Wearing A Kilt On Halloween

[Tarheel]

I've got to agree with Richard and Jock on the costume v attire issue.

However, an accurate costume of Ben Franklin's wardrobe (even with the fake balding wig) is approved of during the Halloween festival. So wearing a kilt while using proper representation of a period in time (say WWI battle dress) feels correct. There is an identity to the look.

Let's explore the environment you speak of, college students, Halloween, odd attire for all and probably alcohol. At one glance you will be accessed on what (or whom) you portray by those that may not have a clue concerning kilts.

I imagine myself like Fred Astaire in top hat, tails, white gloves and cane. I expect people see Peter Boyle's character as the monster in "Young Frankenstein" as I'm "Putting on the Ritz".

Real situations can be funny and even mocked, when other opinions are taken into account.

[Father Bill]

This is touchy because of the love invested in the kilt and in the Highlands themselves, but various communities also have various interpretation of Hallowe'en. Certainly in our part of the world, a lot of the children dress as someone they admire, so in that context it might work, but I'd be very, very cautious about it. If it's a costume, it's being degraded as such. If it's just clothing, then you haven't really dressed for Hallowe'en, now have you?

[revdpatience]

Now, if you were to go as a Scottish *vampire* that’d be entirely different:

“Och, I want tae bite yer neck, ye ken? I want tae drink yer bluid!”

Or perhaps not ... 😁

[Liam]

I have worn a great kilt as a costume on Halloween. As I regularly wear a modern kilt, I don’t consider it a “costume”.

[Curtis Bias]

I think there are many terrible costumes that people wear at Halloween that involve cultural appropriation. For example: I am Cherokee/Choctaw/and Scottish. It burns me up to see someone wearing a nylon, generic, Native-American costume with brightly colored feathered headdress. I like it more when they do some research or put together an authentic and respectful variation. Even worse is the fact that most people stereotype the indigenous peoples of North America as leather clad, feathered headdress wearing people that all look like people from plains culture (Lakota, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Ctow) in the 1800s. I believe the intent of the wearer is important. I also know that it can be difficult to judge another's intent.

I don't mind a kilt as a Halloween costume. I do mind someone portraying a stereotype that is derogatory while wearing a kilt. It's more about the wearers intent and more importantly, their behavior.

[Liam]

[FossilHunter]

Are you wearing a costume of Rob Roy or Bonnie Prince Charlie? If yes I don’t see why wearing a kilt would be a problem. The kilt wouldn’t be a costume in and of itself, just a component of a costume.

If you are asking if it would be a good idea to just wear a kilt and T-shirt as a costume then maybe that would be a bad idea as I don’t know what that would be a costume of.

[OC Richard]

I think there are many terrible costumes that people wear at Halloween that involve cultural appropriation.

I don't mind a kilt as a Halloween costume. I do mind someone portraying a stereotype that is derogatory while wearing a kilt. It's more about the wearer's intent and more importantly, their behavior.

Thanks for that, it casts Highland Dress in the wider notion of respect of traditional cultures. Odd how Native Americans and Highland Scots are fair game for derogatory costumes while the general public has enough awareness to avoid similar treatment of a number of other cultures.

I have worn Highland Dress a few times over the years on Halloween. I didn't feel that I was wearing a "costume" per se yet I felt that dressing up a bit was appropriate.

[OC Richard]

If it's a costume, it's being degraded as such. If it's just clothing, then you haven't really dressed for Hallowe'en, now have you?

Very well put. For myself, when I've worn Highland Dress on Halloween, it's been somewhere in between: not "costume" yet not my ordinary daily dress.

[Just Hugh]

I am in the U.S and there is much discussion about "cultural appropriation." The Redskins football team mascot is a touchpoint, yet at a local high school here the mascot is "The Highlanders."

Personally, I am empathetic toward the argument against the "Redskins" mascot, although I have no identification with that heritage.

Meanwhile, I am a celebrant of my Scottish Heritage, march with pipe band, and am not only not offended by the "Highlander" mascot, I'm proud that my heritage has a mythologic aura that would make it worthy of a sports mascot - IN THE U.S.A.

In England, a sporting team of non-Scots that used Scottish Cultural imagery as a mascot might be viewed differently since the history of the two cultures may create a context of the mascot as other rather than courageous character - similar to the mixed opinions felt about Native American mascots, symbology and costuming in the U.S.

Additionally, "Highlanders" was a self-descriptive term, where "Redskin" and "Indians" were not.

The answer, ultimately, is intent and respect. However, on the continuum of cultures that are sensitive to feeling insulted about cultural appropriation, I'd say that Scots are slightly more sensitive than the Irish are about cultural appropriation on St. Patricks Day (U.S.)

Which means, not very sensitive. This is NOT the equivalent, or even close to other cultural appropriations like blackface or dressing as an "Illegal Immigrant" with a Mexican hat. When I have seen people "try on" Scottish culture it always made me happy, not offended.

Study this website to get it right, though. You've no excuse now!