Wearing your kilt to other cultural events

[Kiltman]

Well that is an interesting question, as someone who wears a kilt on a daily basis, as clothing and not a costume, I would not, and do not have a problem wearing my kilt anywhere that I go. Does it bother some people, yes, do their prejudges effect me, if I allow them to. I have got to the point in my life where I can dress myself, and I am also grown up enough to not let what others wear bother me. I wish others would see it that way.

No matter where I go people of other cultures have had positive things to say about my kilt wearing with some of them it is because they are proud to wear the "costume" of their heritage and can therefore relate.

Today as I was going into the mall I heard over my shoulder in a Jamaican accent "Hello Mr. Stewart." So I said back "How did you know?" I stopped we talked for a bit and I told him that while I am not a Stewart my mother is and while this is not the Stewart tartan I do have a Stewart tartan at home, we talked about the importance of heritage and we both learned something it was all in all an enjoyable exchange, but only because we both went into it with open minds.

Amen! I hope that's not too religious?

[Clockwork John]

Disrespectful?

Wearing a swastika to a Polish festival would be disrespectful.
Wearing a Turkish military uniform to a Greek festival would be disrespectful.
Dressing as a Nazi at a Jewish festival would be disrespectful.

Wearing a kilt is not disrespectful.

Which shows more respect, wearing your national or cultural garb and showing pride in your heritage and culture, in a place and time where others are doing likewise, or wearing a costume?

[sjrapid]

Sorry this is slightly off thread topic...

A bit off topic, but amusing nonetheless...

I wore a kilt to the Harry Potter release party at a local bookstore. I was accompanying my daughter, who went as Ginny Weasley, complete with robes, wand, and Hogwarts tie. MANY people asked me what character I was supposed to be! They were all convinced there was a kilted Scotsman in the book somewhere, and they couldn't quite remember his name...

The Aberforth Dumbledore character (brother of Albus, and barman of the Hog's Head tavern) wears a kilt in Movie 5 (Order of the Phoenix). It's hard to see which tartan, but it's muted/weathered, and worn with a dark tweed day jacket.

I don't think that kilts are mentioned in the books per se, though.

Back on topic, I've had good reactions to a trad tartan tank at culturally mixed events. I live in the east end of London, where the prevailing mode of dress is probably best politely called 'casual' and left at that.

We have significant black and minority ethnic population groups here. I've been kilted with groups where the 'africana' style of dress has been worn by both sexes, and also to a full-on asian wedding. In both cases, I took care to dress smartly and co-ordinate my kilt, shirt, tie and hose, and was well received, even though from one perspective, I stood out a mile.

As others have said upthread, wearing the kilt as clothes, not as costume, and being respectful to others are the foundations.

Best regards

[gilmore]

To me, it's not a question of whether one's dress is respectful (other than in extreme examples as Crusty mentioned), but whether it is appropriate, and also tasteful.

[sjrapid]

Sorry this is slightly off thread topic...

The Aberforth Dumbledore character (brother of Albus, and barman of the Hog's Head tavern) wears a kilt in Movie 5 (Order of the Phoenix). It's hard to see which tartan, but it's muted/weathered, and worn with a dark tweed day jacket.

I don't think that kilts are mentioned in the books per se, though.

I'll just correct myself having re-read HP and the Goblet of Fire. There's a character called Basil who appears 'wearing a kilt and a poncho'.

Best regards

[Raphael]

I don't think it is disrespectful at all. My friend Todd(ish) (Mc)Wong host an annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner and it is fusion of Burns Night and Chinese New Year. It is not disrespectful to either culture. I wear my kilt for this event every year. I have raced dragon boats in my kilt before.

For me it is not a problem at all

[Archangel]

Disrespectful?

Wearing a swastika to a Polish festival would be disrespectful.
Wearing a Turkish military uniform to a Greek festival would be disrespectful.
Dressing as a Nazi at a Jewish festival would be disrespectful.

Wearing a kilt is not disrespectful.

Which shows more respect, wearing your national or cultural garb and showing pride in your heritage and culture, in a place and time where others are doing likewise, or wearing a costume?

Don't take too much for granted. To some, kilts are the symbol of imperialism. Kilted troops were the face of British military power for many years. People from those countries remember.
I have a friend who is a refugee from near Basra. The (non-kilted) Black Watch were there. They did not use the regular British markings, the Saltire was prominent instead of the Union Jack. He will be identifying the foreign troops as Scottish, in fact, that's what they labelled themselves.
This is no slag on the Black Watch, a regiment I highly respect and have family connections to. It's a recognition of a shared feeling, how I would feel about any foreign troop walking around, armed and in control, in my country.

(p.s.: please don't take that last comment anywhere. I am aware of the current situation. I am not commenting on that, or trying to initiate conversation on that. I am referring to Scottish troops being seen as an unwelcome force for social and political change and not an affirmation of our clothing choice.)

[Clockwork John]

Good point. I hadn't considered that. In that case, a Black watch kilt would fall into the same category as my other examples.

Not to devalue your veryvalid point in any way, but just to clarify, wasn't it the British(English) emperialism that put Scottish troops there in the first place?

[Archangel]

Good point. I hadn't considered that. In that case, a Black watch kilt would fall into the same category as my other examples.

Not to devalue your veryvalid point in any way, but just to clarify, wasn't it the British(English) emperialism that put Scottish troops there in the first place?

There can be an argument for before the 18C, but after, absolutely.

However, I think I'd be remembering the uniforms' distinctives as much as the Politician who sent them. More so, until a later time of peace.