What if your wife does not like your kilt?

**Dale Seago** · 13th March 13, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by RogerWS76

Buy your wife the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It's the first of a series of 8 books now. By the time she gets to the 3rd book your problem will be over!

Hear, hear!!!

**Nile** · 13th March 13, 02:11 PM

I'm fortunate in that my wife has been trying to get me to wear a kilt for years and I resisted (She's of Scottish decent, has been wearing kilts since childhood and has several kilts herself). Finally, a couple of years ago, she bought me a kilt (Saffron AmeriKilt) which I wore to a Celtic Festival and then to a Burns Supper (raised some eyebrows there, but hey, I was kilted) and I was hooked; no turning back.
Since then, she bought me a green utility type (Kiltman Kilt) and has ordered me an 8 yard, 16oz, Fraser of Lovat modern from Bonnie Heather Greene (patiently awaiting it's completion).
Subsequently, I have become very interested in dressing in a traditional highland way (somewhat conservative) and have spent a lot of time perusing this site 'learning' how to do it 'right'. The problem is, she is not immersed in it like I have become so, though she encourages and embraces my kilt wearing, she doesn't like it when I resist matching everything (in a matchy/matchy way). Also, when we ordered the new kilt we had a (civilized) argument over the length of the kilt. I wanted it to break at the top of the knee and she insisted that it would look better at the center of the knee. It's very rare in this house hold but, I won this time. Basically, we don't always see eye-to-eye as to how I would like to do it.
I'm fortunate that I have the support of my wife (and she is always encouraging me to wear a kilt) but, ultimately, I have to be comfortable with what I wear and how I wear it.
Nile

**guardsman** · 13th March 13, 02:16 PM

Burnsnight and a sash for my wife, to show she is mine, with me , to be p.c. ha ha got her use to what my ancestry means to me. I think that is when she realised, felt, this is a big thing, for us. My 6yr old daughter also wants a kilt . Wearing a kilt to rugby internationals , and highland gatherings only made her aware of the sense of historically belonging. The tide stops for no one once it starts. She will get used to your kilting the more she is involved. Otherwise change the wife LOL

**Phil** · 13th March 13, 05:27 PM

Like Nile my problem is my wife would have me wearing a kilt all the time. I suppose that is one advantage to living in Scotland (apart from the weather, the midges, the tram works in Edinburgh - what else can a grumpy old man complain about?)

**BThomHie** · 13th March 13, 08:52 PM

At my first kilt talk of getting a kilt my smiled an indulgent smile. I put it on the kilt first time she laughed out right.. As i collect my formal outfit for he friend's wedding this summer she is now advising me on tie for the formal attire of the wedding & shirt color and vest for the casual reception after the wedding. As my financial manager she purchased the 2nd kilt for me. She requires that I make the next 2 myself but she will indulge the price of the cloth. She is talking about some Elliott tartan for herself. What started out as a lark whenIi discovered that I was a Scot has, become a family focus and fun.

The words were "for better or worse". If the worse is showing your knees in public without sunlight between your legs .. you folks are doing OK.
See ya at Burns Night..
Thom

**Wil** · 14th March 13, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by McScott

I know the look. The same thing happened to me. I have had my kilt for a little over a month now. The first time I wore the kilt in public we went to eat dinner with friends whose husband was also donning his kilt for the first time. After dinner we took pictures at the restaurant and left. That was when our wives could not stop laughing at us. After 3 girls in a car beep and waved at us our wives were laughing so hard they almost wet their pants. We had a good laugh too, because they were acting so goofy. I have thick skin so it did not bother me much.

I figure she is going to have to get used to it because I am going to wear it places. My 7 year old wants me to wear it to some of his baseball games. I won't wear it everywhere, even though i would like to, but I will try to wear it a couple of times a month. Others have said the wife gets used to it. I hope so. Good luck.

My first big test is this Friday. I am wearing the kilt to work for St. Paddy's Day. Hope it goes well. Wish me luck.

WOW, to WORK!!!! Good luck brother, I am sorry but my balls are not made out of steal and I do not think I could go to work kilted. I would be as red as a tomato all day. Let us know how it goes and post some pics.

**Wil** · 14th March 13, 07:36 AM

I just wanted to give my 2 cents in on this topic.
I went to my wife about a year ago with this idea of being kilted. I went to her and took in "my meek and lowly hands" my family tree, from it we can trace from about 942AD until today, being a McFarlane and a Shaw she already knows that I do not let loose of ideas that easy. But she also being ScotIrish I "allow her" to win the arguments (because I enjoy sleeping at night

). I took her this idea of going to the Highland Games at Stone Mountain kilted. She loved it and asked if any of the boys also wanted to join in. One of the boys did and the other just wanted a new baseball cap. So I spent the next 3-4 months researching, ordering and planing this one day outing. I jumped onto youtube in order to learn how to tie my ghillie brogues and where your kilt pin should exactly go...... The day came and my youngest was the first to "get kilted" he looked great and enjoyed the fact that he and I would be matching for the day. I was next, I came out of our really my wifes dressing room (because I wanted to dress in private), as I thought about my family and the last time a grandfather might had been kilted. I really wanted to think about what I was doing and what I might be saying whilst getting and going about kilted. I walked out and she said...."Babe, you look HOT!" Well we had a great time and the day was quite fun.
Recently I added to my kilt, I purchased a Montrose Jacket, Fly Plaid, Brooch, Jabot & Cuffs. First class all the way for a dinner, a few people asked where I hired my "outfit" and prior to me saying anything she was the one that would whip around and tell my entire family history and that what I was wearing was our family story/history not "fancy dress". I really think that was a lot for her that night, because she did say how she liked the "dressed down, kilt" if she had to choose one, over the very formal highland dress.
I try to get my kilt out and wear it at least once a month and normally as long as I am not in the fromal highland dress she is fine, but we are just now coming up on our 1 year kilt anniversary. It is a understanding that is growing, she sees what I see and that I enjoy sharing my family history with our childeren.
I have placed an order for my 2nd kilt, I can say got the look....... lol Good Luck!