When should a kilt NOT be worn?

[OC Richard]

Remove religion/church from the context of the conversation...

Yes it's helpful to take a step back from that for a moment and consider the attending of a church service as you would any other social situation.

For me Highland Dress is working dress, due to me being a piper. Like most pipers I view Highland Dress like orchestral musicians view tuxedos: something required to perform in, and not normally worn otherwise.

An orchestral musician isn't going to show up at his kid's birthday party, or church, in his tuxedo. And it's inconceivable for me to wear my Highland Dress for such things. (Of course it's a different matter if I've been hired to pipe there.)

On the other hand there are events where Highland Dress wouldn't be seen as unusual, particularly Scottish-themed events like Highland Games, Robert Burns suppers, Scottish concerts, and certain church services such as Kirkin' of the Tartans.

Specifically speaking to church services, I've found that attitudes to how people dress varies greatly from congregation to congregation even within the same denomination. Always best, in my opinion, to fly under the radar until you get a feel for that particular congregation. It never hurts to talk it over with the Pastor.

We do have a few Pastors around here who are kilted from time to time, generally for special services. One is a Scot, the others are Americans of Scottish descent. Their congregations seem to find it charming. Occasionally a few congregants will also be kilted on these occasions.

About churches having a dress code, in my own denomination (Catholic) people tend to dress very casually, oftentimes on their way to work and so forth. I've piped at most of the Catholic churches in the area and there's one that has a sign stating what forms of dress are deemed appropriate. However church law states:
Can. 912 Any baptized person not prohibited by law can and must be admitted to holy communion.
By extension all such persons must be admitted into the building, and since there are no church laws prohibiting certain dress such dress-code signs can be, and are, ignored.