't or won't leave tradition aside, wool will always be the only choice for kilts. Some traditions are worth keeping and wool kilts are a good tradition. No matter how popular kilts in other fabrics become, there is no choice for many; only wool.
I prefer to have a few choices with the fabrics of my kilts.

A wrinkle in fashion

2005-08-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

There is always a lot of talk about casual kilt wear and formal kilt wear. Most people see kilt wearing as one or the other.
Traditionalists would have us wear 8 yard, knife pleated, wool kilts with all the required accessories for various events.
Casual kilt wearers toss out the rule book and wear whatever the hell they please.

I've found that no matter which of the above two choices a kilt wearer chooses, he is almost always fanatical about keeping wrinkles from his pleats.

I can see a traditionalist trying to look his best, trying to keep wrinkles from his kilt as a man in a nice suit would try to keep wrinkles from his trousers. His kilt and accessories are a statement and are often worn as a costume or uniform to a formal function. (Some of you think I dislike this. I don't object to kilts as costumes. I object to kilts as ONLY costumes. They were garments first.)
I get a chuckle out of guys wearing casual kilts, whether synthetic fabric or wool, even a cargo kilt, that are obsessed with the neatness of their pleats. These kilts are often the kilt version of a pair of jeans. People gardening in a kilt, or hiking, or playing frisbee golf, shouldn't worry about the state of their pleats. It takes away from what they are doing and lessens the fun they're having.

So let your pleats get messy once in a while. Have at least one kilt that is your slob kilt. Wear it when you're doing the laundry, or having a quick one at the local pub, or going to a football game. Let people see that kilts are more than just a perfectly pleated garment, that you can be truly casual in a kilt and not always fretting about your pleats. People see you trying to sit just right, so as not to wrinkle your pleats. They see you doing the sweep or the slide and think that kilts must be a hassle to wear.

It really is a garment! Plop yer ass in a chair and never mind the state of the pleats. Life is not neat. Wrinkles are a part of life.
If I'm doing a formal event, I'll iron my best wool kilt and try to stay neat. If I'm going casual to a fun event, the last thing I want to worry about is how I look.
If this 'I must look perfect in my kilt' trend keeps up, will we soon hear guys asking their wives, "Does this kilt make my ass look big?"

Speechless

2005-08-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

I was out and about today, running errands.
Standing at a corner, waiting for a light to change, a man in his fifties walked by with a man who looked to be his father. The father was small, wore a plaid shirt, and seemed to be healthy at first glance.
He stopped and looked me up and down. His face, which had been unreadable, lit up and he tried several times to speak but couldn't manage better than a croaking whisper.
He pointed his arthritic hand at my Black Watch kilt and nodded his pleasure. I shook his hand gently and respectfully thanked him. He patted my hand and went on his way with his son.
I don't know why this guy stuck in my head. I get similar 'comments' every day. Maybe it was the fact that he couldn't speak that got me wondering about him. Was he in the Black Watch or did he just like the kilt being worn casually? Was he even Scottish?
I have this picture of him settling in for bed, thinking about his day, and chuckling in glee about the guy he saw wearing a kilt.
I guess I'll settle for that.

The Gathering Kilts Night

2005-08-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics from The Gathering Kilts Night.
I was at Doolin's for 9 hours, trying to be a good host and having a lot of fun in the process. I paid for it today but I'd do it again.
That was one of the most enjoyable Kilts Night we've had. It had something for everyone who attended.

Irony

2005-08-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

This always happens to me; a serendipitous, perhaps subconscious word or phrase is revealed to have a deeper meaning at a later date.

I once wrote a story about an ancient Inuit man Named Tok. He had a face like a fallen cake and the only words he ever spoke were, "You lie." Tok could sense any lie.
It didn't strike me until months later that Tok didn't talk.

The motto for the MacBitseach clan is Fey.
I've covered the meaning of the word before but, playing with words as I do, I found something I like.
Fe is the elemental symbol for iron. (Ferrous.) Add a y to it and the motto for the MacBitseach clan is Irony.
It fits.

It's a garment!

2005-07-25T00:13:00.000-07:00

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, there are no set rules but a bit of common sense will keep you looking sharp.

KiltsNight.com

2005-07-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

At the top of this page is a link to kiltsnight.com.
It's a new site I've started to help organisers of Kilts Nights around the world.

It's free to list your Kilts Night or similar, kilt related event. The sponsors of the site will be picking up the tab, so check out their sites, too.
(If you'd like to sponsor kiltsnight.com, e-mail me for pricing. And yes, I am one of the sponsors.)

Simply send me the pertinent info and I'll make a page for your city.
There's no longer any need to try to explain where your Kilts Night is located. Once I have the info, just tell your Kilts Night buddies to look it up on kiltsnight.com.

Confidence

2005-07-10T03:20:00.000-07:00

So, why is it some men wear kilts easily and some that want to just can't seem to get up the courage? I've known guys that have bought kilts and not had the nerve to wear it in public for months.

Then there's that first day. The feeling of trying to be aware of everything at once, wondering if every laugh is at your expense, wondering if that girl's smile is for you or at you.

When I first decided to wear a kilt, I left the house and headed for the supermarket. I was nervous because I hadn't worn a kilt in public before but never questioned my judgement.

I am creative and trust my own judgement above that of others. I think the latter is a characteristic you'll find in most men that only wear kilts.
Where does that confidence come from?
For me, it comes from success. I've done a lot of different things and I can do a lot of them well. I can paint, draw, sculpt, and write with style, and I was a pretty good athlete in my youth. I've had a myriad of jobs, from repairing shoes, to filling scuba tanks, to kiltmaking, and I've done them all pretty well.
For other guys, it might be as simple as being Scottish and connecting with their roots.

Wearing a kilt just seems like a no-brainer to me. They're more comfortable and healthier than pants and chicks dig 'em way more than pants.

The filleadhship of the kilt

2005-07-08T00:09:00.000-07:00

It's an odd thing, this filleadhship of the kilt.
Any guy who wears a garment that most men cannot or will not wear is going to be highly individualistic and not very needing of the approval of others.
Yet, when two kilted strangers meet on the street, they stop, shake hands, and talk. They have experienced similar things in their kilts. They have had experiences only another kilted man will relate to, such as windy days, not choosing to sit in the deep couch, ladders, etc.
So the two strangers meet and talk, then go their separate ways. They are happy to have found another kilted man in their area. They might even meet for a beer someday but it won't change the nature of each of them. They would wear a kilt, no matter who else wears one in their area, simply because that is what they choose to wear.
I've been told by guys dozens of times, "You look great! I wish I had the balls to wear a kilt."
So, what is the filleadhship of the kilt? It is mutual respect for another man in a kilt, a kindred spirit, a man who does not follow the crowd.
A man.

