I Popped the Question (Kilt at Work)

[Racer96]

It's really interesting to me to see how this (and similar stories) have played out.

My regular dayjob is that of a project manager and estimator for a construction company. It's a family business, and my parents (although they sometimes think it funny , but that might just be more because it's me!) have no problems with me wearing a kilt. I haven't worn a kilt to work yet though, as I don't think it would be appropriate for me if I have to go a jobsite. I would view it as being similar to wearing shorts to a jobsite, and I don't consider that a safe practice.

I also have mixed feelings about wearing it in case I have meetings with another company or general contractor. I have no problems wearing a kilt to any public outing in my private time, but when I'm "on the clock", I realize that I'm a face of the company, and unfortunately, there is the possibility that me wearing a kilt could offend someone.

On the other hand, I occasionally work a day or two on the weekend at my local hockey shop. I'm a goalie, and am considered one of their goalie specialists. I've worn a kilt in to work there (cleared it first with a manager) and have had nothing but positive responses. When I called my manager asking if it would be ok for me to wear a kilt in to work, there was a long bout of silence. Finally, he replied, "You know, I have no idea what to say to that." and then he laughed He then said to just bring a pair of pants in case it seemed offensive. Once he saw it, (keep in mind I only have contemporary kilts, not any tartan ones) he was fine with it.

I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to wear it to one of my jobs, and I do think that in the future, I may even wear it to my other job. I just have to be considerate of "time and place."

Mike

[Don Patrick]

Interesting thread. I wonder if wearing a kilt it would be an issue on dress down days?

[Azevedo]

Friday is the annual BBQ of our research group (I am a PhD student in Netherlands). I plan to go on kilt to see the reactions of the professors in the group. If it runs out to be ok I will ask if I can use it to work.

[mkmound]

It's really interesting to me to see how this (and similar stories) have played out.

My regular dayjob is that of a project manager and estimator for a construction company. It's a family business, and my parents (although they sometimes think it funny , but that might just be more because it's me!) have no problems with me wearing a kilt. I haven't worn a kilt to work yet though, as I don't think it would be appropriate for me if I have to go a jobsite. I would view it as being similar to wearing shorts to a jobsite, and I don't consider that a safe practice.

. . .

Mike

There was a guy (Chris??) who was a regular poster on XMarks a year or two ago who owned a construction-related business -- a construction clean-up / haul off business, if I remember correctly. He always wore a kilt. Like Graham, he had used it as a differentiator. Folks remembered him because of the kilt, and from what he said here, he had all the business he could handle -- and this is around Ft. Worth, TX . . . big redneck zone!!

As far as safety goes, I suppose it depends on exactly what you're doing . . . if I recall, Chris was frequently driving a front-end loader or dump truck or other heavy equipment.

Just food for thought . . . int:

[johnnym]

I have driven many a mile in my 1 ton truck a kilt, although not in a dump truck or front end loader. I would see no problem of being kilted while driving heavy equipment. However, I would not like to be on the grunt end of a shovel at a construction site kilted.

Fortunately, I got out of the manual labor work over 15 years ago and now inhabit an office. I like it a whole lot better, and I can wear my kilts without problems.

[Racer96]

There was a guy (Chris??) who was a regular poster on XMarks a year or two ago who owned a construction-related business -- a construction clean-up / haul off business, if I remember correctly. He always wore a kilt. Like Graham, he had used it as a differentiator. Folks remembered him because of the kilt, and from what he said here, he had all the business he could handle -- and this is around Ft. Worth, TX . . . big redneck zone!!

As far as safety goes, I suppose it depends on exactly what you're doing . . . if I recall, Chris was frequently driving a front-end loader or dump truck or other heavy equipment.

Just food for thought . . . int:

Woops, I missed this post earlier.

I've thought of wearing the kilt to some of the office type meetings, however, due to my young'ish appearance, I already have to battle some preconceptions and I don't yet want to add anything more to that. If it was a meeting with people I've done business with, then that would be ok, but meeting new companies and clients, well, I'll pick my battles.

With regards to safety, my jobsites will vary quite a bit. I could not even imagine trying to put on a full body fall protection harness in a kilt I also tend to wear long sleeves at jobsites, just as an added layer of protection in case of abrasions.

I did wear the kilt the other day when I was taking some tools in for repair. Got only favourable reactions from the people there of course (I say of course because, a) kilts rock. and b) they're getting my business, I would assume they wouldn't want to say something bad and risk losing that business )

Mike

[demobud]

Woops, I missed this post earlier.

I've thought of wearing the kilt to some of the office type meetings, however, due to my young'ish appearance, I already have to battle some preconceptions and I don't yet want to add anything more to that. If it was a meeting with people I've done business with, then that would be ok, but meeting new companies and clients, well, I'll pick my battles.

