Well, I'm laughing and that's a good thing! As a fan of other English writers who broke the rules - James Joyce, Jack Kerouac, e.e. cummings, etc - I rather enjoy wading through the verbal shrubs, especially since there are some good ideas therein.

When I first came to XMTS, I naively thought there would be support for anything to do with love of the kilt. I was shocked to come across the idea that one was not worthy of wearing the kilt just because one had some far away familial connection without asking permission from some 'chief' or getting written permission from some higher authority. Or if I did wear the kilt and was not a born Highlander (no Lowlander need apply), I would be a phoney and a poseur of the first order. There would be much eye-rolling and clucking of tongues.

I was p****d and some of my first posts were from this wounded vantage: "How dare you question the right of a freeborn man of the Diaspora to wear the costume of my forebears?!!?"

I've calmed down now. I recognize "old jock the hangman." He is my old Uncle Woodrow, a dour, nay sour, old coot full of rules and certainties. A right unpleasant old rascal from the Scots side of the family. But I remember he was also mercilessly prodded and poked by Uncle Elmer from the Irish side of the family, with a wink and a chuckle. They were a regular comedy act and it was only years later, at Uncle Woodrow's funeral, that I came to understand how close they were.

So, I'm going with Uncle Elmer. I wear whatever I choose. No permission needed from some Kilt Police somewhere. You can give me all the "it's just not done" you want. I'm a freeborn artist of the colonies and I'll wear the skirt any which I decide. And as for the fedora...yeah...sure.