Cool Old Couple

2005-06-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

I'm standing at a red light, waiting for green. I'm wearing a MacBitseach Grizzly Cut kilt, black fleece jacket, runners and white socks pushed down.
An elderly couple crossing the other way notices my kilt and stops.
"Well, you look great!" he says.
"I'm not very dressy today." I shrugged.
"You get dressy for the Queen and she's not here. My brother was in the Black Watch in WWII. He wore his kilt home and my mother called it a skirt. Well sir, he almost killed her!" He smiled, remembering.
Then the light changed and we said a quick goodbye. I looked back at them from across the street and he gave me one of those Burt Lancaster waves.
There's just not enough time to stop and talk to all the people you'd like to talk to.

Natural Born Kilters

2005-06-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

A guy and his gal walk up to the Bear Kilts booth at the BC Scottish Highland Games. Good looking couple. I'd seen the guy standing in the beer tent a while ago and was struck by the way he stood in his kilt. He had his weight on one leg, hands on hips, like a portrait of a clan chief. He had sort of a Ewan MacGregor ease about him.
He was wearing a cheesecloth, collarless, kilt shirt; the lace up kind, and a kilt, sporran, etc.
When he got to the booth I asked him, "You wear your kilt more than a couple of times a year for special occasions, don't you?"
"Aye, I do." he answered with an authentic Scottish brogue. "I wear it a few times a week."
"I could actually tell you did by the way you walk in it. You don't seem self conscious, or walking like you're trying to look good in your kilt. You just seem very natural in it."
We talked about kilts for a while and he went on his way but seeing him was one of the highlights of the games for me. People who have seen me while driving by have told me I look natural walking down the street in my kilt.
This guy looked more natural than all the other guys in kilts at the games.
There's a point when wearing a kilt becomes a non-event for the wearer, when courage isn't needed because you've worn it so much.
You've realised that it isn't wearing the kilt that makes you special, it's being special that allows you to wear the kilt.
I can spot those rare guys in a field full of kilted guys.
And they smile a lot.

BC Highland Games

2005-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Bear Kilts and Celtic Empire will have a booth at the BC Scottish Highland Games again. It is this Saturday, so if you can make it, come out and see Rudi, Cub, and I at the booth.

Also, coming soon ... a wicked new design for a kilt! I don't want to give away too much but I am very excited about it! This is something unique and may take the kilt, as we know it, to a new level.

Sound like hyperbole? It ain't.

Have a seat. Aaaaagh!

2005-06-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

I often hear or read women's comments about why men shouldn't wear kilts until they learn how to sit properly, with their knees together, like women have learned to do in their skirts.

This is typical of a growing number of silly people that consider men and women not only equal, but the same.

What they seem to have not noticed, is that men's and women's bodies are built differently. It is uncomfortable, often impossible for men to sit with their knees together, whether wearing a kilt or a pair of pants. We have things that get in the way.

What these women are saying is they don't want men being provocative. They don't want men looking sexy. They don't want their men looking good to other women. They are shallow, scared women that try to keep their men in a state that would allow these men to sit comfortably with their knees together.
They don't want their men acting like men.

Those of us with balls sit as we please, as is comfortable, like men.

I'm crushing your head!

2005-06-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Look at a distant guy between your thumb and forefinger, while saying, "I'm crushing your head!"
While it may be healthy to get rid of some negative emotions, the person's head will remain disappointingly uncrushed.

Now listen to a bunch of guys on a kilt forums, blogs, etc. They will tell you to the best of their ability how comfortable it is to wear a kilt, how refreshing and invigorating the breeze is, how it feels to have women ogle you.
While it is smart to get opinions before jumping into something new, you will not know how it feels to wear a kilt until you give it a try.

You won't know how friggin' naturally good it feels to walk over a high bridge on a windy day.

At first wearing a kilt feels like you're naked to the world, especially on a cold day. Your boys just ain't used to breathing fresh air.
Over the next few weeks you will notice all kinds of health aspects you never imagined you suffered from. You will notice them only in their absence.
More talk.

Look at some distant pants wearing guy's mid-section between your thumb and forefinger, while saying, "I'm crushing your boys!"
Wait ... never mind; they're already being crushed.

I, MacBitseach

2005-05-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

The MacBitseach tartan is finally here!

I'm very pleased with the colours and the quality of the wool. At 13oz, it seems lighter than the 11oz poly/viscose I'm used to.
Click on the pic to go to the Bear Kilts MacBitseach page.

Women in kilts

2005-05-24T01:09:00.000-07:00

I was told today on a kilt forum that I'd lost a sale because I was willing to make a kilt for a woman. This guy told me I was offending his Scottish heritage by offering to make a kilt for a woman who was unsatisfied with a lighter weight skirt.
The woman was quite willing to have the kilt open on the left side. She just wanted a heavier garment than the usual women's skirt.

This opens the door to who is eligible to wear a kilt? Or a particular tartan?

To the best of my knowledge, Only the British Royal Family is allowed to wear the Balmoral tartan. Other than that, any tartan is available for wear. It should be worn with respect and with some knowledge of the tartan.

But what about kilts themselves? Can we, in this day and age, state that women are not allowed to wear kilts? I hear that statement a lot. It may not be traditional for women to wear kilts but there are a lot of untraditional things happening with kilts nowadays.
Some have pockets. Some have alternate pleating styles. Some are not wool. Kilts are evolving to suit the times in which we live. There will always be a certain style of kilt for formal occasions but for everyday wear, there are a ton of choices available.
Should I sell kilts only to Scottish men? Of course not!
What if I sold kilts just to Caucasian Men? Sounds silly, doesn't it?
What if I sold kilts just to men? Equally silly!

Was I offending his Scottish heritage? I don't think so. Not intentionally, anyway.
Kilts have always evolved. From the Irish Leine and Brat to the Scottish Great kilt, to the short kilt that is today called the traditional kilt, to the alternative fabrics and styles now available, kilts have evolved to be useful and wearable.

As for telling women they aren't allowed to wear kilts, it's silly. Most women don't want or need to pay kilt prices when they can get a skirt for a tenth of the price.

Kilts are garments, not costumes!
That is my company motto. They should be worn as everyday clothing, not relegated to hanging in a closet and formal functions a few times a year. Yet, in Scotland and most other places, that's the use that kilts get.
I have not worn pants for 2.5 years. I wear my kilts as garments, just as the Scots once did.

I make and sell traditional and casual kilts. They are custom fit for the person who will wear it, man or woman. If you decide not to buy a kilt from me because I make kilts for women, that's your call. After all, it's your money; spend it where you want.
Just don't tell me I'm offending you because I won't discriminate against half the world's population.

I quit

2005-05-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

For one month, I have not posted a blog entry.
Nor have I beaten anyone to death, poked any eyes, bitten off any fingers, or punted a cute puppy over a tall fence.
Or smoked one cigarette.
I kept my attendance record clean and attended our monthly Vancouver Kilts Night. I even got fairly drunk, just to show I could get drunk and still not smoke.

