Re: confidence

[Derek]

I have taken all your good advice and I am putting it into daily action by wearing my kilt around the near vicinity of our house. So far so good, no one seems to care a damn, although there have not been many who have seen me. I nearly picked up the courage to walk to the local shops to get some beer yesterday but have to admit I changed into my jeans to do it. In a way it might have been for the best as there were about 15 teenagers just hanging around outside the shops ... most of them, including the girls, drinking cans of stella. I'm sure there would not have been anything physical but I wondered if or what they might have yelled at me if I had been in my kilt. Anyhow, with regard to me and my kilt, I'm sticking with it until my confidence builds up until I can wear it to the local shops etc without giving it a second thought.I have uploaded a couple of pics of the wife and me in my personal gallery. Thanks again guys for your support. Derek.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Yes Derek I know where your comming from. Confidence is a very personal thing.I found that I started to find things to go to for example Celtic markets.Country fairs and the like.Travel to a nearby town where your not known. There you don't have to give a damh about what people say.

It's funny I've read on this forum of people who have spent their lives not wanting to draw attention to themselves and, they suddenly buy a kilt what causes this do you think? My theroy is age.I mean we reach a point where we don't give a figg any more about other peoples opinions about the way we dress.Just look at some teenagers today with their nearly arseless trousers. We who wear the kilt are making a statment about our personality.So get out there and show yourself.

All the best ...David

[Raphael]

People don't usually care what you wear.

[Aaron]

Derek, I'm glad to hear you feel you're making progress.

Just last weekend my wife and I went to a concert across the river in Camden, NJ (which, if you live anywhere near the place you know already that there really isn't a "good" part of town, although it's getting better) and as we were getting set to go back across the bridge toward Philly,we realized we didn't have enough for the bridge tolls. So it's raining, dark, and around 12:30 AM and I've got to walk down the street to the ATM machine which just happens to be on the other side of a bar with several people hanging around on the street. I had a flash of a thought to find another ATM, but then I took a deep breath and walked right past them like I was king sh!t and went about my business.

You know, I've come to the conclusion that all of this stuff really is just in my head, and the only one I've got to get past in my day is me.

Hwyl,

[Alaskan Celt]

[T90 Tim]

"You know, I've come to the conclusion that all of this stuff really is just in my head, and the only one I've got to get past in my day is me. "...... I don't think either of us are unique though, all of us must deal with that stern task master in the mirror.

You summed it great AC.

Derek, have fun getting comfortable wearing it. The more you wear it, the more you'll hate to put the trousers on. With the exception of working in my fab shop on the weekends (welding sparks are very hazardous to a $100.00 plus garment), I could wear a kilt every day, I just need a couple more hanging in the closet!

[richardljohnson]

The more you wear it the easier it gets. I started back in November only on weekends because working under desk , in ceilings and under buldings does not lend its way to easy kilt wearing. I noticed a few weeks ago I went about my way on the Saturday 'runaround' andI had someone comment on the kilt. It was at this point I actually remembered I was wearing it. I hope to get to that state all the time, this will truly indicate that I have made it.

Keep at it,

RLJ-

[bubba]

I was kind of nervous about the teens in groups at first, but a couple trips to the mall cured that. The reaction I've gotten almost always has been great. Most comments are that the kilt is cool and often I'm asked where they can get one. That's when I hand out my cards with kiltmakers URLs the most. The teens seem to love the idea. After telling one group I made the one I was wearing one young lady said she was going to try making one for her boyfriend in sewing class at school. I told her where to find instructions on the web. The only place I'm still not comfortable is around one particular bar that's frequented by a bunch of hard core drunks that are always looking for a fight. Of course, I avoid that place kilted or not. Having worn kilts all the time since March I find I don't even really think about it anymore and the less conscious of it I've gotten the fewer people make anything of it.

[Casey]

The only negative comment I have received is form my best friend (A McKenzie from Nova Scotia), But he's so damned conservative that before I could say anything to him, to get his goat of course, both his wife and my wife gave him such a hard time that he had to admit it looked good.

I do get alot of those 'What the hell?' looks but I give them the 'Rob Roy' look, I'm a MacGregor, and that usually has them either smiling at me or diverting their eyes.

Note: This is coming from a guy who had very little social confidence. But I must say that wearing a kilt has made me feel more confident.

Casey

[GMan]

Derek,

You are doing the right thing, it is a slow process. DO NOT GIVE UP If you display confidence it shows!