Family objections to wearing your kilt

[Wompet]

But most people who know cyclists shave their legs think they do so for aerodynamic reasons, when in fact it is because they get routine post ride leg massages, and those massages are more comfortable and effective if the legs are shaved. True story.

My brother used to shave his legs when bicycling so he wouldn't get bugs stuck in his leg hair. What got stuck to his arms was easy enough to clean off, but meshed onto his legs ...

[DarthClown]

No one in my family has objected to my kilt, although my ex-father-in-law thought it was a little strange. He didn't understand (even though his family is Irish) but he had a live-and-let-live attitude so he didn't worry about it.

[carlb]

I've only worn my kilt twice - the first was to the Highland Games (which my wife thought obviously appropriate) and once to a beer tasting that was on the Anniversary of the Repeal of the Proscription... I didn't tell her I was wearing it, so she was a little surprised when I picked her up. I think she was a little put off, but I got nothing but compliments (and even got invited to a whisky tasting at a bar that one of the attendees owns). Other than that I've gotten a slightly cool reception to the idea. I think she thinks I'm being a little attention whore-ish (OK, maybe I am).

I mentioned the other day that I was feeling a need to get my kilt on again. We're going out to a pub Saturday night to see a band, and I mentioned that I thought it an appropriate venue (well, it's a vaguely Irish pub, but close enough, right?) At first I got some of the same cool reaction, but when I reminded her of the compliments I'd received, she started coming around. I told her that, even though it might seem counter-intuitive, I actually feel a bit more manly in a kilt than I do otherwise. She then concluded that she looks good by comparison; only a supremely cool and confident woman could be married to a man who is so obviously masculine, right?

A couple of glasses of wine may have helped the discussion. I'll report back after Saturday night

[Detroitpete]

Ok Lads, I can't believe this happend to ME! I was recently at a family reunion and a family member--ok an in-law called me SKIRT-BOY! Ok, my family has been the sad witness to 40+ years of me dancing on the high-wire of insanity. When a few years ago at a whopping 170 lbs. I decided to compete in Scottish Heavy Athletics they said, "Hmmmph, figures"--and with my penchant for family history, wearing kilts was also a no brainer...

So we were sitting around the fire and made what was probably his 5th SKIRT BOY comment, I said" So you think wearing a kilt makes me LESS of a man...aren't you the guy who drove here in a VOLVO?!"

To that the family erupted in laughter. I think this is just going to be some good natured ribbing between he and I, but now I have to brush up on my comebacks and have them at the ready

[Tony Miles]

" So you think wearing a kilt makes me LESS of a man...aren't you the guy who drove here in a VOLVO?!"

[Tony Miles]

oops double post

[Spartan]

Unless you are an Olympic swimmer. Or maybe a pro wrestler. We can make a few exceptions. I can not think of any other legitimate reason.

Try bodybuilder. There are not any that I would question their masculinity.

It's funnier to see a man wearing a t-shirt that says "It Takes a Man to Wear a Kilt" while he's wearing pants or shorts, as witnessed by some.

[Rob Wright]

Ok Lads, I can't believe this happend to ME! I was recently at a family reunion and a family member--ok an in-law called me SKIRT-BOY! Ok, my family has been the sad witness to 40+ years of

There was a family from Germany stationed at Holloman who were very good friends with my family. Their oldest daughter called me skirt boy and she was very proud of that. So proud that if anyone else even dared to call me skirt boy she ripped into them hard. I was her skirt boy and no one elses . It was always a treat to watch that nine year old girl just rip into someone and correct them about my kilts .

