"Appropriate Office Attire"

[toadinakilt]

When I asked my boss about wearing a kilt to work, her reply was "I'm not sure that's 'appropriate office attire.'" Our dress code is nebulous like that, yes. What a pain.

Feeling free to repost pictures from previous threads, what would you chaps consider the kilted equivalent of "appropriate office attire"? I usually wear dress slacks or khakis, a button-down, and dress shoes. No tie or such is required or expected. What sort of ensemble could I put together that would match this?

I was thinking, if I replaced the slacks with a kilt, and wore hose to match my shirt, that'd probably work.

On a side note, my shoes are these. Would these work with a kilt and hose?

[toadinakilt]

And something else I just thought of: if the bosses were to look unkindly at a sgian dubh being worn, what alternative to a knife would I have? A pen, perhaps?

[artificer]

And something else I just thought of: if the bosses were to look unkindly at a sgian dubh being worn, what alternative to a knife would I have? A pen, perhaps?

You could always opt for the 'Sgian Brew'.

And it would make for a popular 'after work' accessory (to which your boss would presumably NOT be invited )

[cessna152towser]

This is the outfit I regularly wore to work as a Town Hall Manager and District Court Legal Assessor and more recently since taking early retirement from the legal profession I wear this while working as a part-time taxi or bus driver. I would certainly regard a dark coloured kilt (could be a muted tartan) with a suitable jacket shirt, tie and hose as appropriate work attire. I would not wear a sgian-dhu or flashes to work.

[Sir William]

When I asked my boss about wearing a kilt to work, her reply was "I'm not sure that's 'appropriate office attire.'" Our dress code is nebulous like that, yes. What a pain.

I was thinking, if I replaced the slacks with a kilt, and wore hose to match my shirt, that'd probably work.

In theory, replacing your trousers with a kilt should be satisfactory, but it appears more likely that your boss does not consider the kilt itself as appropriate. It might also depend on how much you interact with persons outside your workplace and how your boss may be anticipating how they think this represents a professional enviornment.

I've encountered much the same response. Consequently, I keep a suit in the car in case I need to change, though lately my boss (and his boss) have asked when I'll wear a kilt again (or better yet, why I don't wear it more often). Once, when I said I was going to wear a kilt on a particular day, I was kidded about what would I do if I was asked to meet with a senior official - and my boss said he didn't see any reason why I couldn't wear the kilt to such a meeting.

You might try getting permission to wear it once so the boss can see what YOU look like in a kilt.

[Nighthawk]

I personally would just replace the trousers with a kilt, and the regular socks with kilt hose. Those shoes look fine to me. I wear similar shoes with my kilt all the time. Hose, flashes, the rest of your normal ensemble. There's no reasonable cause for the powers that be to complain.

[wildrover]

Go for traditional, conservative, and make sure it all works together...don't try to make it match, just make sure it works together.

You needn't wear the all-black outfit with white shirt...unless it is a closer fit to your daily wear. From the sounds of it, conservative hose with a hose top complementary to the kilt, a long-sleeve buttoned shirt, and a vest and tie, would do quite well...that is, if her objection is based more on the idea that you'd be wearing a "costume" of some sort, versus the more visceral rejection of "guy in a skirt" or "guy hanging brain".

Remember the basic rules when you get dressed...hose turned over, not pulled up too high, hem of the kilt somewhere between mid-patella and top, no belts with vests, sporran around a hand's breadth below where a belt would sit, that sort of thing...

I noticed the shoes you linked are very similar to what Cessna posted in his photo. Looks to me like they work fine...

Also bear in mind that a kilt isn't always appropriate...like Sir William mentioned.

-Sean

[auld argonian]

Regular business attire around here in the summertime? Dockers, white cross-trainer shoes and a polo shirt. Come to think of it, they dress that way all year round...

Obviously, neither I nor anyone else on this forum is going to think that a kilt wouldn't fit in with appropriate business attire. I think that one of the reasons that these office managers deny permission is that they think that it would be the first slip on the slippery slope. The next day, somebody else shows up in shorts and claims that it must be okay because you wore the kilt the day before.

Best

AA

[gordontaos]

Tis better to ask forgiveness than permission.
I am going to give advice that many people will disagree with, and will cause dissension in the ranks.
I have always had a problem with authority, and I am proud of it.
Go ahead and wear a kilt. Fight the establishment. Do not be a swarmy sycophant who is worried over the next pay check or where the next job or promotion will come from.
What are they going to do? Fire you?
Good, then you can become self employed and truly free.
Its this attitude that earned me the County Chamber of Commerce Entrepeneur of the Year Award.
Be Bold!

[Good Egg]

I'm one of those who thinks that an employer has a right to set a reasonable dress code and expect their employees to conform to it. By agreeing to take the job you signed up for that.

Much as I would like kilts to be accepted as day to day wear I am realistic enough to know that they are not and can understand why an employer may be uncomfortable with you wearing one.