In the past month, I came to at least one realisation.
I was checking out the constellations, stargazing, whatever you want to call it, pondering the incredible insignificance of the survival of life on just one of the billions of planets.
Then I thought of some of the questions I've read on the kilt forums.
There is so much nitpicking as to how to 'properly' wear a kilt. Which socks look right, what is the difference between casual and casual/dress, underwear or commando, etc.
Here's my realisation; it doesn't frigging matter!
There are more important things I like to think about. Like, what's for dinner? What time is Stargate on? If we know what gravity is, why don't we know what anti-gravity is? Who did frame Roger Rabbit?
I wear the stuff I used to wear when I wore pants. I occasionally give a small amount of thought to sock up or socks down, but I usually rely on the weather for my answer.
Life is just too short for much of the BS we inflict upon ourselves. How much of your life do you want to spend deciding on fashion choices?

I have learned some simple truths in my 47.5 years. As someone who likes to pare things down to their basics, I can often convey simple truths in simple ways.
Pain is a warning.
When someone says, "don't worry," ... worry.
Never tell when you can show.
Kilts are healthier than pants.

Right-Brain Kilts

2005-04-13T03:23:00.000-07:00

Picture a holographic kilt floating in mid-air, rotating.
Now imagine you can see every stitch, every pleat, inside and out, every technique of kiltmaking used in its construction.

When I took Fine Art in college, I used to be able to see my sculptures from all sides at once and know every detail of them and know what had to be changed to get the sculpture just right. Very right brain.

I can feel myself getting that way with kilts. It's taken me two years of daily kiltmaking, learning as I went, getting some tips along the way, but always getting better at seeing the big picture.

I've been exercising my right brain lately. Things as simple as looking at things on the bus to work, trying to see just the shadows they create.

A kilt is a flat piece of fabric constructed to match a roundish shape. This can be done with kiltmaking techniques learned from books by just about anyone with the time to spare. Once you learn the tricks, magic always looks easy.

I'm on the verge of a new kilt design. I can feel it sitting there in idea-space, waiting to come through. It has something to do with shaping flat things to round but that's as much as I know. It will be instantly recognisable as a kilt but there will be a difference.

Dang! It's like having a word on the tip of your tongue, except I have to be in the perfect frame of mind to get the word. A right-brained frame of mind.

I'm entering the art world again, this time with kilts instead of clay. For me, it always goes back to the creativity, the way of seeing something in its simplest form. My Classic Cut is a very clean and simple design. But I sense something simpler about to reveal itself to me.

In the meantime, I'm making kilts and cultivating right-brain thoughts.

Momma MacLeod

2005-04-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

I wore my yellow and black "loud" MacLeod kilt today.
I left the store about 8pm, tired and as it turns out, a bit cranky.
As I was crossing a street, I hear, "Hey MacLeod!"
I had a quick flash of spinning with my katana and taking his head, (they did film the TV series here), but instead just turned to look.
Some mid-forties businessman in an SUV stopped at the light was waving wildly at me, making a big scene. Greying hair, suit, probably gets his stick up when he plays recreational hockey.
"My mother was a MacLeod!" he yelled.
I shrugged. "That's not my fault."
The look on his face was priceless. A mixture of hurt and surprise. Then he smiled.
"Yeah, I blame my dad, too!"
Then he gunned it, laughing, as the light turned green.
No moral from that story.

Picture this; an old man has worked his entire life on a massive ink drawing covering an entire barn. It is the history of humanity's efforts at nobility. There are myths, religions, cautionary tales, fables, all drawn in incredible detail. It would take a week to properly enjoy a square foot of this incredible masterpiece.
The day he finishes the very last pen stroke at the last top corner of the barn, he has a heart attack, falls from the ladder, and dies.
The new owners tear down the barn for firewood.
No mural from that story.

Now you know why I'm The MacBitseach.

The MacBitseach Tartan

2005-04-06T03:11:00.000-07:00

While I'm on the subject of the MacBitseach clan, It would probably be a good time to release the MacBitseach tartan.
Let's face it, some tartans are better looking than others. I'm not going to insult anyone's clan by naming tartans but it's possible to have pride in one's tartan without liking the colours.
Clan MacBitseach doesn't have that problem. This tartan is gorgeous!

I ordered some of it in wool today. I have a couple of MacBitseach kilt orders already and, of course, want one for myself.
Now, which arm for the tattoo?

MacBitseach Clan Requirements

2005-04-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked the requirements for joining the MacBitseach clan.
My first thought was to answer with a short question.
How's your mother?
In a rare moment of good taste, I answered that I'd have to think about it, so I'd get my thoughts expressed concisely and clearly.
How do you write a serious requirement list for a clan that you started for the name, a clan that to my surprise, has become somewhat more serious than intended? The more I thought about it, the deeper the problem became and the more I wanted to write a requirement list with purpose.
I have the clan name, the tartan, the crest, and the motto, all suggestive of my way of looking at the world. The name and the crest both mean son of a bitch, which has less to do with my mother and more to do with attitude.
The motto, Fey, has several meanings and I've discussed them before. The meaning I'm most concerned with is truly understanding you're going to die. Death makes life precious. People who have been very close to death see life differently because they have become fey.
The soon to be released MacBitseach tartan is a beautiful, vibrant tartan with a darker feel.

So, having the clan name, the tartan, the crest, and the motto all ready to go, how to choose rules for joining clan MacBitseach?
Honour? Truth? Kilt wearing? Ring size? Heritage?
The Masons don't accept atheists. Should I exclude some group or another? Gum chewers? SUV drivers? People with other clan affiliations? Litterbugs?
There were a lot of questions I had to answer.
Hey ... wait a minute. Says who?
I don't want Clan MacBitseach to be just another clan, so why should it follow similar guidelines?

And then it all became clear.

Here's what you have to know to join Clan MacBitseach.
MacBitseach is pronounced mak bitch' ak. (Note the emphasis on bitch.)
Understand the motto. Fey: those who know they are doomed to die.
Death makes life precious. If you get a kilt in this tartan, wear it proudly and to live up to the name MacBitseach, knowing that it means 'son of a bitch' in Irish Gaelic.

Nothing else matters. If you know that death makes life precious, you will live the way you want to live, within your own personal code of honour. You'll wear a kilt because, as the son of a bitch you are, you're going to wear what you please and kilts are pleasing.

You need not be of a particular bloodline or race to be of clan MacBitseach. Your ancestry is unimportant. You need not wear this tartan in the traditional manner. It is a tartan to be worn as a garment, not a costume!

