Share your kilt reaction stories

[AmateurKiltsmen]

I had my first about a week before christmas, i'd been wearing my BW kilt and Semi-dress sporran on and off over the christmas period, most people didn't seem to care or just rudely stared, but something happened on this day which took the cake.

I was walking down the high street and there was a busker playing some pretty decent rock & roll stuff (i'm not a rock & roll fanatic but i can appreciate good music of basically every genre) so i thought good stuff and kept on walking.

Now you probably know that singers sometimes address a member of the audience (or if it's a folk singer, ask them to sing along)

Well this guy addressed me, he proudly announced through his microphone "And he's wearing a kilt but he's not gone commando!" i'm fairly sure everyone around heard it.

I took it as a funny comment, not a snide remark or anything embarassing, in fact i was more surprised that someone knew what a kilt was this far down south, i gave him some money and that was that.

I'm pretty sure i also overheard some people talking about me "wearing trousers underneath" a few days before.

I know some people find some comments uncomfortable, but i'd rather people check with their eyes and not their hands... and we're in the middle of a very harsh winter so it's not as if i have a choice, the extra warmth is appreciated.

Looking forward to hearing your stories now.

[Canadian Vet]

Three years ago at a New Year's Eve bash I was asked by a quite inebriated 30-somethng (quite curvy) woman whether I was "wearing underwear under my kilt"

I slowly looked her over up-to-down and said "I was just wondering the same thing about you."

I remember that she liked it ... way too much New Years cheer.
I backed away slowly.

[bookish]

I have been asked by two people on separate occasions what I wear under the kilt. Once, at an art fair, and I was asked in a sort of playful way. I employed the stock, "Why socks and shoes, of course." Another time, I was asked at a bar, in a very blunt way, " Are you wearing underwear?" I found out from the bar regulars that person was on the autistic spectrum, which probably accounts for the directness.

To be honest, I'm generally earnest and take most social situations at face value. I'm more likely to give some comment about how undergarments help preserve outer garments, avoiding answering the question directly, or engaging with the subtext of the questioner.

[OC Richard]

As a bagpiper required to be kilted for gigs for over 50 years there have been thousands of times when I've been in public going to or coming from a job, stopping somewhere for a coffee or what have you.

99% of the reaction is no reaction.

Occasionally I'll get a quick "nice kilt!" in passing.

Once in a blue moon I'll get "where are your bagpipes?" and I'll say "there in my car" (which is indeed where they are).

A different matter for a piper is "down time" at a gig. A common example is: I've just played the Recessional at a Church, the service is over, everyone is hanging around outside, and people come up to have a chat.

Mostly it will just be people saying they liked the pipes, but others will share a story about a holiday in Scotland, or that they had a piper at their wedding or at a family funeral.

Oftentimes people will ask about the tartan, saying "what Clan is that?" which requires a bit of an explanation when I'm wearing Isle Of Skye. Most people don't know that there are non-Clan tartans.

Sometimes I'm surprised by people's knowledge. Sometimes I'm surprised by their ignorance.

An example of surprising knowledge:

I was playing at a High School, and being done I was carrying my pipes in their Gig Bag, which is covered with badges (US "patches") bought on my various travels.

A group of teenage boys walked up and said they liked the pipes. One boy, spotting a Union Jack on one of the badges, asked "what's the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?"

And another boy quickly answered "the UK includes Northern Ireland and Great Britain doesn't".

I was amazed that a random California kid would know that. (Many have never been outside California and know little of the outside world.)

An example of surprising ignorance:

I was out playing somewhere and when I was done a teenage girl walked up and announced

"I'm Scotch-Irish. My family came from Scotch-Ireland."

Which reminds me of a story told to me by my old friend who is a University lecturer.

He was teaching a course on Colonial period US history.

There was a girl in his class who, every day, came to class with a big bag of popcorn, kicked off her flip-flops, propped her bare feet up, and munched popcorn his entire lecture, never taking notes, nor recording his lectures like many students did.

The whole semester he's thinking "either she's brilliant or she's an eejit, I'll find out when the Final Exam comes".

Final Exam day did come, and he noticed her puzzling over one of the questions.

She raised her hand, he walked over to her, and she asked

"Is there a difference between England and New England?"

"Yes."

