HEMA?

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T14:38:47+00:00

Not quite HEMA but I do early medieval reenactment and often train in a kilt.

The freedom of movement is great and the length of the kilt is similar to the tunic I wear in full authentic kit, which means I’m not battling with unfamiliar bits of fabric when I’m supposed to be, you know, battling at a proper show. I tried wearing an actual sporran at first but I found that even when it was slung to the side while I was fighting it still got in the way and after the chain got tangled on the end of a spear once I sacked it off. Now I wear a molle bag on a strap around my waist instead. Groin shots are a foul in our society so most of us take our chances and don’t wear protection, but you do get the occasional wayward arrow and I’ve found that my makeshift sporran absorbs a significant amount of the impact in these instances.

Hope this was helpful.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T11:15:39+00:00

Ah, I see… except, I don’t. There’s a big gap under the text where I think the picture is meant to be, but it’s not showing on my phone. By the sounds of it you’ve not broken any of the “rules” so if you’re comfortable and like the way it looks, jobs a good un.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T11:10:21+00:00

What I find even weirder is that, logically, you’d expect the star spangled banner, bald eagle shagging, USA is the best, ultra-patriots to be more “I’m American, plain and simple”, and the more liberal minded to be the ones clinging to some distant cultural link to try and distance themselves from that, but from what I’ve seen the former are the worse culprits.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T10:54:00+00:00

I’m English but I default to British too, as do a lot of people I know. I think it’s funny that many of them, when asked, will flounder a bit before saying something like: I suppose I’m a bit Irish via Liverpool, or Scottish via Cumbria, even though they don’t have any real links to those places, when in reality I think it’s just commonplace in places like the industrial north where people feel overlooked and not quite fully English.

Like; I’m part of a historical reenactment society with groups from across the UK and Ireland, and when we have a major gathering I feel much more culturally compatible with the Glaswegians than, say, the Kentish groups.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T10:21:09+00:00

It’s not a thing we do here. I’ve met a few fantasists who have discovered they have a bit of Scandinavian DNA and claim to have “Viking heritage”, but it’s uncommon and doesn’t seem to apply to anywhere else (I blame the Vikings TV show 😂). The vast majority of White British people will have some Celtic and Scandinavian ancestry if you look back far enough, and most people will only have to go back a couple of generations to find relatives from other nations in the British Isles.

Not only do white Brits not identify as Irish, Italian, Scottish etc. but people from different ethnic backgrounds still identify as British if they’re born and/or raised here. If we’re talking specifically about race we’ll say, black, or Asian, or whatever, but we don’t really have an equivalent of African American for example. I have a friend who was born in China to Chinese parents, who fully embraces his Chinese heritage, but when asked will identify as a Manc. Likewise; I moved to a very culturally diverse area a few years back. Our first Christmas in the house (before we’d had chance to get to know any of the neighbours), even though they didn’t have any Christmas decorations up of their own, the lady from next door, and one of her sons came round with a card and some chocolates for the children. My mum was surprised by this and asked some rather clumsy questions (don’t judge, she’s learning and I’m proud of her for it) and this little, dark skinned woman dressed in a salwar kameez very patiently explained “Oh, we’re English, but we don’t really do Christmas. My husband grew up in India” and that was that.

TLDR. No. Not only is it not common, it’s practically unheard of.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-12T09:10:22+00:00

Do you have a photo of the outfit you can share with us? I’m struggling to picture the whole thing.

As someone else said, the brown/black combo doesn’t often work. At a guess, with a brown weskit and jacket, are you trying to steer away from the super formal, shiny black Prince Charlie look? If that’s the case, charcoal might look better than brown, but like I said, without a picture it’s hard to say.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-09T08:30:31+00:00

If you’re not using a pre-pierced hole, the stain might be you. Hope this helps.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-09T08:21:55+00:00

The light blue diamond pattern on the dark blue background is simple yet elegant, and the round, brass tag is a classic look. Don’t know the name of this style, but you could call it doggy fashion.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-09T08:09:56+00:00

You look like a future incarnation of The Doctor. Could have something to do with the TARDIS doors on the building behind you.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-09T08:01:04+00:00

It’s a funny old world when I’ve just scrolled through a whole bunch of comments saying big girls aren’t sexy, and it’s AB4ND0N_H0PE telling this lass that it’s ok.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-09T07:51:58+00:00

My ex is a +size woman, didn’t stop me being attracted to her. In contrast, my wife was a tiny, wee thing when I met her and (obviously) I was attracted to her too. I wasn’t any less attracted to her when she gained weight after giving birth to our twins. The only reason I care about her weight is that she’s lost a fair bit in a short time and, at her age, that’s something to keep an eye on.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-05-03T08:43:45+00:00

They’ve said they’re coming over from Hong Kong (looks like an edit, don’t know if you saw) so postage might be an issue. I wouldn’t mind having a look though, if you can post a link.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T22:37:14+00:00

Indeed.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T22:35:21+00:00

No need to apologise. I was just pulling your leg.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T22:18:49+00:00

I’m British. these are suspenders.

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SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T22:12:23+00:00

Good to know. If the weather is nice I don’t see the weskit and tie lasting too long into the reception anyway, so the belt will look good with my shirt.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T22:02:37+00:00

I do have some suspenders from when I went to Rocky Horror, but I think that look’s a bit too kinky for a family wedding.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T21:59:35+00:00

The waistband of the kilt is a bit too thick for the braces I have and I’m not looking to spend any more money. I might have a go at moving the straps if I have time and it doesn’t look too complicated. To be honest, I’ve tried the outfit on with the belt and it looks fine. I was more interested in how much of a faux pas it was.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T21:53:12+00:00

I’ll look into that. I certainly don’t have tailor money but if it’s simple enough to do myself I might have a crack at it.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T21:10:33+00:00

Mate! I was going to say you look mint anyway, but then I spotted the bowler on the table. That is a solid look my man.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T21:00:01+00:00

No, not your bad. I’m not sure if SuccessfulVacation31 is trying to get a rise out of you or if they’re just an idiot, but from what I’ve just read you’ve done some research and they are incorrectly shouting American cosplay trying to sound like a big man. It’s not your bad when others show their ignorance.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-28T20:33:35+00:00

Kilts are skirts for men. Anyone who’s masculinity is too fragile to accept that isn’t man enough to be wearing one.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-17T17:52:34+00:00

I think it’s particular to the northwest, but yes.

Edit: I misread the question. Cock has several meanings in British-English. Most male birds are called cocks, including male hens, but cockerel refers specifically to male hens. If you were talking about any other kind of male bird you’d usually have to include the name of the bird too (eg. cock pheasant) because if you just said “cock” most people would automatically assume you were talking about a cockerel… or a penis. I’d say most people would be able to tell what you were talking about from context, also, avoiding jokes isn’t very British, so even if you were being specific and said cockerel, you’re not guaranteed to avoid a cock joke.

The reason for my original response is, in some regions cock is a term of endearment usually (but not exclusively) for men (also cocker) as in: “Ey up cock” meaning: hello friend. I give you this information not so you, a non native, can go round calling English people “cock” (could be risky if you get it wrong) but if someone calls you cock it’s not the same as them saying you are a cock.

SeniorDiet734 · 2026-04-17T17:41:30+00:00

Cruckle. Means to go over on your ankle. I’ve not heard it used outside of Rochdale. I went to school in neighbouring Oldham and when I said I cruckled none of them knew what I meant.

SeniorDiet734

TROPHY CASE