As serious as that sounds, it isn't. Clan MacBitseach Is about loving and celebrating life because life ain't forever. It's about living, instead of merely existing. It's about not being a drone. It's about a clan of people that live a little bit more fully because we wear kilts.
All you sons of bitches that intend to join, send me an e-mail. I've made a Clan MacBitseach certificate. Maybe I'll do some tee shirts.
Hell, I'm getting the tattoo!

Kilts = more

2005-04-02T02:05:00.000-08:00

More fun, more self respect, more life.
Let's look at those three, though there are tons of ways that kilts = more.

More fun:
First, your social life will improve. People will stop you on the street to ask you about your kilt. I've had some great conversations that started with my kilt!
There are Kilts Nights popping up all over the world. These range from quiet social gatherings over dinner to some ribald pub nights.

More self respect:
People respect a man in a kilt. They respect the guts it takes to wear one. They see a potential alpha male. Again, people stop you on the street to tell you how good or sexy you look. Cars honk with a thumbs up in approval. Women turn and watch you after you've passed them.
When people give you respect, you feel your own self respect grow.

More life:
The health aspects of kilts are still being discovered. I've been told of rashes disappearing, an absence of cold symptoms, and more energy. I've covered incresed sperm motility in the past but there is a definate boost in sex drive. There has been discussion of increased size and performance but the jury is still out on those issues.
I believe that wearing a kilt will cause you to live a longer life because there are fewer health problems for your body to combat. The increased joy of living is also a factor in long life. Stress kills but the increased happiness caused by wearing a kilt kills stress.

As I said, there are tons of ways that kilts = more that I haven't covered. Some things you can't get from a blog; you just have to discover them yourself.

Kilt Faux Pas

2005-03-31T02:08:00.000-08:00

What's the worst kilt faux pas you've seen?
I know, who am I to ask that question? I'm the guy that's always saying, "wear what pleases you."
But come on! There are limits to everything.
I have twice had to tell people they had their kilts on inside out. (No need for names.) Both guys were horrified and thankful that I told them discreetly.
I've seen pics of guys at highland games with the aprons at the side of the kilt. They must have been surrounded by guys wearing their kilts properly, so I can only guess they thought they were fashionably daring.
On the Granville Stroll after a Robbie Burn's night in 2004, we saw a guy who had rented a kilt and sporran for the evening. He was extremely happy to see us, calling us brothers, etc. When I mentioned he had his kilt on backwards, he laughed, as if he thought I was kidding him. Then he saw our kilts.
"Oh man!" he wailed. "All those Scottish ladies I've been dancing with all night were laughing at me!"
We felt bad for the guy and reassured him as best we could but we had a bloody good laugh when he'd got out of earshot. At least his pleats didn't wrinkle from getting sat on.

It's Cold

2005-03-29T22:47:00.000-08:00

It's cold.
I know it's cold because I see people with heavy jackets zipped all the way up, hats pulled low over the ears, and scarves wrapped around their faces. I see them shivering at the bus stop, or walking hunched into the wind. They sneeze, cough, sniffle, and moan a lot.
I see them looking at me like I'm stark raving mad to be strolling down the street in a kilt with my socks pushed down to the tops of my boots and my jacket half undone.
Sure, I feel the wind on my legs, the occasional gust up the pleats that open the eyes a little wider, but rather than making me cold, I find it invigorating.
I'm a man in a kilt and I'm used to it.
A Scotsman once said on a kilt forum that when he saw a distant man in a kilt walking in the hills on a windy day, he thought the guy was hard. (He meant tough! Unless the guy was a real hero, how could he possibly tell from that distance?)
The simple act of wearing a kilt hardens a man to the elements. It takes away a barrier with which many people struggle. Some won't even go to the store because it's raining, or snowing, or it's cold, or windy.
(I've always loved windy days. Now more so!)
I like to see that wide-eyed look, barely visible between the cap and the scarf, the look that says, "You're hard!"
When you get right down to it, it's just natural. Until very recently, humans have been used to the elements. They accepted the elements.
Men in kilts are not supermen. We're just accustomed to nature.
Anyone else find it odd that behaving naturally is considered abnormal?

Habits

2005-03-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Habits.
Everybody's got them. I think they're part of a survival mechanism from our more primitive past. Good habits have been passed on to us survivors of our primitive ancestors. Bad habits didn't survive long enough to be passed on.
There are clothing habits other than those belonging to nuns.
You see some guys in suits always straightening their ties; checking the knot, making sure it's lying flat on the shirt, inside the jacket, adjusting the tie clip, etc.
When I wore pants or shorts, I often had my hands in my pockets.
In pants, I hated it when the cuff lay in the back of my sneaker or under the tongue of my sneaker. I disliked bulges in pockets or having one side weighted down more than the other.
Kilt habits are developed as pants habits are lost. When I switched to kilts full time, it took me a while to stop trying to put my hands in my pants pockets. I'd often cover the move with an apron smoothing motion. Now I usually hook my thumbs in my belt.
In pants, you flop anywhere, legs splayed wide, no worries about anyone seeing anything hidden. You sit differently in a kilt. Partly to keep things hidden and partly to keep the pleats arranged properly.
Even tying a shoelace is something to think about. Do you put your foot on a chair and tie it? Which way to face so nobody gets a peek? Do you go on one knee? is there anyone with a lower vantage point?
All these things become routine as you become an experienced kilt wearer; habits. You don't think about them any more than a guy in pants thinks about having his zipper unzipped. Zipping up is a habit.
Tying your shoe discreetly is a habit.
Not standing against a wall on windy days is a habit.
Holding your sporran down when jumping down from heights of a few feet is a habit.
Casually dropping your hands to your sides when you feel the wind lifting your kilt is a habit.
There are not more habits when wearing a kilt as opposed to wearing pants. They are just different habits.
Very quickly they become unconscious habits. I think it's harder to get rid of the pants habits than it is to adjust to the new kilts habits.
Sometimes, usually after a few Guinnesses, I find myself checking if my zipper is up when leaving the men's room.
I haven't worn pants for over two years!

The Little Things

2005-03-22T00:18:00.000-08:00

We always hear about the way women love kilts, the way we get complimented by men and women, the cars honking with thumbs up in the windows, getting whistled at, the gushers, I even heard one story about a guy in a kilt causing a fender bender just by walking down the street!
The opposite side is rarer but we still hear stories of full frontal kilt lifting, guys who make rude comments, women who sneer at your kilt, employers who deny the kilt at work while women go skirted, and guys who yell, "fag!" from speeding cars.
The truth is, the most common reactions to the kilt have to be looked for to be seen. These reactions are the little things that for me, make kilt wearing a daily joy.
Some of the little things are; seeing a reflection in a window of women who stop and look back at you after you've passed each other on the street, guys who nod at me with respect, the, "nice kilt," comment, women that look at you with the dilated pupil smile, teenage boys overheard saying, "see that guy in the kilt? That's cool, man," and people that just say, "hi," as they walk past.
It's a fifteen minute walk to the bus stop from my store. I get at least half of these little reactions every day, going to and from the store.
If I've had one of those days where nothing went right, I'll take a walk up Granville street, or get off the bus at Robson and do some window shopping. In a short time, I'll be feeling better from the good vibes I invariably get.

