Utilikilts Seattle: Go Pantless
Located in the city's Pioneer Square neighborhood, Utilikilts Seattle is helping men go pantless, one customer at a time. Utilikilts Seattle is the flagship retail outlet for the Utilikilts company, whose Utilikilts are designed to provide men with a useful alternative to ordinary pants. A second location recently opened in San Francisco on Mission Street. Look for the Utilikilts thorny logo, cast in stainless steel, above the storefront.
The kilts come in a variety of materials, including cotton, duck cloth, leather and lightweight nylon. There's even a Tuxedo model Utilikilts for special occasions. Steven Villegas, the founder of Utilikilts, began designing them in 1999, wanting a men's garment that combined comfort with pockets and tool holders.
The rugged garments -- which currently include models the Original, the Mocker (the name's a play on Dockers), Workmans and Survival -- have become a favorite with many Seattleites. The business won the Better Business Bureau's Business of the Year Award in 2004 for its innovative business practices.
While the utilikilts can be purchased online, the store is worth a visit. Small and eccentrically decorated, it provides a taste of Seattle's more hippie-ish side. Those who don't want to invest in a kilt just yet can find t-shirts celebrating the kilted lifestyle with slogans like "Better caught with your kilt up, than your pants down…" and "My armadillo don't like me trousers" or a restroom sign featuring a kilted male silhouette.
The company does not advertise, preferring to let its loyal customers spread the word about their "Men's Unbifurcated Garments."
HelloSeattle tip: Ladies, look elsewhere for your own kilts. Utilikilts designs its kilts exclusively for the male figure.
Posted on Mar 22, 2011 by Cat Rambo
