Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the Kilt isn't 'just clothes'.

[artificer]

Like all rude and ill-informed individuals who feel the need to vociferously share their "gifts", this one is best ignored.

Kilt-on, John. Kilt on.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Oh, I do have a story to share from when I was on Ellis Island at the "Celebration of Tartan" exhibition.

A very nice couple of York (who now live in New York) came up to me and started talking. They were very excited to see the tartan display. Turns out his mother is from Scotland, still lives there, but was currently on holiday visiting them in New York, which is why they were playing tourist and coming to Ellis Island. Mom had wandered off, but they said "She'll enjoy this," and went to go find her.

About ten minutes later they show up again with an older woman. I said, "Oh, hi, you must be Mum," and extended my hand.

Without even saying hello, she reached out and grabbed the top of my kilt, and proceeded to tell me that I was wearing my kilt too high on my waist. I needed to wear it lower. Furthermore my kilt also needed to be longer. Then she knelt down on the floor and touched the ground. A proper kilt, she told me, should touch the ground when you are kneeling. (I'm thinking in my head at this point that that is a sure-fire way of insuring your kilt is too long, but I don't say anything because frankly I am speechless).

When she stands up, I recovered my wits and decided that I should find some way of letting this woman know that I know a thing or two about kilts while still being polite. So I say, "Well, thanks, let me give you one of my cards," and and it to her, introducing myself as the Director of the Scottish Tartans Museum and explaining that we work closely with the Scottish Tartans Authority as well as major Scottish weavers and kiltmaker and that I was here as an advisor to the exhibition.

As she looked at my card, I swear I have never seen anyone look less impressed.

Then she reached out and grabbed my kilt pin and told me in no uncertain terms that it was too high and the proper place to wear it was lower down (she pointed). I started looking around for her son and daughter-in-law, who seemed to be such nice people, but they were nowhere to be found!

Then she asked me what tartan I was wearing. I told her it was the Carolina tartan, which had been adopted by my home state of North Carolina as the official state tartan.

SHE ROLLED HER EYES!

At that point I gave up, and so did she, apparently, because she began to talk with the young lady from VisitScotland who was also there helping with the exhibition. After several minutes, she left, and my associate from VisitScotland came up to me and said, "That's the type of woman who is going to go home and complain to everyone that the government is wasting money sending people like me overseas promoting Scotland with tartan and kilts."

What can you do? Thankfully, in my experience encounters like that have been very rare.

[Lime]

Reminds me a little of my grandmother-in-law! She just will not be told even when clearly in the wrong.. but we love her dearly!

(Luckily she can't use a computer, and so is unlikely to read this, otherwise there would be no dumpling and no stocking for me this Christmas!)

[Father Bill]

Reminds me a little of my grandmother-in-law! She just will not be told even when clearly in the wrong.. but we love her dearly!

(Luckily she can't use a computer, and so is unlikely to read this, otherwise there would be no dumpling and no stocking for me this Christmas!)

Ah yes, but we're all going to run over and tell her!

[Brian K]

Shall I place a curse on him?

I'm thinking an exorcism might be in order, Bill.

Or an opportunity for confession and absolution. Of course a heavy duty penance would be in order - like wearing a kilt with underwear

Seriously, though, I am not yet kilted but you run into idiots like this on a nearly daily basis no matter what you do. For example, I have cultivated an old-fashioned handlebar mustache over the last few months and 99% of the comments I hear are positive. Almost every day, however, I have at least one person who says something like "What the hell is that?" or "Why would you grow something like THAT?" or simply "Cut it off!" I generally just laugh it off because it's not worth it to let 1% of the population ruin your day.

We should all hand out as many compliments as we can - everyone needs an ego boost now and again - but, unless something is actually harming you or someone else, keep your criticisms to yourself. This is how most people act. This fellow, however, obviously has serious issues of some sort if he would do something as rude as upbraiding a man in front of his young daughter (over something as inconsequential as clothing, too!) and then be coward enough to beat feet before he could be accosted. Feel sorry for him. Whatever personal hell he's living in is some place you don't want to go.

Chin up, John, the man's a boob, and a rude one to boot, and not worth consideration!