Multiculturalism

2005-03-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

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 kilt."
"Very nice skirt!"
I smiled. Normally I stop there but this time I decided the language barrier wouldn't deter me. And, there was that look in her eyes.
Politely, "This is called a kilt. If you call a Scottish man's kilt a skirt, he will get mad."
"Ah! Kirt! Thank you!"
"Kilt."
"Kirit."
"Kilt."
"Kilt."
"Yes."
I made my purchase and headed for the door.
"Have fun in your skirt!" she called after me.
I turned, blank faced, and gave her my Spock single eyebrow raise. If it wasn't for the childhood scar over my right eye, I wouldn't be able to give the Spock eyebrow with my left. Even with the scar, I had to practice.
She said it slowly to get it right.
"Kilt."
I held my smile until I was outside.

Fey Bear

2005-03-19T23:54:00.000-08:00

A few months after I started Bear Kilts, I discovered online that large, hairy gay men are called Bears. I shrugged and thought, "so what? It's also the animal for which I named my company."
Last week I was told by three different people that Fey also had a gay connotation, and was told I should look it up on Dictionary.com.
I did.
•••
fey
1.
1. Having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality: “She's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a leprechaun” (Dorothy Burnham).
2. Having visionary power; clairvoyant.
3. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.
2. Scots.
1. Fated to die soon.
2. Full of the sense of approaching death.

[Middle English feie, fated to die, from Old English fge.]feyly adv.
feyness n.
Word History: The history of the words fey and fay illustrates a rather fey coincidence. Our word fay, “fairy, elf,” the descendant of Middle English faie, “a person or place possessed of magical properties,” and first recorded around 1390, goes back to Old French fae, “fairy,” the same word that has given us fairy. Fae in turn comes from Vulgar Latin Fta, “the goddess of fate,” from Latin ftum, “fate.” If fay goes back to fate, so does fey in a manner of speaking, for its Old English ancestor fge meant “fated to die.” The sense we are more familiar with, “magical or fairylike in quality,” seems to have arisen partly because of the resemblance in sound between fay and fey.
•••
That's the connection? Fairylike? It's not even used in context with being gay!
Okay, I'm not going to go on a rant about this. I'm certainly not worried about people thinking I'm gay because of tenuous etymological connections. Those people would think I was gay for wearing a kilt.
I just wish people would stop trying to warn me I might appear gay to homophobes, or to gay people, or anyone else.
I honestly don't care.

Nature or Nurture?

2005-03-18T00:41:00.000-08:00

On St. Patrick's day my ten year old son, Cub, took his kilt to school and put it on at lunchtime for the class party in the afternoon. It's a MacLean Hunting tartan and has some green in it.
In the schoolyard he was asked numerous times, "Why are you wearing a skirt?" Sometimes he was asked by groups of kids.
He tells me every time he replied, "It's a kilt. You got a problem with it?"
Only one kid had a problem but nothing came of it. The rest left him alone. Cub isn't a small kid and he's got a brother five years older to wrestle with.

I think Cub handled himself well. He sees me getting similar questions all the time and knows some of the retorts but I think he just can't be bothered with them.
I know he understands the whole garment vs costume question well because he sometimes tells me, "It's just a kilt."

I think he learned some of his behaviour characteristics from me, but I also think some of it is in the genes. I don't know if there is an either/or answer to the nature vs nurture question.
What I do know is that Cub handled a problem that a lot of adults have a very difficult time with, in a schoolyard that doesn't tolerate differences as much as adult places.

I didn't ask him to wear the kilt to school. He told me he was going to wear it and just went ahead and wore it because he knows there is nothing wrong with kilts. That much I taught him. Nurture.

He faced down the schoolyard yappers all by himself. Nature.

I'm proud of him, naturally. He has the guts to wear the kilt and to defend his choice. He is becoming his own man.

I'll think of that day whenever I hear or read about a full grown man not having the guts to wear a kilt.

Fashion Show

2005-03-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

The fashion show at Doolin's went pretty smooth. Everyone in the show and the audience had a good time and a fair bit 'o beer was drunk. That's what makes a good Irish pub!
I wanted to stick around after the show and party a bit but the busiest week of the year caught up with me and I was out the door by eleven.
First and foremost, the show was fun to put on. Then the advertising for Bear Kilts, Doolin's, and Lionheart Rugby Wear was well worth it.
Lionheart Rugby Wear lent us some rugby shirts. I managed to get all of theirs back, undamaged, but my Irish rugby shirt went astray and was gone after the show. Too bad because rugby shirts and kilts are a natural fit for casual wear.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

3 Reactions

2005-03-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

I stopped by Doolin's today to meet with Colin and drop off another couple of kilts and some rugby shirts for the fashion show.
Colin is a tall, trim, good looking guy and one of the managers at Doolin's.
He and I went over some details, then he walked me down from the office to the pub. Seconds after saying our goodbyes, some young, good looking women approached Colin and asked, no begged, if they could take a picture with him. He smiled and said, "of course!"
He was wearing his kilt.
I looked back and laughed because he is so obviously having a good time with his kilt.

I caught the bus home from Doolin's and settled into a seat near the rear doors. There was a group of four teenage girls standing at the doors. I guess there wasn't four seats near enough to each other to suit them.
One of the girls, attractive but with a mean look, wearing painted on jeans and and an open jacket that showed a very low cut, tight tee shirt.
She stared at my kilt for a few seconds, then put a hand on her hip and asked, "why are you wearing a kilt?" in that sneery tone only teenage girls can muster. The tone that says she expects and answer and bloody quick!
I don't mind this question if it's asked politely but I wouldn't let myself be spoken to like that by a big man, let alone an insolent girl.
I answered nonchalantly.
"For the same reason you're wearing that shirt. But when a guy does it, it's called hen teasing."
She got a blank look on her face as she tried to think. When she finally got it some seconds later, she went red and turned to her friends. I couldn't hear what they were whispering about but I'm pretty sure they weren't discussing which tartan I was wearing.
I couldn't help grinning.
"I think it looks great!" smiled a seated lady across the aisle. She was tastefully dressed, in expensive looking clothes.
I smiled back at her.
"Of course you do. You've got class! Is that amber?" She was wearing a nice necklace.

In the movie Prizzi's Honour, Jack Nicholson puts his back to the camera for the most crucial and pivotal point in the movie and acts out the character's dilemma. He acts with his back to the camera and you can see what intense emotions he's going through. Masterful acting!

The girl that spoke to me was as easy to read from the back. She was livid.
The girls got off without incident a few stops before mine. I had a nice chat with the classy lady about amber, mastadon ivory, cave art, and of course, kilts.

