So This Is What It Means To Be Kilted?

[Riverkilt]

I'm visiting a ladyfriend in Prescott, AZ...a fair sized city in central Arizona with a long and colorful history (Doc Holliday, Earps, Junior Bonner).

The weather has been foul, storm front, rain, snow, high winds. So I wore my UK brown leather kilt out. It did great in the wind, no problem. Haven't seen any word of kilts in Prescott so figured I might get some comments. I did.

Nice restaurant last night. A lady staff came over and remarked that I was probably the first ever to wear a kilt in their restaurant. She loves them from doing Ren Faires in California. Directed her to the Arizona Faire she didn't know about.

After dinner the hostess remarked, " Aren't you cold?" Told her no more than she was wearing a skirt. She responded that she had nylons. Smiled and said, "I have fur."

Today at breakfast the waitress gushed, "What a beautiful kilt!" Later shopping a young lady asked, "Were are your bagpipes?" Responded, "I don't play them" and kept walking.

A lady shopowner asked, "Why are you wearing a kilt?" Just said, "For comfort and freedom." She said, oh, she thought maybe there was a special event in town.

Best of all, went into a Deadhead shop and the lady owner lit up and said her husband is always saying that men should wear kilts and ladies should wear skirts. Told her men do wear kilts...she said she meant all men...told her about the current boom in kilts. She was amazed. Gave her a number of Internet kilt sites to share with her husband...bought a tie die shirt to go with my kilts.

All the while a lady in the restaurant across the walkway was trying to sneak a photo of me. So nonchalantly went window shopping so she could take her "secret" photos.

Another lady shopowner said, "I like your outfit." I responded back politely, "You do? My hat? My Jacket?" She smiled and said, "No, your kilt."

One other sideways comment at the gas station in Page on the way out of town. Was filling up wearing my black UK workman's and a guy at the next pump asked me, "Are those 'Traditional' boots?" Figure he was trying to say he knew something about kilts but I was late and headed south.

Bottom line seems to be that wearing a kilt into areas where kilts aren't known is gonna mean a lot of mostly friendly questions, some positive comments, and maybe a few sideways attempts at humor.

Its a great way to meet people.

Back out on the town tonight for a gallery showing and dinner out. Here I come Prescott!

Ron

[Riverkilt]

So, driving home today I'm deep in the Navajo Reservation and stop at Cameron Trading Post for a "rest" stop.

A big Navajo guy sees me in my UK brown leather kilt and says," You must be a Scot." Then goes on to tell me that he is part Scot. He says his wife was down in Flagstaff a few weeks ago and saw a man wearing a kilt and came home and told him she'd seen one of his cousins.

I reminded him that Navajo warriors once wore deersking kilts...he nodded.

It was a wonderful meeting of very distant cousins.

Ron