What if your wife does not like your kilt?

[scotswelshrunner]

I'm so fortunate in this regard as my wife loves the kilt as does my partner too. Both the ladies adore the kilt and all that it stands for as well as the look. The seem to both smile a lot more when out on the town when I'm kilted up.
Although in some parts of the country I can see where a kilt would be a lot less accepted, here in this area it is just fine.

[MizzouScotsman]

What if your wife does not like your wearing a kilt? I know that for many of you that grew up wearing kilts and can trace your family back to a wee village in Scotland, the idea that your wife does not like your kilt is crazy.

In my case, my connection is not so close.I am Scotch-Irish on my mother's side,but that's about all we know,except my 5 great grandfather left Ireland in the mid 1750s with the clothes on his back and a set of bagpipes.Unfortunely the bagpipes were lost in a house fire some 70 years ago.

So for this 55 year old,when I told my wife I wanted a kilt,I got the look.You know the one you get when your wife is trying to decide if your kidding or crazy.

I like to hear from theses with the same situation. Did your wife come to accept it or not?

I am lucky that my wife accepted my kilt wearing as a part of my ancestral digging. She didn't raise a ruckus when I bought two kilts from both clans with which I have an attachment. She has even gone to highland games with me, helps set up the clan tents, and answers questions the best she can. She's got into the heritage as much as I have these days.

I am also sorry to hear that you lost such an heirloom as your great x 5 grandfather's bagpipes.

As a side note and please don't think that I am a person who is one of those people who corrects others but it's Scots-Irish (Scotch is a drink).

[llyd]

I posed this to my wife...the answer..."What's not to like?"

[LANCER1562]

My wife actually encouraged me to buy my first kilt then did everything she could to avoid be seeing with me when I was wearing it. She said she liked the kilt, she just didn't like the attention I got when I wore it. She also said it was okay if I wore it to a Highland games, Hogmanay, Burns Night or other event where I wouldn't be the only one in a kilt.

After we separated, I wore it more often. Just not when I would be visiting her and our children. After she passed away from cancer five years ago, I wear my kilt whenever I'm out and about. My son has worn a kilt once and has said he won't do it again and is uncomfortable being with me when I wear my kilt. My younger daughter is okay with it. "It's clothing, like pants. As long as what needs to be covered, is." Her words, not mine. My oldest daughter thinks men in kilts are HOT.

[Nik]

After this past St. Patrick's day of wearing my kilt, a conversation about me waring got started. My better half loves how I look it in, and that's praise indeed as she was very wary about it when I bought my first kilt. She only gets bothered when we are in public, she is easily embarrassed and it's not against me or the kilt. It's the people, or rarely her sister, who whisper or talk about it in a negative way.

Really the whole thing of the kilt boiled down to me wearing it with hose and a sporran. Which I do if I leave the house, I feel incomplete otherwise. It's a bit of an inital investment, but worth it to win the misses over. And I'll tell you buying the Economy wool, which is my favorite, a sporran and hose from SWK is a great way to save some money for future kilts.

And again, get the wife an accessory to tie you two together. My wife has requested a sash in Cork County tartan, as that's where her great-grandfather came from Ireland to America. A piece of tartan can pull her closer to you and allow you to share the spotlight, rather then hog it.

-Nik

[Alan H]

Once again... you love your wife, you need to be considerate. Give her a chance to get used to it. Wear it around the house a bit. Take her to the Games so that she see's a mess of kilts and hopefully comes to view it as more "normal". Rent movies. Talk to her. Be patient.

But there comes a point where it's YOUR butt inside that thing, not hers, and she's not going to respect you if you let her steamroll all over you. If she refuses to be seen with you in public with a kilt on, then it's up to you to decide whether or not you want to give in to the blackmail, or stand up and have some cajones. If that means going out without her, then I guess she loses out, huh?

Talk. Yes. Negotiate. Yes. Be considerate.. Yes. Try to educate. Yes.

But don't be a doormat.

[Mike_Oettle]

A doormat I certainly am not. But I am getting thoroughly tired of the constant carping from my wife about how I look when kilted.
Only recently did she tell me (after I had been kilted for a couple of years) that she had always hated the idea of my wearing a kilt.
She is convinced that I wear it too short (it hangs to just above my knees) and she constantly complains about the “badly made kilts” that I own.
I have tried to get her into tartan, and have bought her two tartan garments, but she is resistant.
When we met in 1974 I had my army kilt and wore it occasionally (mostly when going to training camps). She says she liked the look of me in that kilt because it suited my figure.
But she says I look ridiculous when kilted now because of my protruding stomach and the way my sporran emphasises it.
I certainly don’t like my beer belly and am trying to reduce it, but she does absolutely nothing for my self-esteem when she complains.
And when I pointed out that she was a fine one to make remarks about my belly (hers is a lot bigger), she took it as a personal affront and refused to see it from my point of view.
Yet I am hopeful that she may see things differently when I acquire a few more kilts, especially if one or more of them is a “proper Scottish kilt”.
Wish me luck, fellas.
Regards,
Mike

[creagdhubh]

Best of luck, Mike!

[Plaid Draftsman]

Sorry Wil I'm just reading this now. Work went great I was not embarrassed at all. I was all ready for all of the rowdy comments and/or snickers but none came. The engineers in the office liked at and one guy said he has a friend who wears them a lot. So things were pretty well accepted. My boss even took the pictures I am going to post. He had to take them to show his wife to prove he was not lying about me wearing a kilt to work. Next month I will try again without St. Paddy's as the reason. Here are the pics. Hers for luck next time.

[TheOfficialBren]

A doormat I certainly am not. But I am getting thoroughly tired of the constant carping from my wife about how I look when kilted.
Only recently did she tell me (after I had been kilted for a couple of years) that she had always hated the idea of my wearing a kilt.
She is convinced that I wear it too short (it hangs to just above my knees) and she constantly complains about the “badly made kilts” that I own.
I have tried to get her into tartan, and have bought her two tartan garments, but she is resistant.
When we met in 1974 I had my army kilt and wore it occasionally (mostly when going to training camps). She says she liked the look of me in that kilt because it suited my figure.
But she says I look ridiculous when kilted now because of my protruding stomach and the way my sporran emphasises it.
I certainly don’t like my beer belly and am trying to reduce it, but she does absolutely nothing for my self-esteem when she complains.
And when I pointed out that she was a fine one to make remarks about my belly (hers is a lot bigger), she took it as a personal affront and refused to see it from my point of view.
Yet I am hopeful that she may see things differently when I acquire a few more kilts, especially if one or more of them is a “proper Scottish kilt”.
Wish me luck, fellas.
Regards,
Mike

Mike, respectfully submitted, it sounds like there are other issues there and that the kilt is just an easy target for her to take pot-shots at while avoiding the real problem.

I am not trying to be a Nosey Nelly. Just offering a perspective. I wish you well, my friend, in all things.