Why don't people wear their kilts more?

**Tobus** · 12th March 19, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Wareyin

Members have told a new poster here not to wear the kilt out for a Friday night on the town in America lest it get back to his boss and cause him to lose his job. This is despite the poster's comment that his boss was supportive and encouraged him to wear the kilt. I know some, if not all of those members are American and Canadian.

No one here said such a thing. The member said he was concerned about it and asked if it was valid. The response here was that if he was concerned, there was probably some validity to it.

This issue comes up a lot. Wearing a kilt in public comes with some social issues, and a hefty dose of reality needs to be a part of our conversation. It does no good to encourage people to wear kilts everywhere, for any reason, and in any style, without understanding all these social issues. If all we have to say is, "yeah, go for it mate!" then we aren't having honest conversations. Will it dissuade some people from wearing the kilt as they planned? Perhaps. It's up to them, in the end.

**Wareyin** · 12th March 19, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

No one here said such a thing. The member said he was concerned about it and asked if it was valid. The response here was that if he was concerned, there was probably some validity to it.

This issue comes up a lot. Wearing a kilt in public comes with some social issues, and a hefty dose of reality needs to be a part of our conversation. It does no good to encourage people to wear kilts everywhere, for any reason, and in any style, without understanding all these social issues. If all we have to say is, "yeah, go for it mate!" then we aren't having honest conversations. Will it dissuade some people from wearing the kilt as they planned? Perhaps. It's up to them, in the end.

I would hope you realize that your third sentence contradicts your first.

I maintain that if your first response to a question of "should I wear a kilt" is "no", before you even know where the kilt will be worn, for what reason, and in what style, then you are part of the reason that more people don't wear the kilt they own.

**Highland Logan** · 12th March 19, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

No one here said such a thing. The member said he was concerned about it and asked if it was valid. The response here was that if he was concerned, there was probably some validity to it.

This issue comes up a lot. Wearing a kilt in public comes with some social issues, and a hefty dose of reality needs to be a part of our conversation. It does no good to encourage people to wear kilts everywhere, for any reason, and in any style, without understanding all these social issues. If all we have to say is, "yeah, go for it mate!" then we aren't having honest conversations. Will it dissuade some people from wearing the kilt as they planned? Perhaps. It's up to them, in the end.

Tobus, this is really what it all boils down to. If I can add to that.

This is a forum on cloths. It is not a religion. If someone has a kilt in their closet, they don't have to wear it. It's not the job of this forum to 'force' people into wearing it, lest they be considered an apostate. This is like the award show thread. Why do some seem to get so worked up about who is wearing or not wearing a kilt and where or where not.

This board is a great place to learn all the in and outs of the Scottish National Dress, and for those that care not of such things, then the kilt and all associated things, such as sporrans etc.

I am at a loss as to why some appear to take it personalty that some kilt owners do not wear it as often as them, or to the same types of places or durning the same activities.

Does anyone remember that old SNL (Saturday Night Live) skit with William Shatner? The one where he's playing at being at a sci-fi convention... remember how it ended? I'm doing that right now.

Frank

**Styckbow** · 13th March 19, 11:28 AM

I am going to weigh in on this once more because for me I wear all kinds of clothes for all kinds of occasions. I own 8 kilts ( 9 if you count the one my wife inherited from her uncle that I only wear on very special occasions) and each one has a purpose and a reason for being in my closet. If I am representing our Scottish club I wear my pride of Scotland (adopted tartan) with a leather day sporran, club t shirt and combat boots with black hose. For more formal events I will either wear my freedom tartan or my wife's Thomson with a dress shirt, sweater, semiformal sporran, dress shoes, variety of hose depending on my mood, sigan dubh, and maybe a dirk depending on the event. If I am going to a concert (where I need to carry 20 bottles of beer)or hiking I will wear my utilikilt with my combat boots (yes I have tattoos and I had long hair until I shaved my head 2 months ago ) If I am going hunting my camo kilt gets the nod. If I am just going around town either my black or green utility kilt with combat boots. Finally if I want to be a little more dressy but don't want to risk one of my tartan kilts I wear one of my pakastani made hybrid kilts with tartan in the pleats again with my combat boots. My clothing always depends on the activity and weather of the day as well as the mood my wife is in as to if she thinks the kilt is appropriate that day.

