utilikiltI am reminded of that book, the title of which is “How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe’s Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It”.

Well, it seems that the Scots have really gone and done it now. Or, at least they’ve conquered the former cowboys in the western United States. Men of Washington state are taking to the wearing of skirts, or as they euphemistically refer to them, “utilikilts“. They love the comfort of the new fashion and since they are not plaid nor tartan, there’s little risk of being attacked by the bloodthirsty McCampbell clan. Just “Don’t call them men in skirts - they’re men in Utilikilts” says “The Seattle Post”.

Steven Villegas, invented the Utilikilt in 1996, while he was refurbishing a motorcycle in his garage. He found his pants were uncomfortable for the task, so he cut them up and refurbished them into a kind of kilt. The trousers he used were his favorite work outfit - a pair of green military field pants. One day he absent-mindedly wore the skirt/kilt outside of the garage and the rest is history, so to speak. Mr. Villegas found he didn’t really care what anyone else thought about his new style of attire, however passersby approved. “Someone said: ‘Nice kilt.’ And a girl said: ‘Nice legs.’ And an old lady said: ‘That looks good on you.‘”. He now describes men who wear kilts as self-confident free thinkers who are unconcerned with what the world thinks of their fashion statement. Since then he has converted many other “free thinkers” to his new style of attire for men.

The Utilikilt is now the company uniform at Germano & Associates, Inc., a firm of marine biologists who analyze a variety of sediment from fresh water to the deep sea. “We’re the only kilted marine biologists and so people always remember us when we do a job,” said Joe Germano, 54, the company’s president. “They’re just a wonderful marketing angle.” The pockets, used to hold such tools as wrenches, screwdrivers and batteries, are practical on the field, said Germano, 54. And pants simply aren’t as fun to wear.

So ladies, for those men in your life, you know where to go for your Christmas shopping this year. From their reaction to your novel gifts, you will be able to discern which of them is really a free thinker and “his own man”.

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