Scottish outlook on kilted Americans?

[Jock Scot]

Tuirc.

A country has to start sometime and America chose to start theirs in, I think, 1775? For sure its a younger country than Scotland, but you can't have it both ways. You are I presume an American, with roots that go back to whenever? I am a Scot with roots that probably go back just as far, but do I hark back to my Norman roots no I don't.I am aware of them for sure, but I don't go round on a bicycle in a wasp shirt with a string of onions around my neck trying to "celebrate" my ancestry. Might I venture to suggest in a general sort of way and in the nicest possible way and with my tongue placed firmly in my cheek----that Americans start being Americans and get on with life, surely that is what your founding fathers intended? That does not mean that a healthy interest in your past could not be maintained, but perhaps a sense of proportion and a respect for other nations and cultures, baring in mind the Peruvian scenario that we have been discussing.

[Jock Scot]

I am truly sorry Steve that the Scots that you came across were not more subtle and discreet during your visit and I have to say that I am not surprised as the Scots in general are not subtle. However I am ashamed of my countryman's behaviour.

I also cannot fault you on your conclusions.

[OC Richard]

I am not Scottish; my passport is Blue; the kilt (however much I love it and however often I wear it) is not mine; I feel no "ownership" of it. In my opinion that ownership belongs to the Scots alone.

I am a proud Appalachian; a mountaineer; a hillbilly if you please. We have our own ancient traditional "national dress" as it were, adopted from the Native Americans and adapted by us British invaders



Now I would never wear such a getup but our biggest University has a guy (or girl) who wears it all the time!

https://www.google.com/search?q=wvu+...w=1920&bih=943

And oddly enough just yesterday I saw a young lady walking around wearing a real coonskin cap, with the coon face on it!

[Steve Ashton]

Subtle and discreet...that is sort of like laughing behind your hand, right?.

Some people visit Scotland simply because it is a beautiful country. Some because they would like to see the place their fore bearers left. And yes, some visit and paint their face blue and yell "Alba" at the tops of their lungs.

But it seems that if someone visits and wears a kilt, for whatever reason, the whole equation changes. There are just as many Scots who feel insulted at the theft of a national costume that they would never wear themselves as there are the make-believe tourists.

As I said, I had an enjoyable and pleasant time during my last visit. But only due to my being able to ignore and get past both the snobbery of some Scots and the naivete of some tourists.

On the whole I found the Scots to be warm, inviting, and pleasant.

But as I also said, the next time I go, I will dress like the Scots do. In blue jeans, a t-shirt and ball cap. Less hassle all around.

[Phil]

Subtle and discreet...that is sort of like laughing behind your hand, right?.

Some people visit Scotland simply because it is a beautiful country. Some because they would like to see the place their fore bearers left. And yes, some visit and paint their face blue and yell "Alba" at the tops of their lungs.

But it seems that if someone visits and wears a kilt, for whatever reason, the whole equation changes. There are just as many Scots who feel insulted at the theft of a national costume that they would never wear themselves as there are the make-believe tourists.

As I said, I had an enjoyable and pleasant time during my last visit. But only due to my being able to ignore and get past both the snobbery of some Scots and the naivete of some tourists.

On the whole I found the Scots to be warm, inviting, and pleasant.

But as I also said, the next time I go, I will dress like the Scots do. In blue jeans, a t-shirt and ball cap. Less hassle all around.

It sounds as though your visits fell short of expectation which is a shame. Perhaps if you had heeded the advice given beforehand you would not have been so disappointed.
Good advice though - when in Rome and all that.

[Jock Scot]

Steve.

I would much prefer that subtle and discreet meant that the person in question was out of sight and out of earshot before a comment was passed and a poker face was maintained in the presence of a guest. Better still, keep your thoughts to yourself, however in parts of Scotland that is not an option!

[Woodsheal]

The percentage of Americans - including those of Scottish descent - who concern themselves with the issue of kilts (and Scottish acceptance of foreign kilt-wearing) is perhaps 0.0001%....

[Jock Scot]

The percentage of Americans - including those of Scottish descent - who concern themselves with the issue of kilts (and Scottish acceptance of foreign kilt-wearing) is perhaps 0.0001%....

Well that does put things into perspective a tad, nevertheless some of the 0.0001% do manage to try to impose their ideas, probabably quite unwittingly on the Scots and their National Attire.

[CMcG]

Despite the fiery route, I'm glad that we're getting somewhere with this topic. Thanks, Jock and Phil, for bearing with us, and me in particular I have a couple more questions that might help to clarify some of the Scottish outlooks on kilted Americans (or foreigners more generally).

When ontological priority for defining a Scot is given to permanent residence within Scotland and UK citizenship, then we have one answer to my earlier question about three candidates: the Pakistan born-and-bred fellow living in Scotland with a EU/UK passport is a Scot, while the Scotland born-and-bred guy who now lives in the USA with an American passport and the Canadian born-and-bred native Gaelic speaker living in Nova Scotia with a Canadian passport are not Scots.

Does anyone hold (or at least understand) the specific outlook that Scotland's national attire should be reserved for the Scot in this example (the naturalized Scot who immigrated from Pakistan) and that the other two should find something else to wear? If so, please help me wrap my head around this, because, with all due respect, I'm still having trouble getting how borders and passports supersede culture, history, and ethnicity?

Next, I think Steve's experience (and others too) is a good example of not following a "when in Scotland, do as the Scots do" plan and I wonder how things might have been different under other circumstances. My second question, then, has to do with context and has a two parts.

Let's imagine that Steve and our intrepid trio from above wore the kilt to an event in Scotland where some of the locals might have been wearing theirs, such as a wedding. What might the Scottish outlooks on these four be, assuming they are all wearing THCD appropriate to the event? If they were attending the wedding in the USA, would the Scottish outlook on their kilting be the same or different? This is complicated by the fact that bystanders don't usually check passports, but make judgments based on other things....

[Angstrom]

But as I also said, the next time I go, I will dress like the Scots do. In blue jeans, a t-shirt and ball cap. Less hassle all around.

And any comments about poor misguided Scots trying to dress as 19th-century American miners or cowboys probably wouldn't go over well....

What's ironic -- and sad -- is the inability of those folks to understand that some of us wear kilts for the same reason that they wear jeans: we've found them to be comfortable, practical, and flattering for everyday use.

Sometimes foreigners can play a role in preserving aspects of a native culture. In Greenland traditional kayaking skills had almost vanished 20 years ago, but a small group of US & European enthusiasts have helped rebuild awareness and pride among the natives in that part of their past. The old skills are being taught and celebrated again, and we all benefit.

Similar things happen in the food world -- dishes out of fashion in the native culture are rediscovered by outsiders and reintroduced as a mixture of old and new. Steve's work with pockets seems like this -- an update for modern circumstances that in no way disrespects the original.

I've been trying to think if there are any parallel attitudes toward clothing in US culture, but our history is so short and diverse that it almost doesn't apply. Perhaps a good analogy would be the attitude of some Native Americans to non-tribe-members wearing items that have cultural or religious significance.

One should be polite and not try to give offense, but there are always those who will be offended despite one's best efforts.