Cultural Appropriation?

[Peter Lowe]

All clothing...whether we like it or not says something about who we are...and more importantly about how much and what we want to reveal about who we are.

I think a person can respect and revere their Scottish ancestry without being a citizen of Scotland. And I think if a person is truly mindful of what "respect" means and implies...and wears the kilt with respect for its Traditions...then it is not cultural appropriation. Maybe it's costume but all clothing is. Maybe it's posing/pretense but again all clothing is, to some extent. Only naked are we completely without artifice.

And in my opinion to wear the kilt with respect, you have to do it right. You have to, again, respect the kilt's Traditions, and its antecedents--respect it for what it is and has been, and not for what you want it to be. In that regard, tartan is almost the defining aspect of the Scottish kilt.

Anything else just piles pretense on pretense...in my opinion.

The main reason...again in my opinion...that people wear the kilt whether it be in Scotland or New Zealand or Nova Scotia is so that they and their children will not forget. Not forget who they are. And where they come from. Personally, I can find nothing wrong with that.

How many actual Scottish citizens wear the kilt...with or without respect? Not many, AFAIK. The real question in all this is..why not?

Maybe they want to forget??

Good post!
Your question is a minefield as there is not one answer - there are many!
I was born in Scotland to an English Father and Scots Mother.
I am proud to be Scots but I am also proud to be British thereby recognising my ancestry.
In the past year I have worn the kilt in Scotland and New Zealand but, sadly, not in Nova Scotia! I have worn it around 50 times. Not a lot you may say but more often than almost all the trousers (pants) that I own.
For many Scots the kilt is a big ticket purchase and therefore a "special occasion" garment. While I do not have figures to back this I think that a surprisingly high number will wear the kilt a few times a year with pride and respect.
I do not think that they want to forget. I think that their "remembering" mechanism may be different and diverse! Just my 2p's worth!