X Marks the Scot - An on-line community of kilt wearers.
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10th June 08, 10:27 AM
#1
Am I losing my love affair with kilts?!
I've been going kilted now for probably over three years. I have four UKs that I wear in rotation everyday. I do have a handsewn (by me) traditional tartan kilt but no longer wear it because it's from the days when I was a 32" waist versus the the 35" I am now. I also have a SWK Black Watch - whatever his really basic one is. I don't really like the SWK that I got but I guess I can't really expect much from an $80 kilt so I've only worn it a couple times. My job requires that I wear a uniform so I don't wear the kilt at work. However, I do wear the kilt to work (we have locker rooms) and change into my uniform and at the end of the day I change back into the kilt. So, I do wear a kilt everyday, just not all day everyday, except for days off. And, living in Chicago I've even worn a kilt on the coldest days, albeit with long johns sometimes. So, that's the back story, here's what's bothering me. I've participated in some activities in the last couple years where I've seen that my wearing a kilt is actually proved to be a hindrance. Kayaking was the first time I realized that my kilt is not the best thing to be wearing. So, now I know to wear shorts when I go kayaking. Another thing is tramping around in thick brush in the woods. I'm a outdoorsman of sorts so I like to get off the trail and into the thick of things occasionally to get a good look at something or take some pictures or whatever. I've found that the kilt allows egress of unwanted critters (things like ticks) that I would be less likely to experience wearing shorts or pants. Finally a couple more things. I'm probably going to make some kind of lateral career move out of zookeeping and into a conservation organization in the next year or so. Wearing a kilt every day is unlikely to be acceptable attire for a position regularly dealing with the public, volunteers, etc. I'm thinking I'd be better off trying to interact with people in this capacity were I not potentially adding the distraction of wearing a kilt. I also suspect most places I'd look to for employment would expect a traditional mode of dress. And lastly, I'm a pretty thick-skinned guy but I do get pretty tired of feeling like I'm on display every day of the year simply because I'm wearing a kilt. I know a lot of that has to do with the kilt still not being very mainstream at all and I also live in an area with a lot of narrow-minded people who think it's funny to be rude and obnoxious. It just gets really tiring and I'm beyond using witty comebacks and what not, it's just not worth it to acknowledge some idiot's comments. So, I'm finding now that I'm just not as enamored of the kilted lifestyle as I was a few years ago, and I have more difficulty justifying wearing the kilt in situations where I know pants/shorts would be much more acceptable either from a social standpoint or a practical standpoint. I'll continue to wear kilts, probably as long as I live because they can be so much more comfortable than bifurcated garments. However, I'm coming to the realization that maybe the garment of choice of my ancestors simply isn't the best choice for every occasion. Anybody else struggle with these issues?
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