Kilts and visiting churches in Europe

[auld argonian]

Those slacks made out of Taslan and Supplex pack light and can be "revived" rather quickly...I have a couple of pair that are zip-off leg style so that they can be used as shorts and then turned magically back into pants...truly we live in an age of wonders!

Best

AA

[Valencian Kilted]

My experience on Spain is that you will not have problems with shorts as much as we consider the places you go to see. In Barcelona, for example, you will not have any problem to visit Gaudí's Sagrada Familia in shorts, and even on ur kilt. My perception is that you could only have problems on visiting cathedrals depending on the open mind of the local clergy. Maybe in Barcelona they're more openminded than in Burgos or in Toledo, and even in Santiago, but I don't think that u'll have any problem at all. Regarding to the style, I won't recommand a full traditional dressing. Maybe a tartan kilt with a casual look and a discrete colours combination (matching with the kilt, and maybe with dark colours) would be ok. If you don't seem to wear a red light over ur clothes, everything should go ok. It's all based on respect. I don't agree with their point of view, but I have to remember my university years, when going to speech exams in shorts was (and it's still) forbidden, I thought that that policy was somewhat absurd in a country where just yesterday we were at 40ºC, but later I understood that teachers asked for some respect from us, and that was a way to show that respect... Would I show more respect at university rules to the ones of the house of God?... Simply, if they have that rule it will be written at the door... and even on that cases nobody will shout to you, as they will avoid scandal... I'm sure that in case you find one of those extra-puritan priests, he will suggest to you quite kindly :rolleyes:

Regarding Vatican rules about clothing, it's evident that it's a special place... as there's the center of our church and also the most orthodox or strict in terms of formalism. The fact that official languages include latin says much a lot about that, isn't it?

If you come here, wear ur kilt with pride, tartan if it's possible, and with discretion...that's all you must follow, in my opinion...

¡Salud!

T O N O

[mrpharr]

Matthew 6:28-29

28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin,

29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

this was also the verse brian of monty python's life of brian used. and then he was asked why he was picking on the lilies...

[TechBear]

Thanks, Valencian Kilted.

I doubt I would want to wear something traditional; Spain in August, even on the coast, doesn't seem a good place and time to be wearing knee socks and wool

Most likely, I will be dressed similar to what I've been wearing on the weekends: Utilikilt, plain button-down short sleeved shirt, travel hat (this one, in fact), day-pack filled with various necessities, hiking socks and good walking shoes. Pretty respectable and unremarkable, except for the kilt :rolleyes: Previous trips to Europe were spent dressed like that, only in chinos rather than kilt. I try hard not to be the typically sloppy and obnoxious American tourist; call it my small contribution to international relations.

I didn't think I would have any trouble with the kilt, but it is nice to have something I can use to shut up that nagging voice at the back of my head telling me I will miss out if I'm not just like everyone else.

[James]

I've worn the kilt in many European countries-and visited churches etc whilst so dressed, without any problems.

However always in a regular kilt, and it is possible that there might be a different attitude in respect of such a faux kilt as the Utilikilt.

James

[Valencian Kilted]

doesn't seem a good place and time to be wearing knee socks and wool
Most likely, I will be dressed similar to what I've been wearing on the weekends: Utilikilt, plain button-down short sleeved shirt, travel hat (this one, in fact), day-pack filled with various necessities, hiking socks and good walking shoes. Pretty respectable and unremarkable, except for the kilt :rolleyes:

You don't need to wear a wool tank to wear a tartan , as a 4 or 5 yards poly tartan kilt would be ok and not really expensive. Spain is not a kilting place. I just know other two people kilted. One is in Madrid and the other is in Galicia. So, for most of spaniards a kilt is in all cases a tartan kilt, if not... it's a skirt. Wearing kilt hose to the knee would be a sillyness, but you can wear ur hiking socks rolled down of ur boots and it will be ok. Regarding the shirt, just avoid the shiny coloured styles (as hawaïan flowered shirts, for example) and about the hat, whatever you wear you will have to take it out into church, as it's a lack of respect to get in with your head covered. It's maybe a simbolism, but it means somewhat that you're avoiding the grace of God to get into you ;)

Again.... wear it with the same respect that you would wish to receive!

¡Salud!

T O N O

[Martin S]

I've been to Spain often in enough in kilts to be able to say they don't cause much of a stir in the towns (you may get some odd comments in villages, however).

Spain has changed so much since Franco's death; it's no longer the strait-laced, strictly catholic place it was. It is modern, lively and fun. France seems old-fashioned now by comparison.

I'm not a church-goer normally, but much of Europe has churches and cathedrals of great artisitic and architectural interest that should not be missed. You go in and look around just as you would in any museum or historic building. Why would anyone look at your clothes there more than anywhere else?

Now that they are getting so short of worshippers in Europe, the clergy are not likely to make a fuss about about bare knees or shoulders or turn anyone away.

I'm sure our friend Valenciankilt could give more details about Spain, since he lives there. I don't know so much about italy, but I imagine the trend there is similar.

By the way, Valencia is a great place to visit. It seems to be completely ignore by the holiday business, but there is so much to see, I enjoyed every minute. Churches of course, and palaces, museums, wonderful gardens, modern science centre, aquarium-dolphinarium, cafés, restaurants and a vast beach just a bus-ride away from the centre. And with much reduced traffic in high summer when the locals go for holidays elsewhere!

Most of the time, I was in cotton kilt and tank-top, and did not feel un-dressed.

Martin

[Hamish]

Over the years I have visited France, Belgium and Italy whilst wearing traditional tartan kilts as well as contemporary Utilikilts, and I have never yet been barred from Churches, Cathedrals or any other buildings. One consideration could be that I am not really a T-shirt type and so would have been wearing Polo or conventional leisure shirts in subdued colours, and would have been wearing kilt hose with shoes - not boots!

I have visited Spain and The Balearics many times but, alas, that was before the days of my full-time kilt wearing, and so I was not kilted whilst there.

Show reasonable and considerate respect for the country you are visiting, and its peoples, and you should survive unscathed!

[Prester John]

An interesting thread.

I'm always interested to see that men in churches are often asked to dress properly, and remove their hats, while women almost never are...and God forbid you should ask them to observe the apostolic tradition of covering their heads!

I encountered this at a cathedral in the midwest once. There was a sign in front which asked gentlemen to remove their hats before entering. No sign asking ladies to cover their heads, though. All the tour guides, also women, were wearing pants.

It's an awfully strange world!

[auld argonian]

Gee, PJ...it was always accepted that gentlemen should remove their hats when entering a house of worship...it's a drag that they have to put up a sign to point that out. The rule in most places - as I remember it from my youth - was that guys: hats off, women: cover the head (scarf, mantilla, chapel veil, etc.). I remember that in the sixties the slide began...they were constantly telling women that "slacks" were not acceptable attire for church...

Best

AA