The Day After

**Mathuna** · 19th March 06, 05:32 PM

My St. Patrick's day plans were dashed when I found out that that was the day I had to be at a trade show two hours from home. I made the best of it though, by wearing my new SWK Irish. I warned the boss I would but I don't think he believed me. I've worn a kilt at convention before, but that was only to an after show party (actually it was on a dare to see if I would wear a kilt to a strip club- The dare was accepted).

While in the classes and at the trade show I'd get occasional comments - "Happy St. Pats", "good looking skirt", "There's a Real Irishman" and so on, but not as many comments as I thought from a crowded room. By the way, I would like to thank Mike O'Reilly for the Guinness he provided from his show booth. All in all not a bad day even though I couldn't get to any of the five major Irish Pubs in the area (I drove past two of them on the way to the hotel, and at 8:00am they both had lines down the block and news crews on site).

The surprise came on Saturday, the second day of the show. When I came in wearing trousers every person that had seen me the day before was asking "where's the kilt?", "It looked so good", "I loved the colors". Most of these comments came from people who hadn't said a word to me Friday, including the hotel staff and people from a different convention down the hall. If I hadn't already checked out of my room and taken my bags to the car, I would have had to go and change so that one woman could get a better picture than the one she snuck Friday.

So for all you Kilt-Wearers who think it's become a non-event when you wear a kilt, let me tell you. It's an event for everybody around you, they just don't always let you know about it.

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 19th March 06, 07:38 PM

Mathuna, I can only echo that once people see you in a kilt, they expect it! I have been fulltime since last September, and if I wore pants to the office now, I think I would cause as big a stir as wearing the kilt originally.

Hmmmh, maybe I need to think about that...

Nah, pants are too d#$%#d uncomfortable for the office!

**Frank McGrath** · 19th March 06, 07:47 PM

My wife and I had some friends over for dinner one night, so I thought I would wear my kilt. Wolfgang has only been in the USA for about 7 years, while his wife was born here. She is of German/Austrian heritage, as is my wife. They both got a real hoot over the kilt. Wolfgang had never seen any one wearing a kilt before. Well, when his wife saw an ad in the local paper about a St. Patrick's day party at a local restaurant, She called and asked if they could go with us. What a blast we had. Pipes and drums, Smithwick's, and good food. Wolfy had never been around pipe music before. The closer they got to the table , the bigger Wolfy's grin got. We have taken them to the Oktoberfest celebration in Baltimore a few months ago and they had a good time there, too. Being from the north of Germany, he had never been to oktoberfest. So, now, everytime there is another ethnic festival in town, we always get a call. We are lucky to have so many ethnic celebrations in the Baltimore Washington Area.

Frank McGrath

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 19th March 06, 07:50 PM

Frank,

That is great! My wife is 1/2 German (her mother is from Berlin). Great to hear you promoting cultural awareness to others.

**Kilted KT** · 21st March 06, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mathuna

The surprise came on Saturday, the second day of the show. When I came in wearing trousers every person that had seen me the day before was asking "where's the kilt?", "It looked so good", "I loved the colors". Most of these comments came from people who hadn't said a word to me Friday, including the hotel staff and people from a different convention down the hall. If I hadn't already checked out of my room and taken my bags to the car, I would have had to go and change so that one woman could get a better picture than the one she snuck Friday.

So for all you Kilt-Wearers who think it's become a non-event when you wear a kilt, let me tell you. It's an event for everybody around you, they just don't always let you know about it.

I agree completely. No matter where I go, If I had been there before wearing my kilt, and show up in pants, I am assured to be questioned as to why I'm not wearing the kilt. Of course the answer is always one of two: "I just got off work and I can't wear it there" or "I'm here with my wife, and she doesn't understand the kilt"

either way, I'm glad you've been shown exactly how much of an impression you can make on someone simply by wearing the kilt!

**michael steinrok** · 21st March 06, 08:50 PM

I'm known as the kilted guy. If I show up in any thing else I hear about it all day. Once you go kilted that's it.

**mbhandy** · 21st March 06, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Kilted KT

I agree completely. No matter where I go, If I had been there before wearing my kilt, and show up in pants, I am assured to be questioned as to why I'm not wearing the kilt.

I get that from a lot of people also and totaly from the people at The Home Depot.

MrBill