'Garb' and the Kilt

[Alan H]

To a guy who wears his kilt twice a year, it's a costume.

I dunno, Bear. I have to agree with Todd on this one. Just because a guy chooses to wear his kilt on the rare occasion doesn't mean it's a costume.
The word 'costume" has a lot of negative baggage hung on it in this crowd. In other circles, it's not a "bad" word at all.

I wore my new, formal cut Bear Kilt to a wedding just the other day. That's a special occasion, so is it therefore a costume?

NOT!

How about me mate Phil, who wore a MacFarlane tartan vest to his wedding, and probably won't wear it a lot, henceforth? Is that vest a "costume?

I sometimes wear tuxedos, usually for a concert I'm playing. At that point the tux is literally "work clothes" but I only do that sort of work 2-3 times a year any more. So is my tux a costume, since I don't wear it a lot?

"special occasion wear" does not necessarily equal "costume", with all that word...."costume" implies 'round here..

One other thing, though this isn't directed at Bear, either. There's a strong bias on this board for wearing casual clothes. That's fine.

My Dad wore his neatly pressed United State Navy Uniform to work for twenty-seven yeyars. When he was on board ship, things got lax, but on land, he was always pressed, clean and shipshape. When He retired he went to wrok for the County of Monterey and always wore a tie and a sportcoat to work.

I know men who wear suits every day, and are comfortable in them. I know guys w ho wear blue jeans and t-shirts to work and are comfortable in them.

The CLOTHES don't make the person. The PERSON makes the person.

so I might respectfully suggest that we all state our opinions over what kinds of clothing work well for ourselves, but not suggest that people who dress differently from us are somehow dysfunctional. After all, remember that we, the kilt-wearers are the aberrant ones in society.

[Prester John]

Vestus virum non reddit.

That's my two cents in latin.

[Rigged]

There's a strong bias on this board for wearing casual clothes.

I think that bias on this list is because there's been such a bias in society in the other direction for so long.

I think it comes from a desire to shake us guys out of habit of viewing the kilt as being only a formal garment.

[Hamish]

There's a strong bias on this board for wearing casual clothes.

With respect, I'd suggest that this is because this forum is American-based and is peopled predominantly by Americans. I believe it is true to say that Americans are much more relaxed with regard to their clothing styles (such as what constitutes 'formal' and what does not), than many of us in other parts of the world.

Just me throwing another stick on the fire!!!

[macsim]

With respect, I'd suggest that this is because this forum is American-based and is peopled predominantly by Americans. I believe it is true to say that Americans are much more relaxed with regard to their clothing styles (such as what constitutes 'formal' and what does not), than many of us in other parts of the world.

Just me throwing another stick on the fire!!!

I tend to agree with you Hamish. I'm almost 47 years young and I remember when I was a youngster, you always wore a coat and tie to church, you dressed up to go out to eat and you wore nice clothes to school. Even in high school there were plenty of guys wearing "double knit" pants and those awful "leisure suit" shirts with wide collars and flowery designs, cuffs rolled to the inside, not the outside. At some point though, don't exactly remember when, I began to notice people at fairly nice restaurants in jeans, then shorts (never kilts I must say) and now it's just casual everything.

My department is being outsourced and all of us interviewed with the new outfit coming in to take over. Out of 14 people I was the only one who wore a coat and tie. I like to dress casually myself and it's probably a lot to do with that stubborn, independent American attitude (and the southern humidity!) but I do like to see a little formality when formality is warranted. It just shows a certain respect and maybe the ability to do something because you want to, not because you have to. That said...to each his own!