Goin' Commando

2005-03-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

The MacBitseach
There are words to convey the idea that someone is not wearing underwear under their kilt; regimental, commando, etc.
What do you say we break tradition and come up with some new terms for our underwearlessness? People of different countries could come up with their own terms.
Here's my list of Canadian suggestions.

•I'm Inukshuking (Inukshuk is Inuit for piled stones made to resemble men.)
•I'm snowballing.
•Playing shinny. (Shinny is pick-up hockey with few pads.)
•There's an extra puck on the ice.
•Going five hole. (Shooting between a goalie's legs.)
•No tape on my stick.
•Sweeping the rocks (curling term)

Celtic Festival

2005-03-13T23:55:00.000-08:00

It was a busy two days manning the booth with my 10 year old son, Cub, but it was fun!
We met a ton of guys wanting to try out a kilt but we only had a few on hand, so we passed out a ton of business cards.
Cub is a darned good salesman! People naturally like him and he likes to give customers information. And over the past couple of years, he's picked up a lot of information! He knows his tartans fairly well and picks up info and salesmanship from me by observation. I was proud of him this weekend.
Tomorrow it's back to kiltmaking and trying to whittle down the wait times.
Special thanks to Doolin's for asking us to share their booth. Once again, the staff at Doolin's have outdone themselves in hospitality.
Come on by Wednesday night for a Vancouver Guinness pouring contest and a Kilt Fashion show.

Gushing and hawking

2005-03-11T23:52:00.000-08:00

It's nine at night, I've just left my store and I'm walking through Gastown.
A couple is approaching. The guy is hard looking; fortyish, long hair, fairly tall. The woman is husky and Native.
A smile comes across the guy's face as we're about to pass each oher. He shoves a hand at me to shake.
"A guy in a kilt! You've got some balls, brother! It looks great"
Thanks," I answered.
I nodded to the woman and started to move around her to continue on my way. Then I saw the deer in the headlights look on her face.
She put a hand out and I shook it but she didn't let go. For two minutes, she held my hand and told me, gushing, visibly weak in the knees, how much she loved men in kilts. Her boyfriend finally lost patience, thankfully with her.
"Is that all it takes? Some guy in a skirt?"
She let go and I hustled off, laughing.
The guy loved the kilt until he saw the effect on his girl, then it was a skirt.
I love gushers. It's not an ego boost because nobody gushed when I wore pants.
It's just the kilt.

Saturday and Sunday I'll have a table set up on Granville street, hawking my wares like Ron Popiel selling a Veg-O-Matic. There's a ton of free events, music, and Doolin's is so close, I'll be able to have an occasional ... rest. That's it. A rest!
Actually, I have Doolin's to thank for the table. They invited me to share their space on the street. Good people there. Go have a Guinness! They'll be selling Doolin's clothing and some Irish themed paraphernalia.
Rudi from Celtic Empire will have a table set up, as well. His goods are a must see for anyone who likes quality Celtic themed leather work. I'm sure he'll also have a ton of jewellry, weaponry, etc. He's got the coolest Celtic umbrellas I've ever seen!

Top 10 Bear Kilts Tee Shirts Ideas:

2005-03-10T00:21:00.000-08:00

The MacBitseach
10 - Is there a draft in here?
9 - We aim to pleats
8 - Swinging into action!
7 - Two words: kilt check!
6 - Never shop for underwear again!
5 - Is my sporran full or am I just happy to see you?
4 - Now with easy open container!
3 - Dress like a man!
2 - Uh, oh, sporran sense is tingling!

And the number one Bear Kilts Tee Shirts Idea:
1 - I'm cooler than you

Fey

2005-03-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

The MacBitseach
I've added a motto to the MacBitseach clan crest above. I wanted it to concisely get to the heart of what being a MacBitseach is all about.

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
Fey.
Pronunciation: 'fA
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English feye, from Old English f[AE]ge; akin to Old High German feigi fey and perhaps to Old English fAh hostile, outlawed -- more at FOE
1 a chiefly Scottish : fated to die : DOOMED b : marked by a foreboding of death or calamity
2 a : able to see into the future : VISIONARY b : marked by an otherworldly air or attitude c : CRAZY, TOUCHED
3 a : PRECIOUS 3 b : UNCONVENTIONAL, CAMPY
- fey·ly adverb
- fey·ness noun

Knowing we are doomed to die is the best reason for living fully. And that's the purpose of my clan; to live feyly. Not in fear of death, but with foreknowledge of it. Death makes life precious. Feyness is not moping about the eventual loss of your life. It is about celebrating the life you have and living it well.

Kilts Night Foggy Memories

2005-03-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

I got to Doolin's at 6:30 to meet with Rudi of Celtic Empire and Evan, Doolin's General Manager, about the logo to be put on the Sporrans that go with the staff kilts.
Evan kept the Guinesses coming throughout the meeting and we eventually got the Doolin's logo sorted out. (We took our sweet time, though! Doolin's isn't just a great place to get Guinness foam in your moustache; it's a great place to do business with!)
Evan went to work at the bar and Rudi headed home for dinner, leaving me alone for half an hour. Then Toddish MacWong of Gung Haggis Fat Choy showed up with Deb and Bob. We hatched a few world domination plots, had a very tasty dinner, then Todd's allergies were getting way too bad and they left.
Raphael showed up next. We hoisted a few, hatched a few world domination plots, and hoisted a few more.
It looked to be a quiet Kilts Night. Until the brothers Biln arrived.
Devin Biln is one of my long suffering customers, suffering from the Bear Kilts jones. He and his two brothers are young, tall, good looking lads, with beautiful girlfriends who love to dance. They're a lively bunch. They stand out in a crowd because of their height and good looks and, being kilted, it sometimes seems like there's six of them.
(Devin's girlfriend looks like Alanis Morisette's prettier sister and I hope I talked her into modelling a tartan skirt for my site.)
It was about this time I switched to Bushmills in coffee to try and perk myself up.
Things get a little foggy after a while but I remember the whole bar singing along to a few songs, including a few Celtic songs.
I left about 1:30 and caught a cab home.
I can't say enough good things about Doolin's. From the management on down to every staff member I've talked to, Doormen, Waitresses, Bartenders, each one has been cheery and pleasant. I've got a lot of names to learn because I hear, "Hi Bear! How is everything? Is everyone happy?" many times during the night.
Which is the friendly feeling you should have in an Irish Pub.

