A Question for Those with Masculine Jobs...

[Kilted_John]

I never really understood this line of thinking. I've met some girls who just insisted they didn't like kilts, although perhaps it may have just been that they were embarrassed by them. But for someone to just genuinely not like them, for no particular reason, baffles me a bit.

I'll say this as well. If someone is truly and honestly offended at the suggestion that a career can be considered masculine, I really feel quite bad for them, as they must feel offended quite a lot of the time. We're here on a forum reclaiming the most masculine garment of all- perhaps this is not the place to suggest that all things are exactly suited for all genders.

My guess is that those women think that kilts = s___ts and think that only women should be able to wear something that doesn't have an inseam and that men should wear trousers @ all times.

Personal jobs haven't really been "masculine" jobs. I did do some hardware testing/upgrades for ICOM America. Never saw a woman working in the testing room, so, that time, I was in a male-only environment. That probably was the closest thing to "masculine". Nobody cared. The guy overseeing the project thought it was cool, as did the other guys who were working in the room, who were a couple teenagers with their pants sagging, as usual.

-J

[hospitaller]

I work in Security Consulting, and I don't know if that's what you call a 'masculine' job but out of 23 people in the office, 20 of us are men, so be it what it may.

I started going to work kilted daily about oh, 2 months ago?

As part of my job I sometimes go to site visits, seminars and meetings, and so far I have had a few encounters but I can't honestly say they have been ALL that negative, as much as they have been of not understanding what a kilt is.

They way I approach wearing kilts, and this is just my personal opinion and intended as no offense to no one as I believe in laisse fair, is, some people wear their kilts as if it were a costume, others wear them as a daily/natural/normal piece of clothing.

I consider myself in the latter group, so whenever I wear my kilts, I behave and feel just as I was wearing jeans or any other 'normal' piece of clothing, and my behavious carries through and people don't seem to react as much now, as they did when I first started wearing them.

Probably because during my first outings, the kilt felt to me as a costume, but the longer I've worn it, it has become a normal article of clothing so I don't even notice it anymore.

If I can venture advice to you, simply start worrying about your coworkers comments and start wearing your clothes, the kilt being one of them as you would anything else.

Good luck

[Larry124]

Another adjective that we might perhaps do without: "delicate" sensibilities.

I think that EVERYONE has delicate (hot button?) sensibilities on at least one subject or in one area of life or experience. Some have few, some many. Some topics here bear that out -- although this forum to its credit is much more enjoyably civil than others.

I'd have said predominately male occupations or workplaces. "Masculine" might be read to imply an attribute of an individual -- and suggest an opposite that's too much like red meat.

I worked (I'm retired now) in a human services office in which the customers were very often embarrassed and supplicant. That often prompted the fight or flight response. And if you can’t flee (or fight outright) then the substitutes included finding something (anything) to take offense to, and a ready argumentativeness especially again to change the subject.
A kilt would have been a clear disruption in that environment.

[Birddog]

Look, there can ALWAYS be better ways of saying things. Could I have been more "PC" in the way I initially posted this thread? Maybe. But it does not detract from the fact that I am simply looking for ways to broach wearing a kilt around my military coworkers, nor does it change the fact that there are jobs which will always be predominately male oreinted. To deny, or take offense, will not change one bloody thing. I do think that people should have read the entire thread before they took offense to what I said; they would have clearly seen that I was not being sexist, and they could have constructively added to the thread. Human skin has made it this far because it can be thick; let's not lessen the specie by thinning our skin. Now, back to the topic!

[Nighthawk]

Look, there can ALWAYS be better ways of saying things. Could I have been more "PC" in the way I initially posted this thread? Maybe. But it does not detract from the fact that I am simply looking for ways to broach wearing a kilt around my military coworkers, nor does it change the fact that there are jobs which will always be predominately male oreinted. To deny, or take offense, will not change one bloody thing. I do think that people should have read the entire thread before they took offense to what I said; they would have clearly seen that I was not being sexist, and they could have constructively added to the thread. Human skin has made it this far because it can be thick; let's not lessen the specie by thinning our skin. Now, back to the topic!

Military coworkers?!?! Where's the problem, then? The kilt is one of the most respected military garments in history!

[hospitaller]

I don't get why you would have trouble with your military coworkers if you wear a kilt...specially given that the kilt was/is used by actual combat units.

I specially don't see the problem when so many active service mil types wear kilts as well, I guess im trying to say I think you're making a bigger deal than necessary, simply wear your kilt and be done with it.

If they get out of line with their ribbing, they are the ones that will be disciplined, so...go for it and don't overthink it.

[siva011]

I understand the "masculine" jobs idea of this thread, but I think more along the lines of factory work and the like more so than military, fire or police. As a few have mentioned, firefighters have a long line of history with the kilt. There were units of soldiers that were kilted, and how many police pipe bands are there? I would actually be more surprised to have reactions come from those groups. Branches of the military, police departments and fire departments even have their own tartans. It seems this group of servicemen would be very much in tune with wearing kilts.

As far as other jobs with a more macho presence, that can be a very different story. I have worked in warehousing, and while many people know I wear kilts, I usually had a uniform or for safety reasons couldn't wear one. Also I have frequently worked in the inner city where exposure to kilts is virtually none. Again some people knew I wore kilts and would rib a little bit, I'm sure it would be much, MUCH more if I were to show up kilted.

Now I'm in an office with mostly women, and while some admit that they "don't get it", most are intrigued. Again, dress code doesn't let me come to work kilted

[Timmy]

I am a police sergeant and have just this year started wearing kilts. I wear my utilikilt just about anywhere,(movies,dinner, etc). My co-workers jibe me goodheartedly about this and just about anything else they can think of. I think your own self confidence is what determines how you are recieved. People only kick you when you are down.

[kiltedinUSMC]

I have worn kilts around those I was in the military with. They had no problem with me wearing one. Heck I got started on kilts from one of my Marines buddies!

[haxtonhouse]

I am a fifth grade teacher, but in the summer I operate heavy equipment at construction sites. I also served 11 years in the U.S. Army Special Forces. I wear my kilt to school, and to work in the summer, (While in the army I was in uniform of coarse)I did get a bit of ribbing the first couple of times that I wore a kilt, but everyone is used to it now, and I haven't heard anything for a long time now.