Quote Originally Posted by Graham
Just tell her who is boss!

The man is the head of the house!

You work hard for your money and you have the right to spend it on a kilt if you want to, provided your family is not going hungry because of it!

A wife will respect a man who has the ability to make difficult decisions, stand out from the crowd and next to his convictions.
I agree for the better part with the last two sentences. Provided the funds are available after the kids are properly fed and shod, if you indulge your spouse her reasonable requests, she should be willing to indulge your reasonable requests in turn. It is also my experience that women do generally appreciate a man with convictions. It is that standing-out-from-the-crowd thing that gets most of them...

I am lucky insofar that I have a wife who adores kilts and who also indulges their purchase. I owe a tremendous debt to both Eric Stolz and Liam Neeson for this first part! That said, she wasn't so comfortable at first when it came to being seen in public with a man in a kilt. However, her comfort level increased substantially with a few successful outings.

Dana, if your wife simply isn't thrilled with this idea, she may change her mind with a little time and patience on your part- and then again, she may not... I don't think that making a big stand at this point is the best answer. You of course would be the best judge of this, but my guess is that it could be every bit as destructive to your relationship as her present anti-kilt stand. Having both members of a relationship feeling resentment toward the other is about as productive as showing your high beams to an approaching car that is inconsiderate or careless enough to leave his high beams on: everyone involved is blinded, and there exists the potential for further degradation of the situation.

This is not an avocation of capitulation. What I would do is make an attempt to talk it out and see if reason could prevail. When things like this arise, they are typically only a symptom of a larger problem and not the problem itself. I really like what Graham wrote above about how you should expect to be able to explore the things that interest you once your obligation to family is filled. I don't feel that you are entitled to this because you are a man, necessarily; rather, you have earned this privilege because you are a responsible, caring partner who extends equal courtesy to your partner.

Mychael