**Tarheel** · 13th March 19, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Styckbow

My clothing always depends on the activity and weather of the day as well as the mood my wife is in as to if she thinks the kilt is appropriate that day.

This is a summation of my world for the last two years. The times I insist on wearing my kilt, the wife knows there is no stopping me.

**rmcglew3** · 14th March 19, 04:38 PM

I also like to stand out from the crowd. The main thing that holds me up from wearing a kilt more often (usually a utilikilt) is that my wife claims she is embarrassed by my kilt, although she finally admitted that it is because I get all of the attention.
Hey, its the only way that this 66-year old is going to get complements from younger women!
I'll be at a professional society conference starting tomorrow in Boston, and will be wearing a kilt most of the time.

**tripleblessed** · 15th March 19, 07:30 AM

"Two nations divided by a common language" has often been cited here, with divided thought on the origin (appropriate).
Reading this thread I am reminded how wonderfully we as humans assume that how we grew up being taught is how it is
or was, when reality is quite clearly a different map. Histories are put forth as national identity tools, or constructs to foster
unity among oppressed peoples or religions. Or as tools to foster guilt. Or oppression. Or something else completely different. Having spent many hours in court records, writings of the day, tax rolls and laws, militia rolls, annals of various
social societies, etc., I can say with pretty solid ground that we are peoples divided by common myth. It is one of my great joys in this forum to hear what people believe is fact. I am one with great respect and latitude for opinions of broad and
varied content. I taught belief systems for years, and to us as individuals our beliefs are more important than fact in our
choices and health. That said, it is an excellent practice to be vigilant and assiduous in examining and re-examining belief
in light of changing understanding of science, archaeology, and myth.

**Me cousin Jack** · 15th March 19, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by Highland Logan

Tobus, this is really what it all boils down to. If I can add to that.

This is a forum on cloths. It is not a religion. If someone has a kilt in their closet, they don't have to wear it. It's not the job of this forum to 'force' people into wearing it, lest they be considered an apostate. This is like the award show thread. Why do some seem to get so worked up about who is wearing or not wearing a kilt and where or where not.

This board is a great place to learn all the in and outs of the Scottish National Dress, and for those that care not of such things, then the kilt and all associated things, such as sporrans etc.

I am at a loss as to why some appear to take it personalty that some kilt owners do not wear it as often as them, or to the same types of places or durning the same activities.

Does anyone remember that old SNL (Saturday Night Live) skit with William Shatner? The one where he's playing at being at a sci-fi convention... remember how it ended? I'm doing that right now.

Frank

I get SNL, but I only watch it for special occasions

**Highland Logan** · 15th March 19, 09:01 AM

Originally Posted by Me cousin Jack

I get SNL, but I only watch it for special occasions

This was from the mid-80's. Use Google to find it on Youtube or Vimeo. It's classic.. and sums up my point.

Frank

**OC Richard** · 16th March 19, 05:34 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

I cannot escape the feeling in regards to the matter of Ren Fairs, that I am glad that there are a couple of thousand miles of water between me and them!

Jock their menace is much closer than you think!

https://www.historic-uk.com/LivingHistory/EventsDiary/

There are several of those festivals in the UK, as you can see.

Though they go under various names: in the USA they're generally called "Renaissance Faires" while in the UK and Europe they're generally called "Mediaeval Festivals". Despite the difference in names you'll see jousting knights etc at both.

A couple of those UK festivals, while not called "Renaissance" festivals, are concerned with that period.