[Janner52]

A couple of years ago I was in one of the more upmarket supermarkets in the South of England and the woman behind me in the checkout queue was asking about my kilt. As I got to the checkout she explained to the young woman behind the till that I was wearing the kilt. “Oh” says the young woman, “I’ve never seen a kilt in real life before, only in films”. She was probably about 18 so clearly had been missing out.
The reactions I get are 99 percent favourably, usually curious about the tartan and more often than not from women.

[Father Bill]

Best exchange on the topic that I've had was a very sincere and sincerely confused/ dazzled female parishioner the first time I showed up at church kilted who exclaimed "Is that... is it... is it your... is that real?"

I know she was asking if it was a real kilt and my tartan (it was clergy tartan) but my response to "Is that real" was, "No, it's not real; you're imagining it. Actually I'm standing here in my underwear."

She blushed a really pretty pink and laughed.

[Canadian Vet]

As a bagpiper required to be kilted for gigs for over 50 years there have been thousands of times when I've been in public going to or coming from a job, stopping somewhere for a coffee or what have you.

99% of the reaction is no reaction.

Occasionally I'll get a quick "nice kilt!" in passing.

Once in a blue moon I'll get "where are your bagpipes?" and I'll say "there in my car" (which is indeed where they are).

A different matter for a piper is "down time" at a gig. A common example is: I've just played the Recessional at a Church, the service is over, everyone is hanging around outside, and people come up to have a chat.

Mostly it will just be people saying they liked the pipes, but others will share a story about a holiday in Scotland, or that they had a piper at their wedding or at a family funeral.

Oftentimes people will ask about the tartan, saying "what Clan is that?" which requires a bit of an explanation when I'm wearing Isle Of Skye. Most people don't know that there are non-Clan tartans.

Sometimes I'm surprised by people's knowledge. Sometimes I'm surprised by their ignorance.

An example of surprising knowledge:

I was playing at a High School, and being done I was carrying my pipes in their Gig Bag, which is covered with badges (US "patches") bought on my various travels.

A group of teenage boys walked up and said they liked the pipes. One boy, spotting a Union Jack on one of the badges, asked "what's the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?"

And another boy quickly answered "the UK includes Northern Ireland and Great Britain doesn't".

I was amazed that a random California kid would know that. (Many have never been outside California and know little of the outside world.)

An example of surprising ignorance:

I was out playing somewhere and when I was done a teenage girl walked up and announced

"I'm Scotch-Irish. My family came from Scotch-Ireland."

Which reminds me of a story told to me by my old friend who is a University lecturer.

He was teaching a course on Colonial period US history.

There was a girl in his class who, every day, came to class with a big bag of popcorn, kicked off her flip-flops, propped her bare feet up, and munched popcorn his entire lecture, never taking notes, nor recording his lectures like many students did.

The whole semester he's thinking "either she's brilliant or she's an eejit, I'll find out when the Final Exam comes".

Final Exam day did come, and he noticed her puzzling over one of the questions.

She raised her hand, he walked over to her, and she asked

"Is there a difference between England and New England?"

"Yes."

There IS a Scotch Ireland somewhere on a back street in Dublin.

[geomick]

years ago when kilted (Society for Creative Anachronism demo combining a great kilt with Cavalier-era) I had a woman ask me what was worn under the kilt. I replied "nothing's worn, it is all in good working order. But thanks for asking".

[CBH]

I am continually surprised at the lack of response.

I mean, I've never seen another person outside of the Highland Games wearing a kilt, so I can't believe its really not noticed.

Many times I've also had positive reactions.

Once, when I wore my kilt to a weekend in Comfort, Texas, I was challenged about my "skirt" by a local at the bar where my wife & I had a nightcap. He made a couple of similar comments, but it was not unpleasant.

[Canadian Vet]

I am continually surprised at the lack of response.

I mean, I've never seen another person outside of the Highland Games wearing a kilt, so I can't believe its really not noticed.

Many times I've also had positive reactions.

Once, when I wore my kilt to a weekend in Comfort, Texas, I was challenged about my "skirt" by a local at the bar where my wife & I had a nightcap. He made a couple of similar comments, but it was not unpleasant.

Kilts are still part of some military dress uniforms here in Canada and we see them more often in certain circles.
Don't try telling a soldier that he's wearing a skirt. Just sayin'.