Most 'kilt-friendly' occasions?

[Highwayman]

To clarify, thank you for all the encouragement, but I'm more concerned about the 'You're wearing a skirt?' crowd than the Tartan Police. I've run into very few people who even know the word tartan, I'm more just getting used to the general public looking at me and integrating it in situations where it'll be best received.

[bwat]

To clarify, thank you for all the encouragement, but I'm more concerned about the 'You're wearing a skirt?' crowd than the Tartan Police. I've run into very few people who even know the word tartan, I'm more just getting used to the general public looking at me and integrating it in situations where it'll be best received.

If they want to call it a skirt then let them call it a skirt. The only people who have called my kilt a "skirt" were people conversing with me in a language other than English so the word "kilt" was a new foreign word to them¹. A native English language speaker calling it a skirt is either woefully ignorant² or looking for a fight. You've surely dealt with these types before, no? Lots of people are just telling you to put on your kilt and do stuff and it's good advice. If you wore your kilt continuously then it would take less than a week for you to be completely at ease and not in the least self-conscious. Check out the threads here and see if you can find someone in your situation who took the plunge and regretted it.


1. Actually, the number of non-native English speakers I come into contact with that do know the word "kilt" is very high.
2. I mean, c'mon, in this day and age?

[Norbo]

To clarify, thank you for all the encouragement, but I'm more concerned about the 'You're wearing a skirt?' crowd than the Tartan Police. I've run into very few people who even know the word tartan, I'm more just getting used to the general public looking at me and integrating it in situations where it'll be best received.

First of all it is a skirt, It's a mans skirt called a kilt !! like a women's shirt is called a blouse. don't denie it just yes they call them kilts mate .

second you really don't need any special reason to put on a kilt . I were my kilts any tome for any reason .
I like to add a bit of colour to my posts so hear we go
I go to the park with the kids I put it on . This is me at Alton Towers a theme park for the Halloween I have been 3 times this year and been in a kilt every time and went on all the rides and roller coasters , didn't miss out on a thing .


This was a day out with my daughter . Nothing special just do you fancy going out to day dad its a nice day and I have the day of work kind of thing .


I go to the sea side with the family. Im in one of my kilts



Im at the pub with a few friends and one of my palls pulls up and asks if ill take his bike for a quick spin as its got a funny sound coming from it .


Im out for the day with kids at a Heritage house for a day out with the kids .


Im at Twin lakes Park with the family again for the 2nd time this year and both times kilted as hear



At a Bike rally this year . I have done many shows this year and a couple of rally I was in a kilt for all of them and didn't give it a second thought.

And doing the 60 mile ride on the club bike at this same rally.



As well as adding some colour to my reply I hope the visuals are a better way of saying you reoly don't need to just were a kilt for a special event you can use them like I do in an every day manner if you like . When you do you will see that you get many nice moments from people .

Good luck and I wish you all the best out and about in your kilt . Im sure you will see what I mean if you just give it a go down the shops just getting in some milk or what ever people love kilts they really do they just don't see them very often.

[Kylahullu]

To clarify, thank you for all the encouragement, but I'm more concerned about the 'You're wearing a skirt?' crowd than the Tartan Police. I've run into very few people who even know the word tartan, I'm more just getting used to the general public looking at me and integrating it in situations where it'll be best received.

Well, what I have experienced is that even though people do not know what is a tartan they expect that: "That skirt is colourful, has squares, user is a man and he has that funny bag hanging from the belt in front of him, so that skirt has to be a kilt or what ever it is the Scots use to wear". This happening in Finland, Estonia and Portugal. The (only) exception so far has been Riga in Latvia, where I gave them some occasions to laugh. Well, a good laugh every day keeps you healthy . None of those places have any tradition of kilt wearing.

Then there are some people who think they are funny with "the skirt is a female only garment". In that case I have either just laughed with them, or if they get a bit annoying, reminded them that only an infant thinks the garment defines the sex of a person, an adult would be able to define it even when someone is naked.

[Jock Scot]

I have not read all the posts, but I think I have the gist of what has been said. I think that you have made a wise start in picking the time and place to start wearing the kilt and so far so good. I can't help but feel that a tartan kilt, armed with a we tad of knowledge about it, would be an easier route to take---certainly in Scotland-----as I think there is a good chance that more will recognise a tartan and give it some mild respect. Anyway, that is bye the bye, so what to do?How about going for a hike, or some such, where people are about, but not in great numbers? That may build your confidence up to the main event and in truth, as said above, wearing the kilt daily(even for an hour or two) for a week should get you well on your way to having complete confidence with kilt wearing.

You WILL get smart alec comments-----we get them in Scotland too------and you never know when, but sure as night follows day, they will come and if you can, ignore them and the comments WILL hurt, but for certain sure for every negative comment there will be at least a hundred positive ones. Go for it!

[Mikilt]

I've only had one "Nice skirt" comment. I replied, "Did you think of that all by yourself?"

[OC Richard]

I'll put in a different perspective, as I've done often before! I've been a kiltwearer for nearly 40 years now, due to being a piper.

I don't know if pipers are like this in other places around the world, but here in the USA serious competition pipers (solo and band) usually have an odd love/hate attitude towards the kilt.

They view Highland Dress as a necessary evil. They will delay putting on their outfit till the last possible moment, then tear it off as soon as possible after they play. I've heard pipers say countless times that they would much prefer being allowed to compete in ordinary clothes. So, these people only wear the kilt when required to do so, and tend to view people who wear kilts when not required as being eccentric. (In other words they are much like orchestral musicians who have to wear a tuxedo when they play, and who would find it odd were they to encounter a non-musician who wears a tuxedo when going shopping etc.)

Growing up with that attitude all around me (expressed by native Scot pipers as well as American ones) I tend to only wear Highland Dress when required, when piping. I'm at odds with my piping friends because I'll wear kilts at certain other occasions, say Scottish themed concerts and Highland Games and other events even when I'm not piping there. They all show up at such events in ordinary clothes.

I have absolutely nothing against people who wear kilts every day. Good for them! It does my heart good to see kilts in public, especially the rare sightings of traditional kilts. But it doesn't feel 'right' for me.

[auld argonian]

I've only had one "Nice skirt" comment. I replied, "Did you think of that all by yourself?"

My remark is usually, "Yeah….I've never heard THAT one before."

Best

AA

[Laird_M]

I know a few pipers here in the UK and while they do the full regalia for piping, thy're generally quite happy to wear the kilt when not piping as well.

[PGH]

We have a mixed bag in my pipe band. Some are as you describe, Richard, and put the kilt on right before going to the circle and start unstrapping as soon as they're done. Others come to the event in kilt and stay in the kilt all day. A couple are regular kilt wearers outside piping.

I've found a new venue for wearing a kilt and that's "folk metal" rock concerts! Most of the kilts that you see are the cheap tat variety but there are a few good ones on show. In NYC we saw a guy with a good kilt and full mask sporran. I'll be wearing a USAKilts semi-trad to the next event I go to.