Wearing a kilt for a reason

[Cowher]

So I would wear a kilt everyday if I could but my wife thinks it's like wearing a tuxedo. I also am not all that confident and I used to have a bad temper and would get in confrontations a lot (high school age) Ever since I started dating my wife I have worked on my personality to be more mild and to avoid getting in arguments with others. Avoidance is something that has helped a lot. So my kilt wearing has been limited to Celtic concerts, highland games, pipeband functions, and places a tux would be acceptable. Honestly I can only wear my kilt 4 or so times a year.
I try to get kilt nights going and they seem to always flop. So for those of you who don't wear your kilts where ever or when ever. Do you make excuses to wear your kilts? What do you do. Does it bother you that you need a reason to wear your kilt? Am I alone?

I know most here have no worries about wearing a kilt at any time.

I just really want to wear my kilt but I feel I need a reason.

[Burly Brute]

Honestly, the only reason I need to wear a kilt is one that is enforced, by law. Apparently it is "illegal" to walk around naked from the waist down, at least in the states anyway.

[Tobus]

I'm not sure how you arrive at the conclusion that wearing a kilt is like wearing a tuxedo. That might be true if all you have is a PC and full formal gear. But wearing a kilt is just like wearing trousers... it should be dressed up or down to match the occasion. There are plenty of threads about "suit equivalent", "casual", "daywear", and all that business, so there's no need to go into it here. But really, if you want to wear the kilt more often, you should pick the way you want to wear it to suit the level of dress you'd wear if you were putting on trousers.

I used to look for excuses to wear the kilt. And finally I realized I was trying too hard. I'm OK with not wearing the kilt every day, or even every week. I'll wear it when I feel it's appropriate, or when I'm in the mood. Forcing myself to wear it just for the sake of wearing it isn't helpful. Nor is making it into a "big deal" when it doesn't have to be.

That said, I probably would like to wear it more often than I do. But I'm starting to appreciate the Scots POV with kilt-wearing. By relegating it to special occasions and not making it an every-day piece of my wardrobe, I don't get bored with it. And I really enjoy the times that I do wear it.

Don't try too hard, man!

[paulhenry]

I wear my kilts at least a few times a week, and without even thinking of a reason, I just enoy wearing them and don't need an excuse! Of course if I'm going somewhere special I'll make more of an effort to dress up a little better or smarter, but I'm happy to go to the local supermarket in something casual , either in a tradtional or a contemporary, just whatever takes my fancy!

[Thomas H]

I cant wear one to work ,But if I am not at work I try to wear a kilt.

I understand ,it helps to have a reason . I like I want to ,

My wife loves the idea of me wearing a kilt .

I say Just have fun with it

[Rob, ClanMacMillan, NM]

If I had them, I would wear a kilt much more often than I do now - or so I tell myself.

Yes, I generally only wear a kilt when I have an excuse: Robert Burns Birthday (1/25), St. Patrick's Day (3/17), Getting Run Over By A Truck (4/1), National Tartan Day (4/6), Repeal of Prohibition (7/1), etc...

I find it easier to justify to my bosses and co-workers when I can give them a bit of a history lesson to go with it. It also helps them with their "valuing differences" outlook.

Maybe if I had more than two kilts, I would not need the excuse so much...

Rob.

[ForresterModern]

I too often feel a need to have a "reason" to wear a kilt, partly because my spouse does not appreciate them as I do, and turns sour at my suggestion that I will wear a kilt to certain event that we have to go to together. She even once refused to go to an event with me kilted, until I told her I was going to go kilted and STAG if she did not come along---that changed her mind after only a moment's thought. By no means do I wear a kilt on a daily basis, or even weekly most weeks. But I do make an effort to wear one when I go out golfing, to a dressy dinner event, to any kind of games, to other special events like special horse racing events, kilt nights, etc..., as well as trying to wear one to work on weekends when I am assigned to work and on other working week days where I have no clinical duties (do not physically interact with patients) and am doing mostly meetings or desk work.

Sometimes it does take a special effort to "put on the rig" but it is something that I have become very comfortable with and those around me, other than my wife, very comfortable with as well. You have to want to do it though, or your kilt(s) will languish in your closet just because we are a p@nts oriented society and most people just want to fit in.

[Bugbear]

Cowher, I took a large step back from kilts a while back to sort things out in the way the kilt is perceived, and the way I had began to feel about tartan and traditional kilts. It takes time to sort through it, and not everyone is on the same wave length at the same time. It might be that you do need more of a reason than others to wear a kilt. I chose the path of the non-Scottish, contemporary kilt, and even then, not wearing it so often. I think trying to wear it full time, when you don't feel right about it, can do a lot of damage to your perceptions of the kilt if you're not careful.

I had also become grouchy and negative about it all which became it's own problem. Still working on it… Probably on a lot of ignore lists now.

[egreen_1979]

Why not, if you haven't already, invest in a P/V kilt? I love mine for the reason that I can trash it about, lay around, go drinking, eating, etc. without the worry. Granted, it still cost me more than any p@nts I own but at the fraction of a tank.

I can see how wearing a wool kilt might cause some doubts for the reasons I just said. It is very expensive, and in a native Scots eyes, would be akin to wearing a suit or a tux.

I try to wear mine for a few hours every so often because I've read about shrinking. I suppose it makes sense to me to put it on and stretch it out, relieve any stress in the fibers that may occur while remaining static in my closet.

Eric

[Fedgunner]

I wear a kilt any time the occasion calls for "dockers" or better. I also wear a kilt on very warm days at work. I also wear tartan kilts on Scottish "high" days to work (though at work I limit myself to P.V.)
I would guess the reason I use is simply that I like wearing a kilt.