The Accidental Kilt Wearer

[Lallans]

I have a personal impression of kilt wearing that has been challenged on this forum and that may therefore be peculiar to me.... I travel around with my kilt in the car a fair bit and am perhaps more apt than some to show up kilted at small town public events outside my home area, not always Scottish ones. And, when wearing the kilt such large Canadian events as Rememberance Day ceremonies, Canada Day celebrations, etc, I am most often taken for a possible ceremonial guest or perhaps a piper, but always involving something with official status. One Canadian Legion president actually came up to the kilted me on November 11 and and asked "Are you anybody?" I've even experienced the same thing at Highland Games, even at the large ones like the Glengarry Games in Maxville ON.

Obviously this is no doubt is helped along by my officious exterior , but it did help form a personal conviction that people in general seem to feel the need for some official reason or outside authorization to wear a kilt or to dress in the highland manner; I further have the idea that this is perhaps mostly a Canadian phenomenon. I stress that I'm not talking about Burns Suppers or St Andrews Society events etc, just the ones generally attended by the unkilted public. Let me know and if it's only me I'll seek help!

[The Barry]

One Canadian Legion president actually came up to the kilted me on November 11 and and asked "Are you anybody?"

To which the answer is, of course: "Yes, I am somebody, thanks for noticing."

[Lallans]

To which the answer is, of course: "Yes, I am somebody, thanks for noticing."

I have to admit I was at a loss to say anything but "No, just a spectator."

[Zardoz]

Well, speaking as someone who shows up at all sorts of "non Celtic" events in the kilt, I think you are pretty much spot on.
We have to remember that as members of this forum, we are used to the notion of seeing someone in a kilt, but the vast majority of citizens may have only seen them in person on pipers in parades, if at all. That being the case, it's natural for them to assume you must be a special event of some sort!
And it's been noted here that even some of the people who are familiar with kilts seen to feel they should only be worn at certain events.

[Howard Clark]

That happens here in the cornpatch as well. I try to be clever, but sometimes am at a loss as you said.

[Semiomniscient]

It's been mentioned before, but people react differently depending on how you wear the kilt.

If you are wearing it in the traditional fashion, with waistcoat or belt, tie, dress shirt, jacket, etc. You get a lot more respect and suspicion of importance, than if you are wearing a kilt (American contemporary or traditional) but look relatively unkempt.

Even in a kilted community, there are certain signals that let you know about bit about a person. I usually guess "bandsman" if some one is wearing a black glengarry, and it is obvious he's not something else--like the Bishop.

For everyone else, they'll see kilt, and assume you play pipes. I've NEVER picked up a set of pipes, and I get asked that all the time. I just inform them that I'm a dancer--since it helps them understand that there might be a particular reason why I'm wearing what I'm wearing. (I don't go kilted everyday, but I do go to some non-Scottish events kilted--and I often have to stop at the grocery to get something).

[McFarkus]

In Chicago folks figure I must be a piper and usually ask if I'm Irish rather than Scots. I'm usually very polite to folks asking these questions, but one evening I was walking along North Clark Street in Chicago with about half a dozen of the rabble and a rowdy drunk approached us a bit aggressively asking where our bagpipes were.

We turned in almost perfect unison and said, "Under our kilts! Want to give them a bl*w?" And then we all had a good laugh.

[Jack Daw]

I went to see the Celtic Women several months ago, and I was among the very, very few who attended kilted. After the show as I was leaving, a woman made a point to stop me and ask, "Who are you with?" I wasn't really sure what she meant by that, so I just sniffed, "Why, The Eastern United States Pipe Band Association!"

[Mike in Dayton]

I get similar comments also. Last weekend I went to see the Chieftains. Upon arriving at the parking lot I was asked by the parking attendant if I was "with the band". I should have said yes and maybe I would have gotten free parking.

Mike

[Raphael]

because most people assume that you need a reason to wear a kilt.