With regards to safety, my jobsites will vary quite a bit. I could not even imagine trying to put on a full body fall protection harness in a kilt I also tend to wear long sleeves at jobsites, just as an added layer of protection in case of abrasions.

I did wear the kilt the other day when I was taking some tools in for repair. Got only favourable reactions from the people there of course (I say of course because, a) kilts rock. and b) they're getting my business, I would assume they wouldn't want to say something bad and risk losing that business )

Mike

I've spent twenty plus years in the demolition and recycling industries and I wish that I could've worn a kilt, especially on some of the hotter days! It's just a matter of safety; OSHA kind of frowns on shorts and loose clothing in a lot of the areas I have to work (I am now supplying equipment to the foundry and recycling industries) so I think that most safety inspectors would frown on the kilt. On my jobsites our rules call for long pants, tshirts are ok but shorts are only allowed for people like subcontract truck drivers where the driver is not out of the cab on the jobsite.
It's not exactly fair that women can wear a skirt (although most don't to a jobsite) and men can't wear a kilt, but you do have to CYA where safety is concerned.

[Archangel]

So, in our plant, women can wear a skirt as they walk through. However, they have to stick to the painted pedestrian walkways. (Translate that sentence into a foreign language, Ha)
Me, I am the union "human rights" representative. I can wear my kilt to work but I couldn't wear it doing work. Safety always trumps Human Rights.

p.s. Remember, I'm in Canada, it would be very difficult to push for a kilt here, in a Human Rights context, but it can be done. (Like I said, I'm already good.) The US doesn't have the necessary legislation to make it work.

[ncof300d]

Just to give you an 'update'.

Friday I was on a business trip with a coworker. On the trip I was able to slip in about my request to wear a kilt and about it being denied. My coworker came back with, "they can't tell you that you can not wear a kilt." I thought "COOOOL", I have one person without an issue.

Saturday I needed to go the office for a few hours. With it being a holiday weekend I did not expect for anyone to be there so I went kilted. However, I was not the only one there. There were two others there that work in the office. These two people which happen to be a husband and wife have 'second' jobs of supervising the cleaning and up keep of the offices. They were there as a contractor was there to make some repairs to a floor. I was just about to my office when the wife saw me from a distance. She saw me from a distance and said, "hey, we don't allow me in skirts in here." I told her that it was a kilt, but she wanted to grind in that I was a man in a skirt. Apparently, she told her husband. He stopped by my office to check it out. He had a lot of earnest questions (including 'THE' question) and seemed pretty OK with it. I WORE A KILT OT WORK, I WORE A KILT OT WORK, I WORE A KILT OT WORK NA NA na - NA NA na!! I wonder who and what these two will say at work about me on Tuesday. Oh, boy if I could be a fly on the wall.

However, I would not like to be on the grunt end of a shovel at a construction site kilted.

Say, I have been digging A LOT to fix a tile. Every time that I have been out digging I have been wearing a kilt. I don't have sweaty jeans sticking to my legs as a dig. Digging is much easier in a kilt.

[ncof300d]

This past Wednesday I flew from Fort Wayne, IN to El Paso, TX for a three day business trip with a co-worker who is from the U.K. I would have like to have flown in a kilt, however, I was first under the impression that although we were arriving in the evening we were to meet with the customer for dinner. My co-work knew more of the details of the schedule and during the flight I found out that we were not meeting with the customer Wednesday night. Bummer, I could have flown down kilted. When we arrived at the hotel my co-work and I decided to call our spouses and then go to dinner. My co-worker's room was right next to mine. When we went to leave for dinner we both stepped out of our rooms at the same time. When he saw me he was surprised. I told him that I would change, but he said that it did not bother him. Right away he asked me, "Where is your sporran?" I pointed at it and asked him, "how can you miss it?" I retrospect I think that he might of been checking to see how much I knew about wearing a kilt. We walked a half a block to a restaurant. Boy, did I get some looks.

The next day we went to our meeting. It went well. After taking the customer to dinner we went bad to the hotel to rest. Later we went to the bar at the restaurant for a snack a drink. Yes, I went kilted. Although this place was much smaller than the restaurant from the previous night I felt like more eyes were starring at me at the bar.

The next day after meeting the customer was the bummer for me. I really, really wanted to change into a kilt before we flew back. Unfortunately we barely had enough time to take the car back, get our tickets, and get seated. I wonder if and who my co-worker might speak to about how I was dressed for the evenings after business. My co-worker and I get along very well and I am sure than in casual conversation about the trip with others at work he will mention what I wore. I am so curious to see how the next several days will go. I picture some people coming in and asking me about wearing a kilt.