Kilted Snobbery?

**Tribal** · 20th March 09, 05:35 AM

Picture, if you will...

This past weekend, I'm at Shamrockfest in DC. It turns out that it's pretty trashy; don't go if you ever consider it. It's about 90% flat-out drunk twenty-somethings, 7% regular folks, and 3% pipe bands. In any case, I decided to go kilted.

Now, I don't have a nice, bespoke kilt. I've got a tweed one that I bought on clearance at, I believe, Heritage of Scotland, that originally sold for 100 pounds (although it's Made in Scotland and is wool). Nonetheless, I've had many people, including merchants, stop me and demand to know where I got it. Therefore, what happened to me next was odd.

As my friends went for another round in the beer line (I was driving that day, so no more beer for me at that point), a guy in full pipe band regalia strides by and, without a hint of a smile, sneers "nice skirt" and struts away.

So what was this? Snobbery? Very dry humor?

Addendum: If you go to Shamrockfest, be prepared to be kilt-checked from behind by very drunk girls. However, I can also report that "shoes and socks" was, by far, the response most popular among girls asking what's under the kilt.

**Phogfan86** · 20th March 09, 05:44 AM

I'd chalk thus up to (1) the one jerk out of a hundred that we can all expect to roll around eventually, and (2) an uneducated boob who doesn't get that it doesn't need to be tartan to be a kilt.

Don't let it get under your skin. I'm sure you looked great.

**RockyR** · 20th March 09, 06:08 AM

Originally Posted by Phogfan86

I'd chalk thus up to [SNIP] an uneducated boob who doesn't get that it doesn't need to be tartan to be a kilt.

Don't let it get under your skin. I'm sure you looked great.

Ditto. I've seen plenty of PIPE bands with solid kilts, so this 'gentleman' obviously was a bit 'confused'. (that's me being polite

)

**Nighthawk** · 20th March 09, 06:51 AM

My response to said individual- "Doesn't tweed come from somewhere in Scotland? Like, oh, the Isle of Skye- as in Harris tweed?" And leave it at that.

**Downix** · 20th March 09, 07:18 AM

and I originally read this as "Kilted Shrubbery?"

**Spartan** · 20th March 09, 07:31 AM

Just because the guy belongs to a pipe band and was provided a kilt by the band, doesn't mean he knows a twit about kilts. He's just showing his ignorance.

**werewolves** · 20th March 09, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Downix

and I originally read this as "Kilted Shrubbery?"

We are the knights who say.. oh never mind.

**Riverkilt** · 20th March 09, 07:40 AM

For some reason highland games seem to be "jerk magnets"....a chance for them to be stupid to a whole lot of people at once. I would guess you weren't his only target that day.

I've told my story of a similar jerk who was so offensive to so many people Clan Donald finally told him to stay away.

Good news is you'll probably work out a snappy come back now in case that ever happens again.

Ron

**Panache** · 20th March 09, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by Tribal

...a guy in full pipe band regalia strides by and, without a hint of a smile, sneers "nice skirt" and struts away.

If he was carrying his pipes I would have pointed at them and cheerfully replied "nice kazoo".

Cheers

Jamie

**cessna152towser** · 20th March 09, 08:03 AM

Sadly, yes, there are some kilt snobs out there, who will try to tell others that a kilt needs to be tartan and needs to have at least forty narrow pleats. All they succeed in doing is showing their ignorance and/or their own lack of confidence to try any of the modern varieties of kilt.