Wearing a kilt to increase self-confidence?

[Highland Logan]

Does a Jew have to fight his bosses in HR to wear his skull cap? Of course not. It's his culture. But a Mac wanting to wear a kilt to work for the Feast of St Andrew is a battle with most employers.

The Skull Cap (The Kippah) is an artical of religious clothing and a kilt is not. That is the differerce.

Frank

[Bugbear]

actually, it's not wearing it that gave me a little boost in self-confidence because I almost never wear it; it has been in working on the kilts I have to make them better. It was from looking for months at the jacket and waistcoat I wanted to have converted, and knowing deep down that I had the skill and ability to convert it, but having a little doubt.

I put a lot of work into the jacket and the kilt to put together an outfit; now it is mostly done. I'll wear it now and then when I feel I should. Guess that's the way it goes.

[O'Callaghan]

A Mexican American can fly a Mexican flag, which is illegal, and no one says a word.

Que? (couldn't resist it)

I'm pretty sure it's not illegal to fly a foreign flag in the USA, and most of us wouldn't stop anyway if it were. No, I'm not a Mexican, but I have British (Union Jack), English (Cross of St. George) and Irish (Tricolour) flags. Mind you, a few ignorami have been known to mistake the Irish tricolour for the Mexican one.

I'm toying with the idea of buying the rebel flag of the United Irishmen (green with gold harp and 'Erin Go Bragh'). I do appreciate the irony of flying that and the Union Jack together, but the're both my heritage and we're not fighting eachother anymore (although I have a little trouble sometimes figuring out which one I mean by 'we').

If I had Scots blood I'd fly the Blue Saltire too, or perhaps more likely the Rampant Lion. IMHO the Blue Saltire is no more the true flag of Scotland than the St. David's flag is the flag of Wales. They are just the flags of the patron saints, and the actual national flags are the ones with the Scottish Lion and the Welsh Dragon.

The saints' flags were combined to make the Union Jack (colonial ones used by reenactors of the US war of independence lack the Welsh St. David's cross, as it was before Wales was part of the union). I was taught in school that the saints' flags were the flags of each country, but I no longer believe that, except for the St. George's flag, which is the flag of England.

[O'Callaghan]

It's not so much agonies. It's just that in North America, it is seen as unacceptable for people of European ancestory to express any culture other than the American norm. People of African acestory have Black History Month, Hispanics have all manner of things expressing La Raza pride- like the Mexican Motel and the Mexican Taxi here in Denver. None of that is a problem. But let a green eyed redhead with a MacLeod grandmother and an O'Leary grandfather wear a kilt, and man!! Do people freak out! Black people wearing FUBU (For Us By Us) clothing with pictures of Africa all over it or let them wear trad African clothing, and not a word is said. A Mexican American can fly a Mexican flag, which is illegal, and no one says a word. Mexican television channels and radio stations, all kinds of things Mexican. But a German American wears leiderhosen? That's a problem and he will receive no end of grief. That's why we go trough these issues. European Americans have no culture- we're just generic, like white bread. That's simply the cultural climate here in Denver at least. That's why most people are timid about bucking the social norm. Even employers try to limit European descended Americas from expressing our cultural pride. It's so engrained in the minds of Americans that we don't even realize we do it. Does a Jew have to fight his bosses in HR to wear his skull cap? Of course not. It's his culture. But a Mac wanting to wear a kilt to work for the Feast of St Andrew is a battle with most employers. There have been numerous threads on this board about that issue. It all comes down to the same thing- we don't have a culture. I'm not a Celtic American, I'm white. That's the root of the whole thing. It's an intolerance and a fear of intolerance issue that the agonies and insecurities stem from.

I think their is a fear that anything expressing the 'majority' cultural roots might be an expression of a white supremacist PoV. It may not be entirely misplaced either. I have seen a couple of posts here (Edit: meaning on this site, not in this thread) from people that hint that they actually might be white supremacists. Also, in England it is sadly common for racists to wear the Union Jack or the St. George's flag on clothing, which is annoying to those of us who just want to be patriotic. Fortunately, the Stars and Stripes has not really been co-opted in that way. The confederate flag, OTOH ....

[Spc. Scott]

Try it pushing a stroller and carrying a diaper bag.

Done and done. Admittedly when it happened I had been out enough times that I didn't even notice it until much later.

[davedove]

A Mexican American can fly a Mexican flag, which is illegal, and no one says a word.

I'm pretty sure it's not illegal to fly a foreign flag in the USA, and most of us wouldn't stop anyway if it were.

It is not illegal to fly a foreign flag in the US. Where you get into trouble with the flag code is if you fly another flag higher than the US flag. Flag protocol dictates that if you fly another nation's flag along with the US flag, the flags should be flown at the same height. If someone wants to fly the Mexican flag, or any other, he certainly can; just don't fly it higher than the US flag.

Now, back on topic, I think that confidence and wearing the kilt reinforce one another. It takes a bit of confidence to wear the kilt in the first place. And I have told many people, you can't wear a kilt and be shy.

[JimB]

All I know is the more I wear a kilt, the more confident I feel.
Let me tell you, I was nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs the first time. Now I hardly even think of it.
And I think the more you wear it, the less of an issue it is.
I just wore a new kit yesterday to church, an Ireland's national and a nice brown tweed jacket. My wife said it's the smartest looking outfit that I've worn yet, and nobody said a word. (got a couple of smiles from the lasses).
In other words, people are just used to it, and so am I.

[sathor]

Done and done. Admittedly when it happened I had been out enough times that I didn't even notice it until much later.

I am a stay at home dad, so stroller and diaper bag, or just diaper bag and car seat, is my normal day to day thing. I can't wear a kilt at work, but I've worn my 2 Saturdays in a row, though I don't know if my wife will let me hit 3 in a row... She is funny like that.

[English Bloke]

Removed by English Bloke.

[English Bloke]

... Let me tell you, I was nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs ...

Awesome quote!!!