Anyone's spouse/significant other vehemently opposed to you kilting?

[NorCalPiper]

I've grown up in this tradition, so like Ryan, it was a part of my character. Also being a bagpiper from a wee age made that association even that more bigger. If you knew Josh, then you knew the Celtic heritage side of him also.

This is my advice to those with issues. Start wearing daily until it becomes a non-issue. It will eventually come to being a normal thing without much attention. If you save the kilt for an occassion or 2, then its still not going to be recognized as anything but a fanciful whim! Trust me on this-set a standard and stick to it and within 1 year, everyone around you will not only respect it, but EXPECT it!

[CelticSire]

It wasn't so much that my wife was opposed to it when I first started to wear the kilt, it was more that she didn't understand it. I explained to her that while she was always very aware of her heritage being 2nd generation Swedish, I only knew from oral family tradition that we were "Irish". It took many years of research to finally trace my heritage from the US back to County Clare, to North Cowal and Ayrshire, and then back to Ireland. It was the approach of having our two daughters aware of both sides of their cultural heritage that finally enabled her to get her mind around me being kilted. I don't wear the kilt often, maybe 10 or 12 times a year, but it has become something of a tradition for me to attend Christmas Eve service kilted. The always postive comments from our fellow church members bring a smile from her.

[GreenDragon]

my wife is opposed to me wearing my kilts in public. she won't go anywhere if i plan on wearing one out with her. this, coupled with the fact that she bought me my favorite kilt - SWK Black Watch - is incredibly confusing.

[Peter Crowe]

I can honestly say I have no experience of opposition (vehement or otherwise) to my wearing the kilt from my (American born) wife, or from previous (Scottish) significant others before I met her. I have worn the kilt since early childhood so my wife and former girlfriends knew that from the beginning of the respective relationships. I can also state that my wife is not jealous of any female attention I get when wearing the kilt here in the States.

[Newfoundlander]

Excellent question this is. It's bad if it causes friction between two people, but hopefully they can compromise somehow.

For instance, my missus is an Anderson and Stewart, and I'm a mix of Forrester/Foster, MacDonald, and Gray (as well as some Irish). So we both have a strong celtic heritage. Her father wears his Anderson kilt only on very formal occasions. Whilst I wear mine on formal occasions, as well as other dressy occasions.

She's been used to only seeing a kilt worn on very special occasions from her father and she gets a little embarrassed at first I think if I wear it out on a date to a nice restaurant or something, but her like for how I look in it eventually supersedes that. It's been a bit of a process "breaking her in" to the idea that I'm going to wear it more frequently than she's used to.

[GG]

Well, not the most encouraging thread I have been into. Lots of ex-wives and (yet) present wives hardly tolerating their husbands to wear a kilt outside the home or only at very, very dedicated and kilt related events. Main problem seems to be attention.

I myself am a lucky man. My wife is adorable and wonderful, and I should know, after having being married to her for over 45 years by now.

Like so many wives here, it seems, she was not very enthusiastic when I started wearing kilts, and she didn’t want to be seen with me in a kilt. The problem was the attention.

Over time, however, she has become more and more tolerating and accepting. Now we even several times a week take a long walk in the woods around us, with me almost always being kilted. We have made a compromise, that I sometimes will wear jeans or shorts. And of course, I have no problem with that.

For the sake of good order: I’m not Scottish, I do not play the pipes, I have no gatherings or other events appropriate for kilt wearing to attend. I just wear it as preferred casual wear. Therefore, on most days the decision I have to take is not whether jeans or kilt but which kilt.

[chrisupyonder]

My wife does not like the 'too casual' look. She likes me to wear leather shoes full hose and flashes and a polo shirt or shirt and tie.

Chris.

[CDNSushi]

Lastly she thinks I only do it for the attention I recieve, like I am some kind of peacock strutting with my plume of feathers out for all to see.

I count my blessings every day that my wife happens to LOVE peafowl.


Courtesy National Geographic Photo of the Day
http://photography.nationalgeographi...k-new-zealand/

[TheBrus]

I think this question hilights the advantages of beginning one's kilt wearing habits early.

You take me, for example- I started wearing the kilt with extreme regularity when I was 17. The ladies would generally have a pretty good idea from the off that the kilt comes with me, and that if they had a problem with that, they shouldn't let the door hit them in the @ss on the way out.

I like that.

I'll be married to my wife ten years on the 29th--Michaelmas. I've been wearing my kilt almost half my life now, and I wore it the night I met her, wore it on a few dates, wore it at our wedding... but somehow kiltwearing went on her list of things she figured she wouldn't have to put up with once we were married. But I persist.

[werewolves]

Well, not the most encouraging thread I have been into. Lots of ex-wives and (yet) present wives hardly tolerating their husbands to wear a kilt outside the home or only at very, very dedicated and kilt related events.

I guess those of us that have no issues are just keeping quiet. My wife loves me in a kilt, and encourages me to wear them.

In the beginning, when I was still just talking about the idea, she was a little worried that people would think it was odd. We talked about it, and she decided that was their problem, not hers.

The attention I get at times (usually only from drunk women) can annoy her a bit, but most days she just finds it amusing.

Cheers to awesome women! int: