Kilting in Contra Costa County

[Monkey@Arms]

Well this past weekend was my first going kilted full-time, so I thought I'd share. As the title alludes (and alliterates) I live in Contra Costa County which is a suburb of San Francisco, and is very suburban in parts. My particular town if full of driven Type-A personalities. Anyway, one of my family's favorite annual events is the town Art and Wine festival, a community fundraiser in which the main street is closed to traffic and lined with art vendors, and booths selling glasses of wine and beer. (The wine is donated by California wineries and poured by volunteers from various businesses, more on that later.)

There was no question in my mind, I'd wear my UK to the festival, but I still had some qualms about wearing it to my kids' early morning soccer games. So on Saturday I partnered the UK with my Clan Macpherson T-shirt (I'm Scottish by marriage only ) and figured people would get the idea. I got some mild inquiries from people who don't know me whether my last name was Macpherson, and the coach asked if it was a special occasion. I said, Nope, just wearing it because I can. One soccer-mom we are friends with said she had recently seen someone wearing a similar denim kilt at a museum in SF.

At the festival itself I got one "that rocks," one "wish I had worn my kilt" (from a firefighter who has a tank for ceremonial events,) and one "real men don't wear dresses." The last I think was said in somewhat good spirits, as it was said to my face, but still who needs it.

Sunday was the best day. I helped pour wine with my wife at the booth of the company she works for. It was just her and I, and she heard lots of friendly comments and questions about my kilt, mostly from women. After a particularly flirtatious exchange about "the question" (hey, it was the customer who brought up the lipstick answer, not me!) my wife laughed and said she was beginning to see why I liked wearing that thing. Someone else reported seeing a similar kilt at another art event, and wondered if it was the new trend.

All-in-all I felt like I'd got some people thinking about kilts in a new way, got my wife a little more enthusiastic about my new obsession (previously she was tolerant but not ecstatic), and of course I believe I was the most comfortable (and confident) guy there.

Best regards,

Jake

[mkmound]

Good show!

[Panache]

Well done Jake! Sounds like a pretty positive weekend.

I was at Costco on Friday in my UK. The lady in line behind me gave me a rather funny look. I thought to myself "self, betcha I can make that funny look a smile." I turned fully around and she saw the green Wicked Tinkers T-Shirt I was wearing (with a large bagpiper on the the shirt's front). Instantly she smiles and asks if I play the pipes. We have a nice chat about Scottish music and country dancing. Sometimes people just need some sort of a context for modern kilts.


Cheers

[Blu (Ontario)]

.... Sometimes people just need some sort of a context for modern kilts....

Most of the time, actually... and not just for modern kilts. The traditional kilt worn casualy gets lots of sideways glances and double takes as well.

At present, many people have trouble with answers such as "because it's comfortable" and "because I felt like it."

Obviously there must be a significant reason for a man to want to wear a non-bifurcated garment in public... even wives tend to be suspicious.

Your example of the bagpipe T-shirt making the kilt "OK" made me smile. The programming that people carry through life is a powerful thing indeed!

.

[turpin]

Your example of the bagpipe T-shirt making the kilt "OK" made me smile. The programming that people carry through life is a powerful thing indeed!

Kilts = Bagpipes for a lot of folks. I wore my Gordon tank casually to Mustang Mania at my daughter's school (with her full approval). White Mustangs Polo, black leathers, white socks in black combat boots. Lots of positive feedback, and more than one "Oh, are you going to play the bagpipes?". One woman said "Are you going to toss the .. the...?" and made upward motions with her hands. I apologized, saying I left my caber in my other sporran. (She had actually intended to say sheaf.)

I doubt that we'll see a big change in these types of reactions in the general population, but as those of us who are part-timers increase our own wearing time we will expand the number of folks who get used to seeing us kilted, and it becomes less of a big deal.

[Andrewson]

Most of the time, actually... and not just for modern kilts. The traditional kilt worn casualy gets lots of sideways glances and double takes as well.

At present, many people have trouble with answers such as "because it's comfortable" and "because I felt like it."

Obviously there must be a significant reason for a man to want to wear a non-bifurcated garment in public... even wives tend to be suspicious.

.

I agree.

Last February a Australian woman, a relative newcomer to one of the Scottish Dance clubs I belong to, noting that I almost always wore the kilt to dance classes, asked why. I said it was the best thing for dancing. I went on to praise the comfort of it, warm in the winter and cool in the summer. "Ah, yes," she said, "I think more men should wear skirts." Since she was obviously intending that as support for the notion that unbifurcated garments are more comfortable, I did not challenge the S word. It did not bother me.

At the end of the summer, when classes resumed on a particularly hot evening, she remarked that she herself had taken to wearing skirts to the dance sessions even though she wore trousers normally. "Bet you wished you could go to the shops in your kilt on the hot days," she said to me. She was shocked when I told her that indeed I did so and that I had been wearing a casual PV kilt almost daily through the hot weather.

So here is someone who apparently supports the notion that men can (should even) be unbifurcated for comfort but who is still surprised by the thought that they might do so outside a "Scottish" context. More than that, as Blu says, she looked just a shade uncomfortable with the idea.

We have a way to go, gentlemen

[TimC]

Jake, sounds like a good weekend - good show, man. You making it to beer Friday this mointh??

-Tim

[michael steinrok]

As I was thinking of witty retorts for Real men........ I began to wonder. Then asked what is a real man. So besides real men wear kilts response. I'm thinking : "How do you define a real man?", is it the prerequisite male appendage? Hmm? Check. Manly mustache, check. Hairy legs, armpits? Oh wait that won't work swimmers and bicyclists routinely shave their legs, not to mention european chicks don't shave at all. I mean really if you are male kilt wearing sword raising type, what is the definition?

[Panache]

Most of the time, actually... and not just for modern kilts. The traditional kilt worn casualy gets lots of sideways glances and double takes as well.

At present, many people have trouble with answers such as "because it's comfortable" and "because I felt like it."

Obviously there must be a significant reason for a man to want to wear a non-bifurcated garment in public... even wives tend to be suspicious.

Your example of the bagpipe T-shirt making the kilt "OK" made me smile. The programming that people carry through life is a powerful thing indeed!

.

I get (like everybody else here) a lot of "Do you play the bagpipes?" when I'm wearing my traditional style kilts. If I explain "no, I just wear kilts because they are cool" or "they are comfortable and my wife thinks they are sexy" I am likely to get a funny look. If I reply "I'm a Scottish Country dancer and like to celebrate my Scottish heritage" I get a thumbs up. Frankly I would much rather get a thumbs up than a funny look any day. So I don't mind giving a context to people. I'd much rather be the "cool guy in the kilt" than the "weirdo* in a kilt". But that's just me.

Interestingly I have noticed that for teenagers those tyhat seem to fall under the catagory of "goths" or "punks" in terms of dress give me compliments without any context required. Let's hear it for goths and punks!

Cheers


* Do people still say "weirdo"?

[Monkey@Arms]

Tim -- Hope to make it to Belmont, might even have a new SWK for the occasion.

Michael -- Man, if I was you (a physically imposing guy and clan elder, for those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting him,) I just would have just said "As the Chieftain of my Clan I beg to differ." I am sure that would have had him mumbling some lame apology. As it is, I definitely need a snappier come back, but one that won't have my mouth writing checks that my **** can't cash.

Tonight, after my martial arts class, I am changing into my UK to hear Caliban play at Pickwick's Pub in Concord. I am sure the guys in my class are going to rib me, but the last time I went see them play at the same venue, there was a guy there in his UK (reported that he owns 12, and wears them after work,) and I want to show support.

Best regards,

Jake