First Casual Kilt

[lanejustin]

I just bought my first custom kilt (my other two being a Utilikilt, and a cheap off the rack kilt I got at a Ren Fest). I ordered a Casual MacLean Hunting Modern, and am really excited to get it in to start wearing. I chose this particular tartan, as I am a Lane, and I figure that's pretty darn close. Also, I play Ingress, and much of my kilt wearing will be for events, where I play on the "green" team, the Enlightened. I will be using a Team pin for my kilt pin, which is not quite heavy enough, but I like the look of it. I'll try to post a picture of me in my full kit when I get it.

The one issue I've had so far is getting my wife to be "okay" with me wearing it out in public. I'd love to, but she'd prefer if I wore it to events that did not include her.

[Mael Coluim]

Congratulations! I love my USAK casual kilts . The MacLean is a nice tartan. Of course they are no bad looking ones either. I'm sure you'll be able to bring your wife around when she sees how good-looking the kilt is on you.

[Theowulf]

Congratulations and welcome! Do you have pictures?

[lanejustin]

Congratulations and welcome! Do you have pictures?

It will hopefully be to me within the next 3 weeks. I have an event I'm going to on the 2nd that I would love to wear it for.

[WalesLax]

When you wear it to an event without her, try dropping in the phrase "...I couldn't believe how many women came over to comment on how great I looked in my kilt, and that they wish their husbands would..." It triggers either the breaking of a confirmation bias (her bias that society won't accept you in a kilt), or it breaks your neck (in that she murders you). You'd be shocked how much less people say or even notice about you than they do. I had a teaching assistant who wore a Brittany Spears shirt to class every week. In our year end reviews of the class, the professor asked 1) can you tell me what the TA wore to class every week? and 2) what did you think of it? He told us something like 87% of people didn't say anything about the Brittany Spears shirt (WELL after the height of her popularity), and a few of those who did either thought "that was his style," or "he must have been a big fan." A very, very small few said anything like "what was wrong with that weird," and per the TA, only two students even had said anything to him about it (one was also a big Brittany fan, and one to 'bust his chops.')

The flip side is, people WILL notice your kilt. Your wife thinks (this is her bias) they will notice it and think poorly of you, and by association, poorly of her. The best way to break that bias is to slowly show her that people think positively about it. If you can set up a few early positive responses from friends, family, co-workers, or us here on XMTS, that would be a good start. Slowly, her bias will become "people seem to like him in it.

Now, all that said, and this coming from a guy who wore a kilt to a black tie event this past Saturday, my wife will still at times say "just wear a suit."

Happy kilting,

Rob

[lanejustin]

When you wear it to an event without her, try dropping in the phrase "...I couldn't believe how many women came over to comment on how great I looked in my kilt, and that they wish their husbands would..." It triggers either the breaking of a confirmation bias (her bias that society won't accept you in a kilt), or it breaks your neck (in that she murders you). You'd be shocked how much less people say or even notice about you than they do. I had a teaching assistant who wore a Brittany Spears shirt to class every week. In our year end reviews of the class, the professor asked 1) can you tell me what the TA wore to class every week? and 2) what did you think of it? He told us something like 87% of people didn't say anything about the Brittany Spears shirt (WELL after the height of her popularity), and a few of those who did either thought "that was his style," or "he must have been a big fan." A very, very small few said anything like "what was wrong with that weird," and per the TA, only two students even had said anything to him about it (one was also a big Brittany fan, and one to 'bust his chops.')

The flip side is, people WILL notice your kilt. Your wife thinks (this is her bias) they will notice it and think poorly of you, and by association, poorly of her. The best way to break that bias is to slowly show her that people think positively about it. If you can set up a few early positive responses from friends, family, co-workers, or us here on XMTS, that would be a good start. Slowly, her bias will become "people seem to like him in it.

Now, all that said, and this coming from a guy who wore a kilt to a black tie event this past Saturday, my wife will still at times say "just wear a suit."

Happy kilting,

Rob

I love the story of the TA's shirt. Tempts me to do something similar with my classes; I could wear a specific something that stands out every Monday or something like that.

However, the bigger issue with my wife is that she is a HUGE introvert and doesn't like attention being brought near her, neither positive nor negative. I think she will eventually come around though. As most people don't randomly approach people to comment on what they are wearing, no matter how outlandish.

[macmanjim]

If there's a Scottish/Caledonian society near you, join it and bring her along. Everyone wears a kilt at the functions, so you'll be at home.

[Richrail]

Ah yes my wife was the same way when I first got my first kilt. I got the two of us involved in our local Celtic Society and events close by. I even got her an arisaid then I got more kilts so I purchased a couple more for her and a kilted skirt for our societies Burns dinner. Now when I'm not working I am kilted, if I don't wear a kilt she ask's, what's up that I'm not wearing a kilt.

[dutchy kilted]

Be prepared to buy about four more in the next year. They're addictive.

[Richrail]

I went from a few (3) of USAkilts casual kilts to their semi-traditional to 5, 5 yard wool. It is a serious addiction. But it is also helping me keep my weight down. I went from 285 to 235, now I hover right around 240 for the last 5 years.