Kilt Blog

In the past I said that I have a pretty liberal definition of what is a kilt . And I should be clear up front, that the Blaklader Swedish Work “Kilt” doesn’t fit even my criteria. I suppose that it is a man’s work skirt, and perhaps a useful garment to some, but I was rather disappointed with mine.

One thing I think is important in deciding if a garment is a kilt is whether it has pleats. The Blaklader sort of has pleats, but not really. I can’t consider 1/2 inch deep a pleat, they are more like poorly sewn wrinkles in a cone of fabric; a kilt should have pleats with some depth that continue up to the waistline and taper to shape the fall. This man skirt doesn’t. To make matters worse, I really can not tell how the designer intended some of these “pleat-lets” to lay.

Another thing, which I now realize is important in a kilt, but never gave much thought to in the past: a kilt must taper at the fell so that weight is evenly distributed across a wide area. The Blaklader closes with four buttons along the waistline, distributing all of the pressure over a narrow band. It fits in the waist like a poorly made pair of trousers.

Not everything about the Blaklader is this poor. There is a wonderful number of pockets. I do wish that some of them closed more securely. I wouldn’t put my wallet or mobile in the outer front pockets, but they would make fine pouches for nails, screws, or even a notepad.

One last thought. This is a cheaper work “kilt” than a Utilikilt Workman model, about half the cost. It does have a hammer loop. If a man really needed a garment easy on his manhood while working, it could serve that purpose. I would not say it is even close to half as nice as a Utilikilt Workman, but for some men the price might make it the only choice. The safety model comes in dayglow and might actually be useful for directing traffic; gawking motorists might even be entertained, rather than merely annoyed, while awaiting their turn to drive through a road project.

Since I purchased my Blaklader, they now have a retailer in the United States , The New Worker seems to stock the Blaklader Workman’s “kilt”, albeit in black only.

The Good: It is cheap and has lots of pockets. It could prove useful as an unbifricated garment for workmen. I wouldn’t care if I got paint or motor-oil on it.

The Bad: It fits poorly in the waist and has no real pleats. Some pockets are like pouches and not very secure at holding valuables. Ugly. Not really a kilt, rather a strange looking man skirt.

Overall rating: D, for disappointing.

I like to keep an open mind about what is a kilt. Basically, if its a man’s skirted garment with pleats in the back and an apron in the front opening to the right, I will happily call it a kilt and maybe even buy one! However, tonight I happened upon uni-kilt.com, offering a “lycra mini kilt”. It has no apron at all, rather it is pleated all around. It is made from the same stuff as stretch-pants. And, judging by the pictures on their website, they market it more towards women than men. If that doesn’t send you running to buy one, consider their other offerings: tartan lycra g-strings and bikini panties made for men who aren’t comfortable with being “traditional” under their “kilt”. I, for one, think I will pass.