Need Motivation

[Richland]

Gents,
I'm Meeting some old friends tonight at an interesting venue. There will be some hip and high fashon types and some interesting goth types to.
I want to wear my kilt, Damn it! this will be the first time i have worn it out and about with out a crew of men also kilted. So i will be flying solo.
Help me out here men. what was your first solo kilt experience like?
Give me some words of wisdom.
Thanks Richland.

[Rigged]

Hip? High Fashion? Goth? A kilt would fit right in. My first kilt-wearing experience? Great! Have a good time.

[flyv65]

I don't think I remember where the first time was, but I also don't remember being self-concious about it, either. Go and have fun! It seems like the worst that ever happens is that the gals are overly interested and prevent you from getting anywhere on time.

Bryan...tryin' to be punctual...

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Richland,

Just do it! It will be a non-event, although your friends may rib you a bit. First time out was to dinner at a sports bar type restaurant with my wife, 2 daughters, and my mother. And additionally, I wore a non-tartan, solid color Sportkilt. The second time was the next day which entailed getting on a train to the city (for the Celtic festival) while kilted, and there was a Cubs baseball game starting about the same time, so the train was very full. Only comment was from a gentleman who asked if we were going to the Celtic festival and then explained to his son what a kilt was.

The fears in your mind are much worse than the reality of the first experience.

RJI

[Streetcar]

My first time in public was going to a buddy's BBQ. I was incredibly self-conscious about it, even though I was among my friends. After a couple hours, I realized the person most uncomfortable about me wearing a kilt - was me.
Once I understood that, I was able to relax and enjoy myself much more.

Just go relax! Yes, you'll be nervous about it, but if you act naturally in it, people will respond to you naturally. It's not about the kilt, it's about you.

Enjoy!! I'm anxious to hear how it goes for you!

[Graham]

I'm sure it will go well, be yourself, be confident, enjoy the experience. When other see how good you look and feel in a kilt, they will want one too!

[starbkjrus]

Indeed I have to agree with the previous posts. It's really a non-event. The big event is going on in your own head. I've only owned a kilt since July ( I now have three with one more on order and two more orders going out this weekend).

I've been kilted to :

1. The Grocery
2. A picnic
3. The drugstore
4. The Metro (our local subway system)
5. The local Pub
6. Another local Pub
7. Another local Pub
8. A "fashionable festive gathering" i.e. A party with such folks that are cutting edge fashion plates where most were ignored except me for the fact that I had the balls to wear a kilt. :mrgreen:
9. Another local Pub (Arghhh. There seems to be a pattern here. )
10. Home Depot
11. A Rodeo

Just relax and enjoy the fact that no matter what some er....fashion concious guy in Armani jeans wears that you will STILL be different and will attract more favorable attention.
Beware...you WILL attract more attention!
THAT'S what I've most had to get used to -- Getting the attention in the room. It's all good.

[Christopher]

My first real outing with with my wife to the symphony and dinner in Portland. I was decked out in Scotts American tartan with PC jacket and black tie. My wife was stunning in a black velvet low cut (front and back) dress and plenty of sparklies....grrrrrr.

As long as I was with her, I felt pretty comfortable, but when she went off to the bathroom and left me standing in the lobby of the concert hall by myself and thousands of strangers, I started to feel a bit self conscious. What I finally deduced was that I wasn't self conscious about wearing a kilt, it was that I was more elegantly dressed than most of those in attendance.

Anyway, I received so many compliments about the kilt that I soon gave up being self conscious...except that I was receiving more compliments than my wife and she looked much more stunning that me (always does...). That made me a bit self conscious because I didn't want to offend my wife.

Go and live it up. You'll love it once you get out there...the first few steps out the door are the hardest ones. Once you get into a group for the first time and noone has anything negative to say, you'll wonder why you worried about it at all.

[Manu]

Ive only been kilted in group about 5 times since I started wearing it. As a matter of fact, my first time kilted was by myself with my girlfriend going to a party. I usually go solo so I can safely say "Its all good brother!!!!!"

[Jewddha]

Save for the FK grand opening, never been in the same group as anyone whilst kilted!