Chesterfield Coat?

[S Mitchell]

. . . An interesting point is raised in the first post of this thread that puzzles me and has often puzzled me in the seven or so years that I have been connected to this website. It is this, if wearing the kilt outwith Scotland instantly raises the profile of the wearer and many have commented that it does-------- many have ventured an educated guess in a recent thread where it seems, at best, kilts are scarce outwith Scotland-------, so there you are already stood out like a sore thumb in your kilt attire in a "kilt desert", but then you feel that wearing an Inverness, for example, makes you stand out in a crowd! That I do not understand. Why go to all the trouble to aquire your kilt attire and then wear it in this apparent "kilt desert" and then worry about what overcoat you are going to wear?

I can't speak for all Americans (I'd certainly consider wearing an Inverness cape if I needed too) but I can see his point.

It's true, wearing a kilt instantly raises your profile here, but, by and large, Americans respect the choice to wear one. There can be a fine, fine line, though, between carrying the look and not, between legitimacy and affectation. And if you cross the line, you risk going from eliciting admiration and respect to eliciting derision and even anger. Any addition which seems too 'costumey' to American eyes makes the whole look that much harder to pull off.

For all of our talk of "I'll wear whatever I want any d*&n way I please," there's still conventions and most Americans are sensitive to them.