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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Scots Fight Fake Kilts

Tired of foreign knockoffs, Scottish kilt-makers ask EU for protection

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(Newser) – What do plaid skirts have in common with champagne and feta cheese? If Scottish lawmakers have their way, the kilt could be the latest European product to receive a "protected designation of origin" status. Cheap kilt knockoffs could still be sold, but only the real thing—pure wool, hand-sewn in the highlands—could be branded a Scottish kilt, explains the Independent.

The cheap knockoffs, selling for around $40, "are degrading our national dress," says Scotland's Member of European Parliament. Proper kilts will set you back at least $300; the fakes are "essentially tartan skirts imported from India and China," and to a true Scotsman they are "an embarrassment to our culture and our country." 

Sean Connery is such a patriotic Scotsman that even his Mercedes-Benz is Tartan. The actor, getting into the custom Tartan Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, is the Honorary Chairman of Dressed to Kilt, an annual fashion show in New York City celebrating Scottish fashion and culture. Alyn Smith can likely count on...
Sean Connery is such a patriotic Scotsman that even his Mercedes-Benz is Tartan. The actor, getting into the custom Tartan Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, is the Honorary Chairman of Dressed to Kilt, an annual...   (Associated Press)
Sir Sean Connery arrives at the
Sir Sean Connery arrives at the "Dressed to Kilt" fashion show, Monday, April 3, 2006, in New York, which benefits Friends of Scotland, a charity dedicated to advancing contemporary Scottish issues in...   (Associated Press)
The Scottish government is a buyer of kilts in bulk, though that doesn't mean that it approves of cutting corners in the manufacturing process. Hand-sewn, please, and made from Scottish sheep.
The Scottish government is a buyer of kilts in bulk, though that doesn't mean that it approves of cutting corners in the manufacturing process. Hand-sewn, please, and made from Scottish sheep.   (Magnum Photos)
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