I have seen men's skirts in many parts of the world, Greece. The Maldives, the Pacific, and oddly enough Scotland-or do I mean the kilt.

Also having worn the Kilt since childhood, I think it is necessary to look at what we are doing and why?

In my case there are regular occasions where I can justify my kilt on the grounds of a particular Scottish connection to that occasion-when certainly I can say that the connection justifies my claim to be wearing the kilt.

However there are just as many, maybe more occasions when I wear my kilt for reasons of comfort, mood of the day and so on; and cannot justify it as being a kilt by reason of some Scottish connection: could it be that on such an occasion I'm in fact wearing a skirt?

Let me be quite clear, I have not the slightest interest in appearing as a woman or dressing as one. However as stated in my opening sentence I've seen male skirts in many parts of the world, true they have their own specific names: but they are still skirts. Just as women have different names for types of their skirt.

Too every man on this board wears skirts on occasion, that's right the skirts of a jacket/coat: too there are skirting boards in the home, and many of us live in the outskirts of a town. So skirt, is not an exclusive female word.

So I for one do not get too bothered about what my kilt might be called-though I would get annoyed at any suggestion of effeminacy upon my part.

At this point we must remember the fight of women to wear what they chose-be it skirt or trousers, a fight they won despite opposition, and of course comments. So today they have the right to wear what they choose, thanks to their collective courage in facing down that opposition.

At this point I would suggest that whatever we might claim, we are dressing in a certain way for comfort etc, and merely hiding behind an oft scant Scottish connection/reason. To put it bluntly we are choosing to wear a skirt, but as men: not as imitation women, or for sexual gratification.

I would therefore suggest to this board, that we should emulate the courage of our convictions, and face down any opposition to our wearing a skirt. In other words win the right to dress in the way we choose. For can we really claim that some of the variants mentioned on this board, be the The Utilikilt, denim or camouflage versions, really have a Scottish connection-I doubt it.

So rather than running scared, we should have enough confidence and courage to wear what we like, when we like.

James