To kilt in modern north american society

[Alan H]

Regarding wifely objections to wearing a kilt......

Since when does you wife tell you what to wear? Do you tell HER what to wear? I rather doubt it.

Mrs. Alan viewed the entire kilt thing with distaste for the first few months. It didn't help matters that the very first time I emerged from my study with a kilt on, I also had on a pouffy Ren Faire shirt. However, I changed that pretty quickly. I still got "looks" and "comments".

After a couple of months of that, after a "comment" I turned around, looked her squarely in the eyes and told her, to her face that she had no right to tell me what to wear. It wasn't her decision. I didn't tell her what to wear, if other people didn't like it, it didn't reflect badly on her, it was about ME. And to be honest, I told her in so many words that if she didn't like it she could damned well shut the hell up about it and keep her snide comments and sideways looks to herself.

She didn't like that....for about an hour. It was only a couple of months later, at the San Francisco Symphony, that another concert-goer made a comment about me being a poser, and Mrs. Alan (aka the Luminous Joan) ripped the guy a new orifice. I didn't have to say a word.

I think she appreciated me telling her exactly what I thought in no uncertain terms. For a long time I put an effort into being considerate, as in if an event was sort of "Her" event, then I would either ask, or just put on pants, to accommodate her comfort level. However, the rest of the time, if I wanted to wear a kilt, I wore a kilt. Now, the whole thing is a non-issue.

It's my opinion that if your wife doesn't want you to wear a kilt, and you really want to wear a kilt but you waffle and cry and worry and fuss about it and then DON'T wear a kilt because "she won't let you"...well, then you probably shouldn't wear one.

So my question is....Is it about the "Kilt"? Or is it about power and control within your relationship? Sure, a kilt is just a garment. Big whoop whether you wear one or not. But the "control" issue is NOT "big whoop". THAT really matters. Only you know whether that's an issue, or not.