Wearing a kilt out and about

[Andrews Son]

I did it i went to the pub for new years night and i went kilted. To be honest i was nervous with butterflies in my stomach but i kept thinking be confident, wear it well. And i pulled it off well i think. I had a few good comments and i saw a few friends there and they couldnt believe what i was wearing but it was a great night. I had one lass lift up my kilt and a bloke joking around kept lying down on the floor to see up my kilt but it was all in good humour. But yeah, i survived and ill like to thank you lot for the kind advice in this thread. All the best for the new year for all of you here.

Gavin

[ASinclair]

I did it i went to the pub for new years night and i went kilted.
... Gavin

Well done, Gavin! But...no photographic evidence? ith:

[Andrews Son]

No sorry no evidence for you all, im a bit camera shy in the best of times. Next time i will get photos but didnt want to pose for the camera at the bar.

[hector]

...To be honest i was nervous with butterflies in my stomach but i kept thinking be confident, wear it well. And i pulled it off well i think....

All my respect Gavin. And yes you did it very well.
Remember: self-confidence grows (rapidly) with repetition.

[thecompaqguy]

I've not been out and about so much due to the bad weather of late, though I will try and do so more in 2014. I'm moving soon to the West of London, so an opportunity to kilt there is good! I've had compliments from friends on FB on kilt ensembles (a lot loved the pinstripe kilt ) and the Hamilton Grey and jacket were well received. I bought a Scotland football top to go with my Heritage of Scotland
and am going to wear my denim kilt to functions and parties more. Confidence can be an issue as it's just against the norm of the usual sea of jeans and trousers, but it's nice to stand out I think being well dressed can only add to how smart you look. I liked @T'Challa's ensemble but I've not seen him much on the Forum of late

[English Bloke]

...Confidence can be an issue as it's just against the norm of the usual sea of jeans and trousers, ...

Good point, but I have found that the more you wear it, over time it becomes expected and people who know you remark when you're not in a kilt.

Anyway, it's good to buck the trend. I never was much of a slave to fashion and don't particularly like being just another sheep in the flock.

[Laird_M]

Well done!
You now fully understand the great joy of wearing the kilt and next time, you'll not even think about it - you just do it with even more confidence and style.

[Nile]

However, in your "well dressed" statement, you specifically included "combine your kilt with nice hose, shirt, jacket, sporran". To me, that implies "dressed up".

I have never worn my kilt with kilt hose or a sporran (which to me would look silly with a utility kilt). The only jacket I have worn with my kilt was a fleece one to keep me warm.

I say, rock the look the way you feel most comfortable and you will own the look.

What may be "implied" for one may not be for another. I always wear my utility kilt with hose & flashes and sporran. And... I've worn it a few times with my tweed kilt jacket but, still, it's a casual and not a dressy look; maybe more of a "day wear" look. Also, I most often wear jeans to work with a button down shirt (no tie) and one of my Harris Tweed jackets but, I wouldn't call that 'dressed up'. You might call it more of the 'Professor' look (and in my case perhaps, the absent minded professor).

Before I got my BHG wool 8/16 kilt, I was constantly trying to push the limit with my utility kilts but, really, the best I could achieve was a sort of 'day wear' look. I wore that set up to a Burns dinner one time but, that was pushing it and it raised a lot of eyebrows (and, indeed, I probably looked silly).

Nile

[artroland]

Well, I don't wear my kilts traditionally, aside from the occasional kilt hose, but I do wear my sporrans (being a leather worker, I make my own), and on January 1, I began my first day of a Year in a Kilt. I am actually wearing it to raise awareness about MS, as my wife suffers from the disease. So, living in a very rural small town, with very rural and older neighbors, this is very interesting. One poor old fellow almost drove off the road going by the house while I was out getting mail a while back, and just happened to be wearing my Gunn Modern.

Should be a rather entertaining year, with lots of great opportunities to educate people on multiple sclerosis. After all, a kilt is a natural discussion starter!

[Nile]

I had a couple of interesting experiences while kilted over the holidays. My wife and I attended a Christmas party our friends house (I've gone kilted to this one for several years now) and, within minutes of walking in the door, our friends elderly aunt walked up to me and grabbed my kilt below the kilt pin and lifted it all the way up, declaring that she always wondered what was under those things. Of course, she had been drinking and I was taken completely by surprise. Everyone started roaring with laughter (not sure if it was because of what she did or what they saw). Of course, I/we (the kilted rabble) are asked that question occasionally and we have our various ways of responding but, I have never been accosted in such a way. I just joined in the laughter, pored a beer and bore the teasing the rest of the evening.

Attending another party at 3rd Wave Brewing (a micro brewery in Delmar, DE) dubbed the "Ugliest Christmas Sweater" party (yes, I was kilted with an ugly sweater on) I was moving through the crowd taking candid shots of the festivities. At one point, one of the owners wanted a group picture of all the attendees in their sweaters. Everyone crowded into a corner of the tasting room and I climbed up on a stool at the other end of the bar. I had no problem getting everyone to smile and after I declared that I was done, one of the owners mother, came running over (actually pushing people out of the way) to get a peek under my kilt before I got down off the stool.

No pictures of me at either of the events because, as usual, I'm behind the camera but, you can see some of the pictures I took of the party at the brewery here and on my FB page here, if your interested.

Nile