Pants - a question for the Kilted.

[Donnie]

Iwear a kilt around the house, while I'm working leather and for special occasions. Mostly jeans otherwise.

[RobertParker]

I wear pants/trousers pretty much everyday. One of the cardinal rules of a good therapist is not to put any more focus on yourself than necessary, and generally that includes any form of dress that is outside the "norm." It's just not appropriate. Also, my only kilts are traditional wool ones. I spend so much time sitting (working on the computer, reading and doing research, in class, in therapy sessions, lounging on the couch) that I don't want to mess up the pleats by never getting up off of them! I also wear pants when doing any woodworking/home improvement stuff because I'm can be REALLY messy if not careful and the idea of getting wood glue or something on my kilt is scary. Kilts also aren't the best for crawling around thick brush while I'm hunting. So, bottom line is that I wear one when I know that I can be up and around regularly or it won't draw inappropriate attention, say from a client or patient. Still, I try to wear one every couple of weeks or so. For me it's as much about pride in my heritage as it is an alternative to pants.

[davedove]

Kilts to me are a Fashion option, not a Fashion requirement


Cheers

Jamie

Spot on, Jamie. For some of us, the kilt is not about fashion or freedom, but heritage.

And I'm not ashamed to admit that I like wearing trousers.

T.

Although I initially was interested in kilts as a way to reflect my Scottish ancestors, it has moved beyond that. For me, it is now about freedom of choice. Sometimes I choose to wear a kilt and sometimes I choose to wear trousers.

To me, someone who insists that a man ought to be kilted all the time is just as bad as someone who claims a man ought to wear trousers all the time. It's my life and my body; how I dress is my business.

Besides, I think that a cowboy hat and boots look a lot better with jeans than with the kilt.*

*Disclaimer: This is just my opinion. If you enjoy wearing cowboy boots and hats with kilts, good for you. To me it just seems a little too Dale Evans.

[Freedomlover]

Pants? What are pants?

[Hamish]

As most of you guys know, I have been full-time kilted for just under 9 years now. Within my Kilt Kollection there are kilts to suit any and every occasion, and any and every task I am likely to undertake.

There have not been trousers in my home, except on visitors, for well over six years since I, quite simply, have no need of them. If I did, there would be a few pairs, but I don't and so there aren't!

Take care,
Ham.

[elrond]

I need pants for my job. I cannot work with kilt. Out of the work place I don't wear pants since last year.

[McMurdo]

Good questions I have enjoyed the responses thus far. I am about 99.9% full time kilted, in the last year I have worn pants 3 times, when I moved, once when I was very ill and one day when I had a lot of running around to do and just did not feel with answering all the questions that a kilt wearer must deal with.

Like Trefor and a few others I ride a motorcycle and would not do that particular activity in a kilt, I love my kilts and my skin far too much.

[Ian.MacAllan]

I wear pants under the following conditions:
1) When I'm doing something that really calls for more effective coverage than a kilt provides. For example: picking berries, clearing brush, removing bees' or hornets' nests, ladder work in general.
2) When I'm doing something so likely to damage my clothing that I'm unwilling to expose expensive kilts. For example, painting, spraying chemicals, gluing things.
3) When I'm serving at a church service and the officiant considers the kilt inappropriate. I thought this might happen at some funerals but it has not yet. The clergy of my church defer to the opinions of the bereaved family, who have not only never objected but have even thanked me. They seem to consider the kilt a symbol of life, perhaps because Scots have such a well-earned reputation as survivors.

Aside from these situations I am kilted, simply because I prefer to be kilted.

My very good friend and mentor, Bishop MacFerran, passed away last spring. I had acted as the Bishop's 'chaplain' (more of an assistant than anything) for some time before he passed and so we were quite close. He had a full ecclesiastical funeral involving two churches (the Anglican and Old Catholics). I asked if it would be appropriate if I wore my kilt and all--family and clergy alike--assured me it would be fine. The family also thought the Bishop would have gotten a chuckle out of it. After the funeral various members of the family approached me and thanked me for wearing the kilt. They all thought it was very appropriate.

That is entirely consistent with my own experience. There are many wonderful people in this world.

.