What makes non kilt wearers an expert?

[Whidbey78]

I have had similar experiences when wearing my solid colored kilts, like my Irish saffron, for example. I have people tell me that if it's not "plaid" it's not a real kilt. I have mentioned to these people that if they're going to correct me, they should at least use proper terms- like tartan! And then I get the "Yeah, your kilt isn't even plaid so you don't know what you're talking about" answer. I think Riverkilt is right- ego is so important that some people won't even allow themselves to learn when presented with the opportunity!

I've had the same problem. After telling me it's not a kilt because it isn't "plaid" they often tell me that only pipers can wear a kilt, or that it's illegal to wear one outside Scotland (I've gotten that one three times).

My personal favorite, the one that shows how silly and stupid people can be, is when someone who doesn't even know me and has never even spoken to me says "You shouldn't be wearing a kilt. You're not Scottish." Really? You can tell that just by looking at me? Maybe if I was running around in circles yelling "I'm givin' all she's got Cap'n!!" they would just leave me alone.

As the old saying goes, the difference between ignorance and stupidity is that ignorance can be fixed.

[Spectre]

Just say "Thank you for that information", then move on. This is the same as the bleacher coaches I deal with every gamenight----lots of "what I would have done" after the play is already over.

[Bugbear]

Just for the record, I am an idiot. I did poorly in college, too.

On the other hand, I know the correct term is "tartan," and not "plaid."

I'm not an expert!

[Drac]

Hey I didn't know the differance until I became involved so I can't claim to not be an idiot but I try (and fail quite often) to stand by the Mark Twain quote -

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Jim

[Maclachlan]

My personal favorite, the one that shows how silly and stupid people can be, is when someone who doesn't even know me and has never even spoken to me says "You shouldn't be wearing a kilt. You're not Scottish." Really? You can tell that just by looking at me? Maybe if I was running around in circles yelling "I'm givin' all she's got Cap'n!!" they would just leave me alone.

As the old saying goes, the difference between ignorance and stupidity is that ignorance can be fixed.

I have actually heard that line before! Go figure, with the surname of Maclachlan and my mother was a Hanna, nope, I'm not a bit Scottish!

[Zardoz]

Maybe if I was running around in circles yelling "I'm givin' all she's got Cap'n!!" they would just leave me alone.

I had a wit in a pub give me about a full minute of Scotty impressions one time, I just asked him how he knew I liked Star Trek so much? His friends though my joke was funnier!

I'd guess about 90% of the kilt and tartan 'experts' I run into in my real life travels and on the interwebs, (including some on this forum) are not kilted or at least I see no evidence of kilt or tartan wearing when I see them. I used to question them back, they usually can't back it up, but I seldom debate them anymore, I just "consider the source" and move on...

[jgcunningham]

I was showing pictures of me in my kilt to a friend and she showed me a picture of her son wearing a kilt to his wedding. Guess what? He had the pleats in front. I pointed that out and she said the rental store told him to wear it that way. The kicker? She's a costume designer for a Theatre! You would think she would have told him the proper way.

[GreenDragon]

Good day all,

I was working Sunday with my unit and while waiting around the discussion turned to me wearing a kilt. I wasn't wearing one at the time (in uniform) but of course The Question came up and I said that I wore fun boxers under mine (Lucky Charms ones because they are always after me Lucky Charms).

The next thing these guys who gave me strange looks at admitting to wearing one, thought the whole idea of a man in a "skirt" was wrong and would not even think about the idea of wearing one proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't be wearing a kilt with anything under it. How it was so much of a tradition it should be a law and on and on.

So what makes these people who think this garment is wrong and strange suddenly tell someone who wears one how to do so?

On a good note the reason for the conversation was that I had worn one of my casual kilts out the night before for dinner and someone had asked if I was cold when I answered how I could bear the cold and how much worse December in Texas was over the Highlands of Scotland where the kilt came from .

Jim

I don't believe in telling somehow how to live their life or how they should do anything. I believe in letting people make their own choices. Its their life! (I'll stop here. WAY too many political topics could start from here.)

What a man wears under his kilt is his business and nobody else's! ESPECIALLY if the person talking about it has never worn a kilt.

[Mike in Dayton]

I have received the comment "if you not a piper you should not be wearing a kilt" from a server at a restaurant I frequent. I never got the chance to make a response because I got an immediate favorable response from another server that liked the kilt. I go there now when the anti-kilt server is working just to bug her. She never says a word to me anymore.

Mike

[Mike_Oettle]

DBH wrote: “Maybe they saw Braveheart. ”

Well, if anyone takes Mel Gibson as an authority on Scottish dress, he gets what he deserves.