The Kilt Advantage

2005-03-05T02:21:00.000-08:00

It's Kilts Night tonight! I may not be posting tomorrow, so you get a double dose today.
I'll be hoisting a few Guinesses, the odd Bushmills, and watching the single kilted guys get all the attention.
What's that? You don't think wearing a kilt will get you attention from women? There's no need to believe me. I'm a kiltmaker and just trying to sell kilts, right?
Look, I'm a smart guy. I realise most guys are not going to wear a kilt in the near future. Most guys just don't have what it takes to take the emotional risk and stand out from the crowd.
That's a good thing for single, kilted men.
The original Kilts Night was started in Vancouver by Vince Hemingson of The Vanishing Tattoo. It has since caught on in many countries around the world in various formats and levels of ribaldry.
There is no need to believe me when I talk about how many women are attracted to men in kilts. Check out a local Kilts Night in your area. The best place to find out about your local Kilts Night is X Marks The Scot, a kilt forum. It has threads for Kilts Nights.
You don't have to wear a kilt to attend. Most Kilts Nights are in public bars where you can view the action from the sidelines. See for yourself the attention kilted guys are getting.
Our Kilts Night is at Doolins' Irish Pub. One of the staff members has been wearing his staff kilt and is quite happy with the extra attention from the ladies.
Kilts are an advantage to those looking for an edge over all the other guys in a bar. Kilts get you noticed. Why do you wear what all the other guys in the bar don't have the confidence to wear?
So, don't believe me. Check out your local Kilts Night.
Or not. Like I said, most guys just don't have what it takes.

A Good Sign

2005-03-05T01:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a good sign that we might see more kilts being worn by guys in the near future.

I attended Toddish McWong's Gung Haggis Fat Choy this year. It's a fusion of Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year, with some interesting food fusions, like haggis won ton. There was about 500 people there, including some politicians and our kilted Mayor, Larry Campbell.
It was a fun night, with lots of entertainment ranging from opera to rap, bagpipes to classical violin, often all at once.
I was quite interested in two brothers who are world class highland dancers. It was a treat to see dancers of their quality in person.
All of which is prelude to the good sign.

I'm on the bus home, sitting on one of the single seats on the left side. At one stop a group gets on and a young guy stops and looks at me. He's a clean cut, athletic, guy.
"I like your kilt," he says.
I nod back, "Thanks." and he sits in the empty seat behind me.
"I've got a kilt, too," he says.
I turn.
"But you're not wearing it."
"No. I'm only allowed to wear it when I dance, so it doesn't get dirty. I'm a highland dancer."
Click! I remembered.
"I saw you dance at Gung Haggis Fat Choy."
"Yeah! That was a weird night."
"You guys are good!"
"Thanks. I'm just going to the Scottish Cultural Centre for a practice. Is there a reason you're wearing your kilt?"
"I always wear a kilt. I'm a kiltmaker."
"Excellent! How much do they cost?"
"They start at one-fifty for the machine washable ones."
Then we spoke at the same time. "Let me give you a card." "Have you got a business card?"
I gave him one and we spoke about grad kilts and school and general kilt talk until I got off at my stop.
"Where's the good sign," you ask?
Here's a guy who never thought of kilts as anything but a costume wanting one to wear every day. A young guy, immersed in the whole Scottish culture aspect, where most of the world's kilts are stuffed in closets, wanting to wear a kilt every day, as a garment.
That's a good sign.

I want to add that I was very impressed with this young man. He's a world class highland dancer and attends UBC at age 16. He's smart, talented, dedicated, speaks clearly and to the point, and confident.

Busy!

2005-03-04T02:16:00.000-08:00

The MacBitseach
Busy!

Okay, it was a silly time to start a blog but it's done and I blog before bed at 2am or 3am.
The Christmas rush starts in November. It flows into the Robbie Burns' Day rush, which blends into the St. Patrick's Day rush.
That's five months of insanity, five months of anxious customers, five months of too much coffee and not enough sleep.
St. Patrick's Day is coming and the final kilts are being worked on, thanks to my new kiltmaker, Tyler.
I saw this young, kilted guy in Gastown and stopped to talk to him. Turns out he makes his own kilts! I told him he should come see me some day and make some for me. He showed up the next week.
Tyler is really going to help with the backlog of orders. Once we're caught up, I'll be able to concentrate on some new styles and
The Gathering.

Typical Day

2005-03-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

I was waiting for the bus when I heard, "Excuse me, sir."
I turned and saw a small, thin Chinese lady looking at me querulously. I raised my eyebrows and bent slightly, to better hear her.
"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question about your heritage?" She asked.
At least she was polite about it, so I smiled.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Do you wear a skirt because you are Scottish?"
I held the smile. She was genuinely interested and obviously meant no insult. A kilt just wasn't something she knew about.
We chatted for a while. I told her it was called a kilt and that she could see lots of them in the upcoming St. Patrick's Day parade. Then I told her I wasn't Scottish. I was Irish and a lot of the Celts wore kilts.
She asked about bagpipes and sporrans and all the usual questions and I answered all her questions gladly because she was so polite.
When the bus came, she thanked me earnestly for the knowledge.

When I got off the bus, there was seven or eight Hispanic guys standing on the street corner where I had to cross. I've seen these guys around. Gang bangers or drug pushers.
Waiting for the light to change, I heard giggling and the word, "puta," a few times. I crossed when the light changed and didn't look back.

Later in the day, standing outside my store, a lone Hispanic guy stopped and pointed at my kilt.
"What's with that?" he asked. It was a bit rude but he didn't seem to be intentionally insulting.
I put a thumb over my shoulder at my store sign.
"It's called a kilt. I make 'em here."
He looked at the sign and back at my kilt, puzzled.
"What is that? Like, your heritage?"
"Yup. Irish."
He seemed pleased with that answer.
"Okay, man. Cool," and he left.

That's a fairly typical day for me.

Kilt Shopping

2005-03-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

The past few entries have told you a lot of reasons to get a kilt. Now just exactly how do you go about getting one?
First, you have to decide on which kilt suits your style and wallet. There are a ton of kiltmakers out there and the range of kilt prices range from about fifty bucks to over a thousand bucks.
You can check out the two most popular kilt forums for advice on which style you might like for a first kilt.
X Marks The Scot
The Bravehearts' Forum
You can also have a look at a ton of casual kiltmakers on my Compare Kilts page. It's a lot easier to compare when you can see most of the kiltmakers from one central site than to jump from site to site.

To choose your first kilt, you'll need to know where you'll be wearing your kilt. If it's just to the beach, or to change out of your biking shorts after a ride down a mountain, you can get one fairly cheaply.
If you'd like to wear a kilt to work, or out to the pub, or for distance hiking, you'll spend a little more but you can get a decent quality kilt for the price you decide on paying.
For formal occasions, you just can't beat a traditional wool kilt. They're pricey but a traditional, hand made wool kilt has 3000 blind stitches, done by hand, and that's just for the pleats! Properly cared for, a traditional kilt will outlast you.
At every level of kilt, there are a myriad of choices to make. Tartan? Plain coloured? Which Tartan? Pockets? Quality? Price?
There's a fair bit of shopping and research to do before buying a first kilt. Check out the above links. They're the fastest way to get up to speed.