Regards,

Brian

[Derek]

Matts last post jogged my memory about something that happened a few years ago in London. The wife and myself might have met up with Hamish that day I cant remember, but I walked into a Scottish tourist board office to quickly pick a few leaflets up while the wife and Ham waited outside. I was the only person in the place. As soon as I entered the three girls working there, they be about 30 ish looked in total amazment and burst into giggles. The one girl couldnt control her smirks and went off to an inner office. The girls remaining tried to get themslves together a bit and asked if they could help me. I said I was fine and so was the kilt. I dont think they had seen a kilt before. It made me day.
Iechyd Da
Derek

[RockyR]

Matt... you have MUCH more patience than I do. I would have stayed calm during the 'discussion', but would have kindly asked what her credentials were to make such assertions. I'd also ask how many kilts she's made as well as how many articles / books she's written on the subject.

Oh, I do have a story to share from when I was on Ellis Island at the "Celebration of Tartan" exhibition.

A very nice couple of York (who now live in New York) came up to me and started talking. They were very excited to see the tartan display. Turns out his mother is from Scotland, still lives there, but was currently on holiday visiting them in New York, which is why they were playing tourist and coming to Ellis Island. Mom had wandered off, but they said "She'll enjoy this," and went to go find her.

About ten minutes later they show up again with an older woman. I said, "Oh, hi, you must be Mum," and extended my hand.

Without even saying hello, she reached out and grabbed the top of my kilt, and proceeded to tell me that I was wearing my kilt too high on my waist. I needed to wear it lower. Furthermore my kilt also needed to be longer. Then she knelt down on the floor and touched the ground. A proper kilt, she told me, should touch the ground when you are kneeling. (I'm thinking in my head at this point that that is a sure-fire way of insuring your kilt is too long, but I don't say anything because frankly I am speechless).

When she stands up, I recovered my wits and decided that I should find some way of letting this woman know that I know a thing or two about kilts while still being polite. So I say, "Well, thanks, let me give you one of my cards," and and it to her, introducing myself as the Director of the Scottish Tartans Museum and explaining that we work closely with the Scottish Tartans Authority as well as major Scottish weavers and kiltmaker and that I was here as an advisor to the exhibition.

As she looked at my card, I swear I have never seen anyone look less impressed.

Then she reached out and grabbed my kilt pin and told me in no uncertain terms that it was too high and the proper place to wear it was lower down (she pointed). I started looking around for her son and daughter-in-law, who seemed to be such nice people, but they were nowhere to be found!

Then she asked me what tartan I was wearing. I told her it was the Carolina tartan, which had been adopted by my home state of North Carolina as the official state tartan.

SHE ROLLED HER EYES!

At that point I gave up, and so did she, apparently, because she began to talk with the young lady from VisitScotland who was also there helping with the exhibition. After several minutes, she left, and my associate from VisitScotland came up to me and said, "That's the type of woman who is going to go home and complain to everyone that the government is wasting money sending people like me overseas promoting Scotland with tartan and kilts."

What can you do? Thankfully, in my experience encounters like that have been very rare.

[AN COIGREACH ALBANNACH]

There's a lot of good supportive posts on this thread for you,English bloke,and two of the best are Jock Scots and CMcG to my mind.Followed closely by those saying he let himself down by not allowing you to 'come to grips' with him on this issue.

In my experience most scots do not see the kilt as just something to throw on and wear anywhere,anyhow,whoever you are.If you are one who does this there are no legal rules not to do so,but many scots will think it out of line as to how they expect to see it worn,and some will tell you so.Some will be rude and unreasonable about it.To react that someone who 'is not scottish' should not be toying around with thier national costume, currently mostly worn for particular reasons and occasions by scots, is a somewhat understandable,knee jerk reaction.

It does however show a lack of realization that there are many people who choose to wear the kilt in ways that have nothing to do with scottish traditions or current customs.These ones exercise thier freedom of choice and do so without intent to offend.

To think all scots are happily aware that some people wearing the kilt give it no more significance than a comfortable alternative way to dress is also a failure to realize the scottish cultural side of the equation.Some scots or descendants of are going to imagine you are taking something with a lot of significance and using it out of context or with ignorance.

The unthinking,emotional knee jerk reaction mentioned above does not take into account that there are many really decent,genuine fellows that wear the kilt in thier own style,for thier own reasons,without any intention to insult scottish ideas about the kilt at all.

The kilt is what it is to many scots and those in families from.Don't expect many to change thier view.You must accept this fact.But you don't have to give up your own view either.Deal with it,and grow strong.

[SoSelkirk]

Wonder how many of these uber-critical 'Scots' are probably from the lowlands?

[Jock Scot]

Wonder how many of these uber-critical 'Scots' are probably from the lowlands?

Now there is an interesting observation!