Quote Originally Posted by Peter Crowe View Post
There are two observations I have on your disappointment about wearing kilts in Scotland.

1) Scotland is a free country where you are at perfect (legal) liberty to wear your kilt every day if you so wish. The only proviso is that it is not against your employer's dress code/health and safety regulations for operating machinery.

2) It has never been customary for men throughout Scotland to wear the kilt every day. Perhaps in the Highlands and Islands before 1746 it was the most common form of male attire, however, those mounted on horseback would have worn the original trews (tartan fitted trouser like garments cut on the bias that covered the feet).

I agree it is sub-ideal that owners of reputable kilt shops (in order to protect their reputation for quality) feel the necessity to insist their staff not wear kilts to work. However, as a frequent (although not daily) kilt-wearer from Scotland, the reputable businesses have my sympathy. The 'tartan kitsch tat' shops are far from helpful to those of us who wear and wish to promote Traditional Highland Civilian Dress. In fact, if I ever come close to suffering from the much vaunted Caledonian Cringe it is when I see these businesses cheapen my country's culture for a quick tourist buck. Scotland's culture and heritage (including the kilt and tartan in their correct place) is something very dear to me and beyond pecuniary value .

This is a significant part of the reason I stopped wearing traditional tartan kilts; there is something you are feeling that, as an outsider to your culture, I do not feel. I know of no way around that; I have tried to translate it to my own experiences , but that seemed to make things worse. Sometimes, when I just don't have or understand what other's are very strongly emotionally experiencing, I think it's best for me to back away.

Perhaps Cowher is also going through this.