Kilted in a Remote Area - Thanks for the Support

[Riverkilt]

I live in a small town (7,000) in the Arizona canyonlands. Its 140 miles South to Flagstaff, or West to St. George - the nearest cities.

Summertime we get a LOT of tourists in our fair city, but off season its just us.

The local population is mostly redneck, Mormons, and Navajo. Not a fertile field for the fringes of fashion.

So far, I'm the only kilt wearing local I know. Other's have asked cautious questions - or scary questions...the mother of a 20 something schizophrenic client who said, "My son used to love wearing his sisters dresses, I'll bet he'd like wearing a kilt, where can I get him one?"

But, there's no way I'd be having as much fun wearing my kilts around town and to work if it wasn't for the information and support on this board. No way.

You lads and lassies give me the strength and foundation I need to stand a little taller and feel a bit less "on the fringe." Your shared knowledge gives me the wisdom to answer the bizarre and straightforward questions I get.

Its warming up and the tourists are starting to roll in. Maybe I'll meet some kilted brothers on their vacations.

Meantime, was wondering if there are others on the board who also live in isolated locations or small towns where they're the ONLY ones wearing a kilt?

Ron

[Angus]

[quote]Meantime, was wondering if there are others on the board who also live in isolated locations or small towns where they're the ONLY ones wearing a kilt?


Well, I as far as I know am the only one in my litle area to wear the kilt and as you said I couldnt do it without the support and kind answers from all here at X.
Everyone else my age and younger seem to be into the sloppy pants down around your knees look or the Gothic look which I think is the dumbest weirdest, insert your own word here, look ive ever seen. And they think that I look wierd!!.HAA!!
I would love to meet someone close that also wears the kilt then I gues i'd feel a little normal. Everyone here thinks that I got a screw loose for wanting to wear a "dress". No matter how many times they say that it still ticks me off a little bit.but the worst is when your own family doesnt support you. They even thought that I was all of a sudden gay!
That hurt the most. but it only made me more angry and want to stick it out. They think that this is only a phase or something and that i'll forget about it well they've got a nother think comin'.They said that no women will come anywhere near me while I'm wearin' that thing. I said well the kind of women I'm hopin to attract will
Some day I hope to be like bear and not even own a pair of pants. I'm in the process of switching career paths and hope to enter the office scene and hopefully the new boss will allow the kilt to be worn to work
Anyway thats my point of view. take care all see you later!

[Hamish]

I also live in a rural area, on the edge of a small village of maybe 3500 residents here in the south of England and, as far as I am aware, I am the only kilt wearer for miles around - I have certainly never seen another, other than the kilted friends who come from other areas to visit me.

Even in a series of photos, in our local newspaper, taken last month at a nearby town's Burns Night Dinner and organised by a Caledonian Society no less, there was not a kilt to be seen!!

[Mike n NC]

Hey Ron. I'm not really in a small town, when you count in Camp Lejeune the population of Jacksonville is about 100K. Little less right now with all the deployments. But Redneck? I got farmers, ranchers, comercial fishermen (prolly the worst of the lot) and lots of Marines.

At the Shrimp Fest last year I attracted a lot of attention from the shrimpers but the worst I heard was along the line of "Wal it ain't fer me but ok if that's what ya wanna wear" and "Where is the rest of the band and where were they during the parade?" My standard reply is "I don't play the pipes but I have an old cat at home and when I stick her under my arm and squeeze she kinda sounds like one".

In the 15 years I've lived here I have never seen anyone else in a kilt. I have met several men that say they have a kilt but they only wear it for "special things". In my mind that would be like having a steak in the freezer and only cooking one bite of it once every year or so...

Since I started wearing a kilt last year I have gotten lots of long looks, an occasional comment (mostly good), lots of attention from the ladies and a few questions about where can I get one. I keep a stack of cards in my sporran and pass out quite a few but, to date, I'm still the only kilted man seen on the streets of J'ville.

Tonight the wife and I are attending, as we do most every year, the Okinawan New Year celibration. First time since I started wearing the kilt and with all the traditional Japanese dress the kilt should make it a "real" multi-cultural event.

Mike

[bubba]

I live in a pretty small village and I know I'm the only one in town who even OWNS a kilt. They're mostly Dutch heritage here. To say I get looks is an understatement, but not much in the way of comments, folks here just don't do that. What comments I have gotten have been mostly good.

[Rigged]

I live in a fairly populous part of California and in 4 years I've seen three other men in kilts (two in San Francisco and one in my town of Sunnyvale). I'm speaking of other than during festivals.

Around here I'm, "that guy who always wears a skirt."

I think Seattle WA, Vancouver B.C., Austin and Dallas TX are probably the areas where men are most likely to be seen in kilts on a daily basis. The father you are from those places, the fewer kilted men you're likely to see.

According to Brad Pitt, this spring is supposed to be the season when men start wearing skirts/kilts.

They say that people don't see the light until they feel the heat.

[Rob Millette]

I live in a small suburb of the capitol of Mississippi. Outside of any Celtic festivals or functions, I am the only one I know of to wear a kilt on a regular basis. Wore my tan Mocker to the Richland Community Center last Sat. night for a play, then to the Jackson Zoo after church the next day. Got an awful lot of stares and glares. However, one of the zoo workers told me it did her heart good to see a man in a kilt.

Also wore my Royal Stewart to this year's annual Professional Land Surveyor's conference. Everyone thought it great that I wore it, but also wanted tp know what the occassion was. Told them any day was a good day to wear a kilt.

[Graham]

Well I think I'm in the smallest town, Somerset Pop.3200.

I'm also known as the 'guy in the kilt' but outwardly at least I find the people here quite accepting of my kilt wearing.

I've been successful in "packaging" a whole celtic image together through my business. I promote kilts and things celtic in my logo, my community involvements and my celtic music radio broadcast.

I've tried to project a total commitment to things celtic which I feel places kilt wearing in an overall context.
does that make sense?

In our nearest city, Burnie, there is only one other guy who is full time kilted, but he's not very visible, don't see him around town much. Whereas I tend to be very much "in your face" because of my business.

Still I wish there were more kilted men around.

[GMan]

I do not live in a remote area, and live in a fairly large city, however I am it seems the only one that is kilted constantly while out and about. It does help to have this forum to keep me going, and I too appreciate the support and the friendships that I have developed, and am continuing to develop, on this board. Even though many people I come in contact with daily are very supportive, it is when I leave the comfort area that what is said here keeps me going.

Ron you too are an inspiration to me!

[Verlyn]

Angus, where in Central PA? I don't wear my kilt full time, but there are quiet a few kilt folks around the capital area. Me, my eldest son, my daughter's fiance. One of my future son-in-law's friends family told him when he wore it out at Christmas time that her brothers would probably beat him up and that her father would think he was weird. My daughter just giggled and told them, no, don't think so.