Weird Clothes are OK

[biblemonkey]

I have never been one to be derisive about the "fringe" culture like (some) goths, tattoos, peircings, etc. I guess it's a combination of being an outcast when I was younger and the way I was rasied. Plus most of my friends are fringe types and I'm still a bit out there myself. But since wearing the kilt I have found myself even more tolerant and appreciative of the different styles that people choose to wear. As long as someone looks like they made an effort that morning I find myself admiring their boldness and how comfortable they seem in their own skin that they could wear such clothes in public.

For instance, this morning I stopped at a gas station and inside was a fellow with a huge cowboy hat, tight jeans, super tall lime green and brown cowboy boots, a bandana around the neck, and a "catfish" style Klingon mustache. At first I was taken aback but then I realized, "this is who this guy is. He looks very at home in these clothes." and I instantly couldn't picture him wearing anything else. Nor would I want to.

Now, though there is a limit to my acceptance (such as sleep pants in public but let's not get into the negatives here) I think this is a good sign of a growing maturity on my part (which was sorely needed) and the kilt is partially to blame. It seems the more confidence I have in myself and my choices the more willing I am to accept (within reason) the choices that others make as well.

Just thought I'd share,
Hugh

[davedove]

I can agree with that, although I also believe there is a time and a place for everything.

What really gets me though are the people who dress a certain way to be different, and then wind up congregating with others that dress the same way so that they all wind up looking the same.

[biblemonkey]

I can agree with that, although I also believe there is a time and a place for everything.

What really gets me though are the people who dress a certain way to be different, and then wind up congregating with others that dress the same way so that they all wind up looking the same.

You mean like the Highland Games?

[O'Searcaigh]

This reminds me of an experience I had after moving from one part of the country (the pacific cost) to another (the deep south) one winter. I was walking through a mall dressed in blue jeans, turtleneck fisherman's knit sweater, a pea-coat and Greek Fisherman's cap -- pretty standard dress for where I had come. Coming toward me was a fellow dressed in western slacks, boots with silver tips, western embroidered coat, shirt with silver collar tabs, ten gallon hat... I thought he was "turned out" neatly but he looked at me and said "You dress funny!" I just broke out laughing -- I don't think he got the joke. Alas, there are folks who will be judgmental no matter what you do or how you dress -- unless its just like them. I too appreciate different styles, especially if done with a sense of "style/class" regardless of the "tradition" with which they might be associated. Hmmm... I wonder what tradition is associated with pajama bottoms, flip-flops, and tee-shirts?

[auld argonian]

I can remember (vividly....that's my curse) being in my mid-teens and seeing photos of T he Buffalo Springfield (Stephen Stills and Neal Young et al) and thinking, "Man...these guys are SO cool!". Thus began my dressing like I was a charter member of Buffalo Springfield...and, to a certain extent, I still dress a bit like that today.

I have had friends along the way that have been leather people, hippie people, greasers, dudes with gynormous Afro's, guys with gynormous Jew-fro's, dudes from "hair" bands, Bowie look-alikes, Disco Queens (the female ones...know a couple of male ones, too), cross dressers, cats actually FROM Africa who wore djelebas and such, mods, neo-mods, punkers, skinheads....all of then were real people and felt comfortable living in the skin they were in.

You see somebody dressed "weird" and you either start thinking, "That person is not dressed normally! Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!" or you figger that they're a real person in spite of what they're wearing and go relate to them like a normal human being.

When my kids were younger, we used to go camping in Minnesota and we somehow ended up always going during Sturgis week...thus whole lotta bikers on the road, in gas stations, the motels, the restaurants. The kids were petrified....but these folks looked just like all of the people that I grew up with so I had to just shake my head and tell the kids that most of them were probably all right. Best part was catching my son oogling a biker chick in leather chaps fueling up her bike at the pump next to us at the gas station...if my wife hadn't been there I would have had to say, "Hot, huh? Still think bikers are all some lower form of life?"

It's the thing about "the Other"...a concept that we all would do well to get past.

Best

AA

[O'Searcaigh]

You see somebody dressed "weird" and you either start thinking, "That person is not dressed normally! Warning! Danger, Will Robinson!" or you figger that they're a real person in spite of what they're wearing and go relate to them like a normal human being.

When my kids were younger, we used to go camping in Minnesota and we somehow ended up always going during Sturgis week...thus whole lotta bikers on the road, in gas stations, the motels, the restaurants. The kids were petrified....

An awful lot of years ago I used to ride my bike down the Pacific coast highway near Malibu on the week-ends. There was a little restaurant there that was a favorite of bikers. You'd see dozens of chrome decked-out Harleys with riders dressed in expensive leathers etc. but for many of them, their "day jobs" were as doctors and lawyers (who else could afford those rides and outfits?)

[Jack Daw]

I ...Now, though there is a limit to my acceptance (such as sleep pants in public but let's not get into the negatives here)...

Just thought I'd share,
Hugh

I did something I hadn't done in years - Along with TriolaMJ and other friends, I attended a midnight showing of a sci-fi movie at an old movie theatre that has seen better days. There were several that showed up wearing pajamas. I wasn't one of them, but I accepted this as they were all in their 20s and they will do that sort of thing.

[auld argonian]

An awful lot of years ago I used to ride my bike down the Pacific coast highway near Malibu on the week-ends. There was a little restaurant there that was a favorite of bikers. You'd see dozens of chrome decked-out Harleys with riders dressed in expensive leathers etc. but for many of them, their "day jobs" were as doctors and lawyers (who else could afford those rides and outfits?)

Yeah...we have the same kind of thing with people who work on the commodities markets hereabouts on top of the doctors and lawyers. I told my kids to look at their hands....usually that tells the difference between the blue and white collar bikers.

Best

AA

[James Hood]

Uber-white collar bikers are colloquially known in the west burbs as, "Hell's Bureaucrats."

"Hey, man, you just knocked over my Pink Squirrel and splashed my Gucci leathers. One more move like that and I am gonna audit your ___!"

[Sir Didymous]

Though I'm just getting around to the first time for wearing kilts specifically, I've been a long time weird clothing wearer. I'm 27 now and in December will turn 28, since the start of my senior year of high school I am rarely seen in anything other than historical garb. By historical I mean not only the medieval English garb I wear most of the time but also Renaissance (English, Spanish, And Italian), American colonial, and occasionally Victorian (for dress occasions). Note that none of these normally bring about the thoughts of Scottish attire, so now I'm stepping into uncharted territory. So please be patient with me.