How did you ....

**Derek** · 8th July 05, 05:07 AM

In conjunction with the other thread about resistance from family and friends ... How did those of you that are accepted by family, friends and colleagues etc break them in to the idea of you wearing a kilt? Was it a gradual thing or did you simply just do it? Perhaps it might help future kilt wearers to be, if we explain our individual approaches and experiences to it.
As for me it was a very gradual thing over a long period of time. I took a chance and went for the slowly slowly catchy monkey approach. I often left my kilt out hanging over a chair etc where family/friends would see it and maybe then comment 'thats a kilt' .. I would simply say it was mine and that I was very surprised that they never knew about it etc etc. Sometimes conversations would come up where I had an opportunity to mention my kilt as a passing thing. Then I started wearing it at the odd do and after quite a considerable time, my family, friends and colleagues got to see it, then got used to it and they have since never questioned the fact when I am wearing my kilt for what some would say is no apparent reason. I will never know if they would be the same if I suddenly brought it upon then. My major hassle was wearing it out and about locally, but as I have said in threads before, thanks to all you guys here I have 90% overcome that. I was very lucky that my wife agreed in the first place, (now over 25 years ago) when I suggested that I buy a kilt for hillwalking etc. I think she simply accepted that kilts were a manly thing in that type of terrain and environment and went hand in hand together. So over a period of time whilst doing just that we were meeting all types of people on the hills and little country pubs and nothing was every said about my kilt. In time this has obviuously been infectious on her and her original thoughts were confirmed as she pays no attention now nor is even interested whether I get up in the morning and put my jeans on or my Kilt.
Its difficult to ask her now what she might have said or thought if I suddenly told her back then that I'm going to start wearing a kilt as often as I can .. she to biased now.
Hope I ain't bored you all
Derek

**jfellrath** · 8th July 05, 08:09 AM

I tend to be less subtle - I just started wearing it. I got a lot of questions and such, but for the most part I'm considered one of the more eccentric members of my circle of friends (and my family, for that matter) so it was all just taken in stride.

**Andrew Breecher** · 8th July 05, 09:34 AM

I started wearing a kilt hiking, explaining to people that it was far more comfortable than wearing anything else.

Then I realised that, by my argument, why wasn't I wearing the kilt when I wasn't hiking? So I started wearing it all the time. My family and friends soon got used to seeing me wearing a kilt. Now they can't imagine me in anything else.

Andrew.

**bubba** · 8th July 05, 09:42 AM

My old wardrobe consisted primarily of jeans, beat up work boots or cowboy boots and ratty work shirts. Everybody thought the kilts were a huge improvement.

**Archangel** · 8th July 05, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by bubba

My old wardrobe consisted primarily of jeans, beat up work boots or cowboy boots and ratty work shirts. Everybody thought the kilts were a huge improvement.

... and flame shirts, Hawaiian shirts, and black t-shirts, oilskins...same outcome.

**GMan** · 8th July 05, 10:12 AM

It was gradual with me as well Derek. First a "Weekend Wallace" type of thing, then came the expansion to more frequency to all the time. Besides after all my old clothes started getting worn out, it was either the kilt or nothing at all.

toadinakilt · 8th July 05, 04:24 PM

I go to Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, here in the States. We're a Reformed Presbyterian school, and in honor of the Scottish Protestants, (who half the founders had connections to), we call ourselves the Scots, and all of our teamss are called the "Fighting Scots". Kilts appear every once in awhile on campus, and my first semester there a guy had on a black UK at orientation. I asked him about it, and started looking for kilts. I found SPort Kilt :-? but hey, now I found you guys. Some of my hallmeates took some convincing, yeah, but I basically wore it every once in awhile to classes, and pretty much every evening on the hall when everybody else was hanging out in their underwear. Yeah. I'm still the only one who has one, but some of the guys were thinking about scraping together the cash. My girlfriend and I took awhile to get serious, and by that time I was already wearing the thing everywhere. She's a little weirded out at the idea of me having 6 or 7 eventually, but she says she can deal with it. I'm sure she secretly finds it sexy, but she's not saying so

**Hamish** · 8th July 05, 05:40 PM

Well, Derek, I had been wearing the kilt between 1950 and 1998, but only as a 'costume' for my Scottish Country and Highland dancing activities. When, in 1999, I began wearing them for walking and then, pretty soon after, full-time, there was no-one still around to question my actions. My partner and then my parents had died so I had no-one to answer to. My friends just seemed to accept my practice of wearing the kilt instead of trousers. None of them, as I recall, questioned it. One of my immediate neighbours had her doubts initially, but she soon got over that and is now wanting to be the first to see my new kilt acquisitions!!

**Kiltman** · 8th July 05, 06:59 PM

I first started wearing a kilt in 1977, but then it was for highland games and some walks. My first kilt was made by my wife, and it was a good guess at making a kilt. Since then I've acquired several more kilts. I wear them frequently since I'm presdient of the local St. Andrew's Society and do Scottish Country Dancing. There have been a few occassions on which I did not wear a kilt to a funeral or a wedding and was chastised for not wear one.
There are a few who say they've never seen me not wearing a kilt.

**Rob Wright** · 8th July 05, 07:14 PM

Roughly this is the breakdown of the attitudes towards kilts in my area. Being considered to be the best cook in the area I see most of the people at some point so the percentages are fairly accurate. 10% think they're great, 50% don't even think about it, 30% scratch their heads and try to wrap their brains around the concept that kilts are for men or can be worn for everyday wear, and 10% think i'm a crossdressing homosexual.

The big breakout for me was when i purchased a Victory kilt from USAKilts and people all of a sudden started to see me in a kilt everyday, not just on weekends. I get lots of stares and double takes from tourists, but I don't care what they think.

Rob