outift advice

[JSFMACLJR]

I've only been to Vienna once, but I formed the impression that it might be the one city in which a gentleman might wind up wearing white tie often enough to make it worth buying.

One can add London to that list of cities.

[Mark Stephenson]

I am relatively new to this forum. I just have to say how impressed I am with this forum. It is so refreshing to see there can be open discussion on a topic with divergent opinions all focused on a constructive exchange of ideas.

[Biathlonman]

Go as all out formal as you can - the Viennese are conservative and traditional.

There aren't many white tie functions in North America these days but there it is still alive and well.

Here's your chance to let them see what Highland Formal can be, because doubtless it's rarely seen. The two excellent threads showing escalating degrees of formality in highland wear should guide you.

I was the only kilted attendee at a Swiss formal function a few months ago and it attracted lots of appreciative comment. I expect you'll create a minor sensation, in the best of ways.

And yes - Murray would be my choice.

[joeydknecht]

i am just rereading some comments, and wow am very shocked at some snobby comments,...as for that i will not stay in this group any more as it does seem anti american even tho do have scottish lineage( which isnt good enough)...didnt realize there was a law. USA is made up a different cultures weather its german irish or whatever... so from what i gather for being a american with scottish roots dosnt allow me to wear a kilt, and that is what some of you are exactly saying....guess unless you live in america you woudlnt understand as american- italains , american - irish always have that sense of pride from where their family came from..... i dont wear a kilt to pretend to be anything. my mom happens to be a murray which i think justifies me to wear the kilt. and as my dad is mohawk indian well thats another pride i have. i dont get upset when people wear native american jewelery or what have you. i am honored that they chose to wear such an item or have knowledge about something that is of my people. maybe you guys who have such strict opinions and they are yer opinions need to get off the high horses...after all this is my opinion.... and yes i think the tartan is more suited for such an event.....

[joeydknecht]

oh and thanx to all who gave positve yet critical comments those were most welcomed

[EagleJCS]

Joey, this is just my opinion, but I don't think the intent of some of the posts was to discourage your kilt-wearing in general, just in the instance of the UN function and/or the Viennese Opera. I've never been there myself, but from all I've read (here and elsewhere), I get the sense that Vienna is a really (proudly) conservative city, and some expressions of individuality - particularly in men's clothing - are frowned upon at particular social events.

I'm also a proud Scots-Irish-German-plus-a-couple-of-other-ethnicities American mutt. Unless I were officially representing a Scottish-American organization of some sort (a St. Andrews Society or similar), or playing my pipes for some reason, I wouldn't wear my kilt to a formal UN function - but then, I've never been invited to a white-tie affair either, so I haven't had to worry about it.

For an analogy, I'm quite proud of being an active Scout leader and Eagle Scout, but I wouldn't wear my Scout uniform to a formal event unless I were representing my unit or the local council and was requested/instructed and permitted to do so. Neither would I wear my Eagle medal on a suit or tuxedo, unless requested/instructed/permitted (usually that's reserved for Eagle award ceremonies).

By-the-by, it's only been in the last couple of generations that Irish-Americans really started celebrating their heritage, except in the larger cities. It wasn't that long ago that many Irish-Americans couldn't get a decent job, have access to decent healthcare and/or education, etc. While I was growing up (I was born in the late 1960's), my grandfather still downplayed the fact that his mother (my great-grandmother) was born in Ireland, even though she died in 1953. I didn't know it until after he died when I was a teen.

I hope you'll reconsider and at least check in on the forum from time to time.

[joeydknecht]

so ok, if man and a woman both scot nationals had a child , and the child was born on foriegn soil say japan, he is technically japanese. so since he was not born on scottish soil he is not allowed to wear his kilt but he can wear a hakama and komono of some sort?...... so i guess since my dad is native american i should wear a feather war bonnet and beads and ignore my moms blood line completly.
or go in a cowboy hat and bolo?
im goign to vienna to experience its culture good and bad....i will never see these people again...im going there to have a good time.....if someone wants to bad mouth me so be it ,i do not want their company anyways, im sure i have been called worse in the prison i work in by ignorant people... im not gogin there to represent any country but im going as a human being wanting to experience vienna for what its known for, if thast wrong then shoot me, from the posts ive read on here and not just my own thread, the amount of snobbery and anti american comments is awful... to sign up for this site it shoudl ask if your a scots national and if not you cant be a member.....as thats what it seems to me that you are not welcome here.....anyways enough of my whinging....so much heartbreak about wearing a kilt,

[artificer]

joey,
I feel you're taking all of this faaaaaaaaaaaaar too personally. You asked for input and received it.

Nobody was mean-spirited in what they said. Some simply said something you didn't want to hear (ie, you're not a native Scot, so wearing Highland kit to a UN function might be deemed inappropriate).

If there is a curse to X-Marks, it's that, if you ask for advice, you're bound to receive it.

Please don't take these things personally, I don't think any of the proffered advice was intended to wound. After all, it's always better to hear it from your mates than a stranger- your mates'll always tell you the truth, good, bad or ugly.

ith:

edit: as an aside, I think you'll find the comments about the rather shoddy standards of American dress were tendered ENTIRELY by the Americans of the board (who make up a fair percentage of the membership).

[Jordan]

so ok, if man and a woman both scot nationals had a child , and the child was born on foriegn soil say japan, he is technically japanese. so since he was not born on scottish soil he is not allowed to wear his kilt but he can wear a hakama and komono of some sort?...... so i guess since my dad is native american i should wear a feather war bonnet and beads and ignore my moms blood line completly.

Joey to use your example here, and your situation as mentioned above the sone here even though he was born on japanese soil (or anywhere else) it would be understandable for him to wear a kilt if invited to an event by the UN however if one of his great grandparents was Scottish and none of his family since had a direct link to Scotland 99% of the population are going to think its strange for this japanese person to turn up to a UN White tie event in a kilt.

You said your mum was a Murray, was she born over here?

[Lyle1]

Joey, read Artificer's last post (#68) five times then breath.

When you ask for opinions you will receive many that with which you are not going to agree. Once you ask for advice, it is up to you to evaluate what you receive and to make a reasoned decision about what works for you. I don't agree with every opinion I read on this forum, but I do learn something from a lot of them, even if is only that some people have opinions that I don't understand.

If you were asking for someone to tell you what to do, you would have sent a private message to a member or two. You asked for and received opinions, so now it is up to you to do what you think will work best for you. Your posts seem knowledgeable and reasoned, so I think you will be able to make a decision that you can feel good about.

Enjoy the ball; that's the main thing!