First post, first question

[TheJrSp8]

Well, as the title says, this is my first post here. As you may have gathered, TheSp8 is my daddy. Now, he recently bought me an Amerikilt, and I'll have it in a few days. I've been asking some of my friends their opinions, and disappointingly, the responses have been unanimously negative. I go to Kansas State University(and I'm an Ag Major, no less), and although I love the school, it does have the downside of being strongly rooted in farming and cowboy hats, and therefore rather unused to anything remotely foreign. I've asked upwards of 15-20 of my friends, and all of them have replied in some form of, 'Dude, if I see you on campus, I'm totally walking the other way.' Has anyone else had a similar experience or any comments?

[Alan]

First of all welcome from Georgia. I think you will find that when you wear your kilt, the response will be different than the opinions you got from your friends. They are just not use to seeing you in a kilt. When I wear my kilt I usually get positive comments. As you can see I live in the south and I have never seen anyone else wear a kilt around here except during Celtic festivals (except me of course). Although my sons do wear theirs on occasion. Just wear it with confidence and you should be fine. Enjoy your new kilt.

[The Wizard of BC]

Having lived in Manhattan, KS while stationed at Ft. Riley I think you could get a completly different reaction if you went over to the post and talked to some of the guys there.
Drive up to Custer Hill and find a group hanging out. Ask them what they think of your kilt. I can almost guarantee the reaction will be completly different from your normal crowd.
Take the web address of every kiltmaker you can think of and of this forum 'cause you WILL be asked where you got the kilt and where to get more information.

[Pour1Malt]

walcome tae the rabble!

guid oan ya fur fin'in us...

e'en if ya needed help frae Da Tony

slainte mhath!

[Norbydog]

Let me guess, most, if not all of the friends you talked with are male. Wear your kilt out to a party or some other gathering, and await the female's and/or stranger's reactions. I assure you, they will be more positive, and you will be the center of attention (the place to be when you are at those kinds of events and are a strapping college lad) There will be some idiots asking about "your skirt", but check out some of the one liners on the kiltday page and you can beat them with humor.

I am past college age, but I still remember those days. I live, and went to college, in Nebraska.

P.S. If you wear a Wildcats shirt to the upcoming football game versus the Nebraska Cornhuskers, you got a pretty good chance of getting on TV. Plus, you'll be the one your section will be talking about after the game. And people you don't even know will be asking you about it later.

[Jerry]

I agree with Norbydog. You've been asking the wrong group. Ask the young ladies on campus and you'll get a different opinion. And once you wear it and your male friends see the attention you are getting from the females, they'll change their minds.

[TheJrSp8]

Well, I've asked some of the ladies as well, and they've said pretty much the same thing. But, I guess we'll see what the reaction is once I get it and wear it on campus. Hopefully the responses will be different once I'm actually wearing it.

[Tattoo Bradley]

As the others have stated: the tune will change once you're wearing it. Welcome from Southeastern New Mexico.

[Kid Cossack]

There IS a learning curve that goes with wearing a kilt, as JimB pointed out. The first few times I wore mine out, I was VERY MUCH AWARE that I was wearing one, and I kind of had a chip on my shoulder about it. In other words, I was looking for someone to give me some guff about it.

Here's the kicker: I've had maybe three or four people make negative comments, and I've been wearing a kilt full time for almost two years now.

The other day, a woman at a restaurant was looking at me funny, and it took me a couple of minutes to snap to the fact that she just wasn't used to seeing a man in a kilt.

You're gonna like it, I think---I sure hope so!

[GunnHighlander]

Welcome,

I think you'll find a lot of intrigue, and respect on the part of those who are truly interested, and open minded. Those with the "comments", well...you just have to learn yourself some snappy comebacks. Don't get angry, or defensive as that just adds fuel to the fire. Be calm and confident, and most of all proud of your heritage, and yourself for wearing the kilt.

But a few ingenious retorts will really silence the critics. And your confidence under fire, will earn respect.

Pax,
GunnHighlander