Dress Codes

[CMcG]

I think that you should take more care to identify a person's nationality and perhaps this explains the whole premise of this thread. The gentleman pictured is dressed as a Sikh - a quite distinct ethnic group from Pakistanis - you really should try to get it right!

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I believe Sikhism is both a religion and an ethnicity, but not a category of citizenship. Sikhs typically come from Punjab, which spans across India and Pakistan. And yes, this exactly typifies the problem of identifying nationality and how people use that word to mean both citizenship and ethnicity!

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We shall look forward to welcoming you into the fold as a true Scotsman.

So...if I'm reading this correctly [and I admit I may not be]....A Scot is a citizen of the UK just as a Texan is a citizen of the USA. But the kilt belongs to Scots [specifically Highlanders] just as cowboy hats and big shinny buckles and pointy toe boots belong to Texans. So, no one but a Highland Scot should ever wear a kilt and no one but a Texan should ever wear cowboy clothing. And only folks from San Francisco should wear Levi's [that's where they originated] and only Americans should wear sneakers....only African Americans can enjoy Hip Hop...only Japanese can wear kimonos, eat sushi.... etc.

Okay, I think we can all see where this reasoning leads. I, for one, reject it. I sometimes wear a kilt, sometimes a cowboy hat, Levi's and boots and a variety of other kinds of clothing. I eat a variety of ethnic foods, listen to a wide range of music. In short, I am a complex individual. I'm going to wear the clothing I wish to wear. I don't claim to be a British citizen, a Scot, a Texan, or Japanese.

I think you are conflating this discussion of dress codes with a broader issue of general kilt entitlement. Even Jock Scot seems to accept that non-Scottish citizens like to wear the kilt sometimes, and for a variety of reasons. The debate is about wearing the kilt to an event that calls specifically for "national attire."