Rob

[ForresterModern]

Last weekend I had to make an urgent two day one night long distance drive from Louisville to Staunton, VA, for the funeral of my closest first cousin who died of colon cancer (2 years younger than me and like my little sister, practically). Wife and boy did not make the trip due to its distance and the limited time I had in which to make it. (Sorry, Mac o Rath that I did not get in contact while there but it was an overnite trip and strictly family time for the whole 20 hours I was there). Anyway, I did the drive both ways kilted and any non funereal related time in my recently acquired handsewn tank in one of the family tartans, as I wanted to be comfortable on the drive (I was extremely so) and becasue my parents in particular wanted to see me in one of my kilts. Unfortunatley my smart-a$$ brother, who seems to be in constant competition with the rest of the family and the world for attention and praise (and has so for nearly all his 52 year old life), had to start making the skirt comments right off the bat, which happily most everyone else including me just ignored. I guess his funniest was the morning of the funeral when I was checking out of the hotel in my suit and tie (I did NOT attend the funeral events in my kilt as that would have detracted from the attention being appropriately centered on my cousin) so I was carrying it on a kilthanger to the car when my brother had to get in his biggest dinger---"hey brother, I think you are supposed to leave the curtains behind when you check out of a hotel". Got a chuckle from my brother in law standing nearby, and honestly from me as well, purely for the inventiveness of the comment (better than the usual skirt comments). I had to leave right after the funeral so I changed back into the kilt and golf shirt after the lunch and was ready for the drive back home, saying my goodbyes to all the family members I do not see anymore except at funerals and weddings. Got lots of looks from my father's generation but no ill comments, my mom and dad loved it (my dad loves that I am doing the family history tracing part of our heritage along with him, one grave marker at a time), my generation of siblings and cousins were all pretty nonchalant about the whole thing but did do a great job with my nieces and nephews and cousins in the generation behind, explaining what a kilt was and wy I was wearing it. All in all went I guess as expected. Pop took photos of me in the kilt, which he loved but would never wear himself. I cannot even get him to wear a flatcap in our family tartan---says he is just not a hat person.
So, save for one smarta$$ brother, who would have dinged me verbally for something else if I had not been kilted anyway, my only true problems remain with my wife, for reasons stated in an earlier post on this thread.

I sense more family events kilted in the future. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

[Spartan]

Last weekend I had to make an urgent two day one night long distance drive from Louisville to Staunton, VA, for the funeral of my closest first cousin who died of colon cancer (2 years younger than me and like my little sister, practically). Wife and boy did not make the trip due to its distance and the limited time I had in which to make it. (Sorry, Mac o Rath that I did not get in contact while there but it was an overnite trip and strictly family time for the whole 20 hours I was there). Anyway, I did the drive both ways kilted and any non funereal related time in my recently acquired handsewn tank in one of the family tartans, as I wanted to be comfortable on the drive (I was extremely so) and becasue my parents in particular wanted to see me in one of my kilts. Unfortunatley my smart-a$$ brother, who seems to be in constant competition with the rest of the family and the world for attention and praise (and has so for nearly all his 52 year old life), had to start making the skirt comments right off the bat, which happily most everyone else including me just ignored. I guess his funniest was the morning of the funeral when I was checking out of the hotel in my suit and tie (I did NOT attend the funeral events in my kilt as that would have detracted from the attention being appropriately centered on my cousin) so I was carrying it on a kilthanger to the car when my brother had to get in his biggest dinger---"hey brother, I think you are supposed to leave the curtains behind when you check out of a hotel". Got a chuckle from my brother in law standing nearby, and honestly from me as well, purely for the inventiveness of the comment (better than the usual skirt comments). I had to leave right after the funeral so I changed back into the kilt and golf shirt after the lunch and was ready for the drive back home, saying my goodbyes to all the family members I do not see anymore except at funerals and weddings. Got lots of looks from my father's generation but no ill comments, my mom and dad loved it (my dad loves that I am doing the family history tracing part of our heritage along with him, one grave marker at a time), my generation of siblings and cousins were all pretty nonchalant about the whole thing but did do a great job with my nieces and nephews and cousins in the generation behind, explaining what a kilt was and wy I was wearing it. All in all went I guess as expected. Pop took photos of me in the kilt, which he loved but would never wear himself. I cannot even get him to wear a flatcap in our family tartan---says he is just not a hat person.
So, save for one smarta$$ brother, who would have dinged me verbally for something else if I had not been kilted anyway, my only true problems remain with my wife, for reasons stated in an earlier post on this thread.

I sense more family events kilted in the future. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

The best way, IMO, to deal with your narcissistic brother is to do what happened is to do exactly what happened -- ignore the comments.

Ignore the ignorance.