Most 'kilt-friendly' occasions?

[tpa]

I find that I get more questions and comments when attending an "event" of some description (non-Highland) than when I just wear it out and about doing everyday things and even then they are rare. Just wear it every time you can and you will soon get used to it.

Father Bill's list above omitted Christmas Day and Boxing Day, days I always wear one of my best quality kilts.

[The Wizard of BC]

Add your Birthday, anniversary, and any other family special event. Any time you want to look good out with your spouse.

[Elf]

You got me thinking. I believe the most common place I wear the kilt is to the public library. Sometimes that includes public transit to the big downtown library. I wonder if the social norm for quiet and politeness there has influenced the quiet acceptance. Wherever, just get out there and do it; practice breeds confidence. Happy kilting.

[Tarheel]

The two (and only two so far) places I was uncomfortable while kilted, was with a family member that said he was embarrassed to be seen in public with me and a (former) friend that owed me money. All my other instances have been great. The twenty thousand football fans at the University of Mississippi "Ole Miss" Grove for a tailgating party, to the thirty personal friends at the recent funeral of a loved one, had positive reactions to my kilt.

[ratspike]

Life is one great, big, kilt friendly event. Put it on, go forth, be awesome.

[Mike_Oettle]

Hello, Highwayman, and welcome to X Marks from the bottom end of Africa.
When I wore a kilt as a (part-time) soldier, nobody ever questioned my right to wear the kilt. A few idiots said stupid things, but I was able to ignore them.
I bought my first civilian kilt early in 2011, and my second a few months later. From then on I wore them regularly – until both of them lost leather straps. I need to send them back to the kiltmaker for stitching, but I have an additional complication.
That complication is my wife, who hates kilts, and my daughter, who is embarrassed by them (for what reason I cannot imagine).
But I will have them repaired, I will wear them and I will order at least one more, if not several.
I just get hot under the collar when I am told that wearing a kilt to this or that occasion is inappropriate. It never is, unless you go regimental and plan to stand where people will be able to stare up your bare legs.
Regards,
Mike

[Kylahullu]

Had to think about this.
Having used a kilt for less than one year now I have had mainly positive occasions. Those not so positive have needed a bit of sense of humour .

Those needing a sense of humour have been:
- One not-so-close relative in a family gathering saying: "So, you have came out of closet". Hadn't spoken with him for about 20 years, looks like no need to have any conversation with him during the next 20 years either.
- Walking in Riga (Latvia), seeing (late) teenage girls having their eyes widening open and bursting into laughter after getting to my back. Well, seemed like Latvian people do not recognize a kilt as a male garment. The adults were more polite but seemingly wondering my garment.
- Strolling on a Portuguese local market place in a small town. Some women had some kind of own fun over my kilt. I just smiled.

Otherwise the experiences have been kilt-friendly. Amongst those experiences have been:
- A birthday party of a friend of a friend. She was 80.
- Many daily walks and visits to food and other stores in my home town.
- Midsummer party in an inn with about one hundred others. A mother asked me to tell about the kilt to her early teen son. Many conversations over the kilt.
- Attending an opera in a medieval castle in Savonlinna.
- A couple of bus-trips to Estonia and one to Latvia. Some partly kilted and one week-long fully kilted.
- Attending (as a spectator) a Highland Games in Finland.
- A 10 day trip to Portugal. Most of the time in Sintra and a couple of days in Lisbon. All time kilted the flights included.

My experience has been that when using a woollen tartan kilt (Roxburgh Red 8yd) it has been easier to be recognized as a male garment than wearing a black one (8yd budget kilt from Buyakilt). So most of the time I have been using the woollen one. During the visit to Portugal I used the black one on the hikes during the day and changed to the other for the evenings. Either way, there was at least three people a day asking to take a photo.

This summer I have had many friendly conversations, with totally strangers, that have started over the kilt and continued to other interesting subjects. I think I will continue kilting.

[Laird_M]

Anytime, anywhere. Wore one fishing recently - no-one batted an eyelid, and who needs an excuse to wear it. If you want to wear it do so.

[brewerpaul]

Kilt friendly occasions.. hummmm let me think

1)Monday
2)Tuesday
3)Wednesday
4)Thursday
5)Friday -usually a pub night also
6)Saturday
7)Sunday


Guess that covers them all for me.

[bwat]

- Walking in Riga (Latvia), seeing (late) teenage girls having their eyes widening open and bursting into laughter after getting to my back.

They're laughing because they didn't know how else to deal with something new. Kids like that need more experience so they can handle you better. When they get a little older they react differently.

I once had a family cycle past me when I was dressed in a kilt and tweed waistcoat and jacket. As soon as the little girl passed she shouted to her mum "Titta på han!" ("look at he"). I almost stopped the mother as she passed me. I was going to ask her to say something to her daughter. I mean, a child that age should know the difference between the nominative and accusative - it's "titta på honom" not "titta på han"!