Kilts and Chicks

2005-03-01T00:40:00.000-08:00

The MacBitseach
I discovered kilts in my mid-forties. I'm happy to have discovered them and quite happy with my life in general but there is a part of me that wishes I'd discovered kilts in my early twenties.
Any guy of, say 22 years of age, wearing a well accessorised kilt, can be a hit with the ladies.
Any guy.
It doesn't matter what you look like; too skinny, too fat, short, tall, all of these things are irrelevant if you're wearing a kilt naturally and with confidence.
I've seen it with my own eyes many times. Ordinary guys scoring big because women just fall for guys in kilts. I've even been propositioned many times. Me, a paunchy guy in my latter forties, hair starting to thin, teeth failing, and a lousy disposition, with a gift for show stopping put downs. I'm The MacBitseach and I live up to the name, yet chicks hit on me. I turn them down, of course. I'm married with a couple of boys at home and quite happy to be where I am at this stage of my life.
But if I was 22 and single ...
Why do women love men in kilts?
1:
Simple curiosity. They just gotta know if we're not wearing anything under the kilt. Women are insatiably curious about this.
2:
Handy access. Just knowing there is nothing between their hands and your wobbly bits is something startling to them. It's the same feeling guys get when they see a flash of a braless woman's breast, except men are used to seeing these sorts of images all the time. It's much newer to women.
What is newer to men is the ability to tease women, to almost let them see what you've got under the kilt. A quick spin, picking up a dropped object, sitting in a chair without pushing down the sporran all the way, etc. I call this Hen Teasing and I feel absolutely no guilt about dishing it out after receiving the gender opposite for about thirty years of post pubescent life.
3:
The confidence factor. A guy needs confidence to wear a kilt and a confident guy is a turn on for women. Confident guys get that way by being successful and biologically, women are programmed to go for the alpha male type.
All three reasons for the question can be summed up in two words by any single 22 year old guy in a kilt.
When asked, "Why do women love men in kilts?" most will reply with a grin, "Who cares?"

Physics and Kilts

2005-02-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

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. Pants retain moisture while a kilt allows air to circulate and let the sweat cool you.

Without getting into too much math detail and boring the crap out of you, I'll try to explain a bit about kiltmaking.
I have made kilts that had 16 layers of fabric in the pleats. Some kilts can be as little as 3 layers tick in the pleats. Much depends on the size of the person relative to the length of fabric used.
These layers are vital in the comfort of kilts. Layering is the best way to insulate because you get the vital dead air needed for insulation. Layers hold in the body's heat in winter and keep out the heat of the sun in summer.

Warm in winter, cool in summer, naturally more comfortable, healthier, and chicks dig 'em.
I know guys who don't want the word to get out about kilts. They want to keep all the fun for themselves!

Kilts Make You Stronger

2005-02-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

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 12oz fabric, wrap it around your mid-section,and you'll be warm. Take 8 yards of 12oz to 16oz wool and you'll be toasty.(That's the reason the kilt was worn in Scotland!)
I find walking in cold temps while wearing my kilt to be invigorating and good for the constitution. I sometimes put on a 4 yard kilt just to keep from overheating and to better feel the chill in the air.
Do I sometimes get chilled? Yes.
Do I sometimes wish I'd worn a heavier kilt? Yes.
Do I sometimes wish I was wearing pants? No. Pants are poor insulators. Even a 4 yard kilt is warmer than pants.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger," is more than a life or death notion. Let's take Neitze's idea to more mundane levels.
Write with a pen and you'll get that writing callous on your finger.
Play the guitar and your fingertips will toughen up.
Do knuckle push-ups to strengthen your fist.
Lift weights to get stronger muscles.
Run around the block to increase your stamina.
Wear a kilt to inure yourself against cold.
Any repetitive task you do changes your body in some way for better or worse. That includes the career you have chosen.
Enough of philosophy for now. Next time; physics, and maybe some math.

Whisky Tasting

2005-02-26T02:11:00.000-08:00

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 Kilts Night.
No pearls of wisdom tonight, so I'll clam up.

Homogeneous

2005-02-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

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 dressed in clothes that accentuate manliness.
Men, women, old, young, all cultures can be equal and not the same. There is a trend lately to homogonize all people into one group called humans and fashion has now led everyone to follow this trend and dress alike. Oddly enough, it is special interest groups kicking up enough fuss to get equality for their causes that has led to the viewpoint that equality and sameness are identical.
I say we should celebrate our differences and instead of trying to follow the current trend or fashion, wear something that says something about you. It could be cultural, spiritual, or anything that makes you stand out from the homogeneous crowd.
I choose to wear a kilt. I'm 16% Irish, so it's a little cultural for me but I mostly wear a kilt because it's more comfortable and healthier than pants or shorts.

Feeling Kilty

2005-02-24T02:52:00.000-08:00

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

2005-02-23T00:41:00.000-08:00

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't matter one bit what you look like when you put on a kilt. Simply putting on a kilt means you go up three rungs on the respect ladder. People want to know why you have the guts to wear a kilt, when most guys don't.
Let's face it, most guys are happy to not stand out, to be one of the faceless crowd, to work in a meaningless, dead end job for the security, to dress as they're told, to do as they're told, to be a drone. Modern society kicks the crap out of men until they conform.
I believe that kilts are garments, not costumes. But they are a unique garment, recognised the world over as belonging to men. There are other men's open garments but the kilt is different. Wearing a kilt is a way to stand up and say to the world, "I'm a man!" And there's bloody few ways to say that these days.
I guess that's why they say, "Real Men Wear Kilts."

Kilted MacBitseach

2005-02-22T00:53:00.000-08:00

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 building contractors. I usually give as good as I get and it wasn't all that bad. Some of the worst of the building contractors later told me that they admired my courage.
I sold the first Bear Kilt in the first week I wore my kilt to a customer in the hardware store.
Then I was asked by The Vancouver Sun if they could do a story about my kiltmaking company and the growing trend of men in kilts.
The story ran across Canada and an order flooded in the next day ... for two kilts ... from England. Over the next two weeks I got quite a few orders, mostly from Canada, but a couple from the USA.
So, I decided to learn to sew better and see what would happen if I gave kiltmaking a shot.
In a three month period, I simultaneously learned to sew, make kilts, design kilts, learned the basics of HTML, and started to learn about home based businesses.
Two years later and I'm still at it; I'm training two kiltmakers, I have a store in Gastown, and a waiting list for my kilts as long as a summer's day in Yellowknife. I've shipped kilts to Tazmania, Switzerland, Norway, England, and all over North America.
But the best part is still wearing a kilt! And that's what this blog is about.
I'm going to write about interesting things that happen to me that wouldn't have happened had I not been kilted. If I have an uneventful day, I've got two years of stories ready to be penned.
That's a good beginning.