Why don't we see more men wearing kilts?

[WillowEstate]

As I said in my intro, my initial motivation for starting to wear my kilt was specifically to look different and, therefore, to be easily located. But since I retired, it's just another pleasant option, depending on what the day holds. I suppose that counts me in both the "let's keep it exclusive" and "let's promote it more generally" groups. So going off to get the week's groceries is an obvious occasion. And today I did the rounds of the car yards kilted, looking for a replacement car.

Interestingly, spontaneous discussions about the kilt seem to come from two sources, ladies who ask if I'm going somewhere special and gentlemen with some link to Scotland. Quite a lot of these brief conversations end with the ladies saying they would like to get their significant others into a kilt and the gents saying they wouldn't be brave enough or they couldn't afford a kilt. I should say, the vast majority of people just take no notice and I've only ever had one less than positive comment, from a group of lads on the Underground (subway) in London, who had clearly had too much "falling down juice"!

There is, I think, a perception that kilts are very expensive and, indeed, for a handstitched pure wool worsted kilt that is true (the local kiltmaker - yes, there is at least one here in Australia - charges from around $550 Australian for a bespoke kilt). But there are cheaper options and while members of this auguste body would spot them immediately, the vast majority of the population wouldn't, so for an introduction to kilt wearing, it needn't be an expensive experiment.

Of course, as most here will attest, once you are hooked, the cost can become somewhat more significant!

As for the "bravery", or lack of it, part, I think we can encourage others by, as Nike say, "just doing it" as a completely natural dress choice.

My words of wisdom in these random conversations don't seem to have had much effect so far, in that I've never seen another kilt wearer in Australia since we moved here four years ago, unless you count a bagpiper at Sydney harbour who seemed to be wearing a modified lady's tartan skirt. To make my earlier point, very few people noticed anything except a "kilted" piper.

[CDNSushi]

So wearing a kilt gives a man a strong sense of masculinity and freedom and many women are attracted to men in kilts. So why do we see such a small number of men wearing kilts? I have never seen a man in a kilt where I live in Milford, PA (USA). Are we men too chicken? And in NYC maybe be once.

For those of us in "the club," kilts may indeed give a strong sense of masculinity, but that is certainly not a feeling that is universally shared. As Nik pointed out, his brother associates kilts with women's skirts. (Say what you want, and justify it any way you please, but the fact remains, many will see it that way and no amount of convincing will change that)... And it's not just other men, but many women make that association too.. We've all seen our fair share of women who are opposed to their S.O. wearing a kilt for that reason... A further complication, is that there is a common misconception and gross misunderstanding that ANY perceived femininity in a man equals homosexuality... When I was just walking down the street kilted in Edmonton, I certainly saw this first-hand, as a truck full of "manly men" rolled down their windows and yelled "f*ggot!" at me...

I don't think you needs to look much further than this to understand why more men don't wear NOT just kilts, but ANY clothing too far removed from the standard, accepted norms. Yes, men ARE too chicken (to answer the OP's question directly). Men are scared to death of having their masculinity challenged. When I was growing up, the worst possible insult you could hurl at someone on the playground was "....like a girl." "You throw like a girl." "You cry like a girl." "You look like a girl." etc. As if somehow there were something wrong with girls. After I grew up, I realized... What's so wrong with femininity? By the virtue of getting married and loving my wife means that I have to be comfortable being around femininity... But many men still, haven't quite grown up, and at least on some visceral level seem to be deathly afraid of getting cooties, or "girl germs."

I think that over time, we may start to see some change. As the equality of women becomes more accepted, and feminine things stop being seen as so terrible, and as the LGBTQ movement gains wider acceptance, I think more men will lose their fears and start expressing themselves without fear of being ostracized. But that'll take a while.

[HuDonald]

I like to wear kilts as often as I can... however, professional dress code and patient consideration dictates I abide by the trousers-based attires. However, when I do wear my kilts out with my friends or to school, they are well received, and my friends actually tell me it brightens their day to see me in a kilt

There is hope ;)

[Jaggy thistle]

I must be one of the enlightened Scots as I wear the kilt everyday and have done for 60 yearsand never had anything but positive comments!

[jeanfor]

Amen to that!

[Shedlock2000]

Well... probably depends on the job and the employer. Good luck!

Thanks, Father!

[t_challa]

I am very new to kilt wearing (only 2 weeks in), but so far, all my experiences have been nothing but positive. I live in London and yesterday I was down by Waterloo and found that if people noticed they didn't care (or just held their feelings in check). I have worn my kilt to a club where I DJ and had nothing but compliments from girls in the crowd. There were a few wisecracks from the doorman (only in jest as they're a goo bunch) but other than that I just do my thing and wear the kilt with pride and confidence. If people notice, cool.

I have already ordered my second one, which will be arriving on Tuesday, and have my eye on my 3rd one as well as having a traditional one made. I shall definitely be wearing them on a regular basis while the weather is good (might even be brave and wear them when the weather goes a bit colder). As for why you don't see more men wearing them, maybe it's because they think only Scottish/Celtic people can wear them; maybe they're scared of standing out in a crowd; or maybe they're scared of being laughed at. As someone else on this thread mentioned, the only way to change attitudes is for more men to start wearing them, with confidence and pride

[Pipersson]

Kiltwearing is not very common in Germany exerpt you a member of a pipe band.
Especially in Darmstadt where I live it seems to be very unusual but after some time here I noticed there were some poeple who do so.
Now I think of founding a kind of kiltwearer regulars' table in a pub called the Green Sheep whichs owner is also a kiltwearer and whisky expert..
So lets see....

Tom

[Dale Seago]

Friday evening I walked into a BevMo! store to pick up some whisky. At checkout I ended up in line behind an attractive black woman who immediately told me -- effusively! -- how fine I looked in my kilt. She then said she really wished more men would wear them.

[jeanfor]

Friday evening I walked into a BevMo! store to pick up some whisky. At checkout I ended up in line behind an attractive black woman who immediately told me -- effusively! -- how fine I looked in my kilt. She then said she really wished more men would wear them.

The problem is with men! Wearing a kilt is really no big deal!