James, a very insightful post. I fully agree with you. Even though people may use the wrong terminology, or assume that there must be some sort of special event going on, I believe thanking the person is the best approach. We have to realize that seeing a man in a kilt is not an everyday occurence for most people. They may mean to be compimentary and we need to recognize this and respond in kind.

I had to make a trip to my wife's work recently, and a woman in her office said, "I just love your costume." I simply thanked her and told her I was glad that she liked it.

Being repectful and courteous to the other person (even though they are technically wrong) goes a long way in promoting the wearing of the kilt. For instance, if someone said, "I like your skirt," you could reply, "thank you, I'm glad you like my kilt."

When we make a good impression by being courteous, then it benefits all men who wear the kilt, and helps to promote public acceptance.

Darrell