I give up

**Howard Clark** · 2nd July 08, 04:09 PM

The thing is, it gets easier every time. I am full time for over a year now, with rare exceptions for working conditions that are unfavorable, and extreme cold.

Many in our present reality are fearful, of many things. Try to help him with that first, maybe.

Introduce his wife to real men in kilts. It may be the key to change her attitude.

**SteveB** · 2nd July 08, 04:42 PM

Alan H and others of the kilted brethren,

There are some kilted men, and a few are regular participants on this forum, who wear the kilt occasionally. For many years I was one of that ilk.
I respect your friend's desire to wear the kilt only to Ren-Faires or whatever it is that he will wear it to. It is my humble opinion that to him the kilt is a costume that he is only comfortable wearing at the costumed event.
For many years my kilt was only worn to funerals, weddings, christenings, and other ceremonial events. At that time I only had one kilt. It is a clan tartan wool kilt made in Scotland and sold to my great great grandfather on 3 March 1884. It is a 27 waist, with 25 pleats 5-3/4" deep, fully lined and a canvas support structure that could hold up a bridge. With that history it is kept for special occasions. During my last wearing of this tank around my very fat body ( last hole in both straps with my gut sucked in for six hours ), I decided to acquire a larger kilt for everyday wear. Then promptly sewed one of 16 oz denim in self colour, strapped it on and took a ride on the subway to do some research at the library. Response was a non issue, I have been kilted nearly every day since. Courtesy of this forum and its advertisers, I now have an extensive Kollection. I am not in Kompetition with Hamish on this at all.
As I look back on all the years that I regarded the kilt as being only worn for very important ceremonial occasions only, I see where Alan H's friend will have to find his own terms on when the kilt goes beyond Ren-Faire costume, to mainstream garment.

Slainte

**Nick the DSM** · 2nd July 08, 06:23 PM

poor thing!!

the kilt must feel rejected!

**ixxo** · 2nd July 08, 04:21 PM

So, is he a homophobe and scared people will scream "Gaaaaaay!" at him?

That sorta worried me a bit actually I ADMIT, but I got over it....but really it was no big deal whatsoever.. but maybe he just doesnt like it, try a pink and yellow sarong and see if that works on him.

When I started wearing hats a few years ago, that was many hundreds of thousands of times harder than a skirt :P

ixxo

**Alan H** · 2nd July 08, 05:48 PM

He doesn't wear it AT ALL.

Not to Highland Games (he's been to two of them, and he wore pants to the second one)
Not to Ren Faire
Not to formal occasions
Not to "special occasions"
Not to work
Not around the house
Not to the movies
not AT ALL.

It's totally his choice of course. He bought it, if he wants to wear it or it he doesn't want to wear it, it's his business, but still. What annoys me is that I spent a long time helping him out making the decisions, which he dithered over at great length.

Then again, I DO realize that in the greater sum of issues on this earth, whether this guy is so terrified of what other people think that he can't un-paralyze himself enough to wear the kilt he bought, is pretty small karma potatoes.

.....so chalk this up to Alan H's quarterly rant.

AND ANOTHER RANT

just because I'm in a ranting mood....

[RANT]

I have a very good friend who still has his grandfathers kilt. It's a tank from the 1950's. I bet it's a beauty if the moths haven't killed it. It hasn't come down off the hanger in probably 30 years or more. He's never worn it, his father never wore it, none of his brothers have ever worn it.

But the last time we had dinner, and this is probably 6 months ago, he got on his horse about Utilikilts and how they were ruining tradition, and those weren't kilts, there were some horrible, mutated punk-goth-grunge abominations. After all HE KNEW because he owned a kilt, right? I just smiled, politely.

But next time I meet him and his wife for dinner, I'm wearing my camouflage X-Kilt and a black t-shirt.

[END RANT]

**walkerk** · 2nd July 08, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

He doesn't wear it AT ALL.

Not to Highland Games (he's been to two of them, and he wore pants to the second one)
Not to Ren Faire
Not to formal occasions
Not to "special occasions"
Not to work
Not around the house
Not to the movies
not AT ALL.

Alan! How could you? This looks like an open invitation to "he who can not resist" to parlay your message into a Dr. Suess parody. In 5... 4... 3...

Too bad for your friend. "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."

**Panache** · 3rd July 08, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by walkerk

Alan! How could you? This looks like an open invitation to "he who can not resist" to parlay your message into a Dr. Suess parody. In 5... 4... 3...

Too bad for your friend. "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."

Must.... resist...writing...Seus...kilt....parody... arrrggghhhh!

Cheers

Jamie

**michaelbeeman** · 2nd July 08, 05:58 PM

I hear ya. 3 years ago I bought a buddy a GC for a UK. All he had to pay was shipping. After years of talking mine up and how if only he could get one "He'd never take it off". He still hasn't cashed it in. I don't know what his problem is. Frustrating though. I'd had a new one, instead. Oh well. Some peoples kids.

**pdcorlis** · 2nd July 08, 07:49 PM

As some friends of mine are fond of saying...

You didn't break him - you can't fix him.

Peace Brother.

**12stones** · 2nd July 08, 07:55 PM

It's unfortunate, but it's not worth your energy to worry about, Alan. You've already devoted enough time to him being kilted by helping him pick it out. Make him an offer and be done with it. If nothing else, you can chalk it up as spending a lot of time getting YOU a kilt.