Is it possible to wear a kilt and not look like you're from Scotland?

[CMcG]

As I've been following this thread, I've found a few things that I think are worth highlighting.

When it comes to wearing a kilt and not looking like you're from Scotland, it has more to do with the eye of the beholder and the context than it does with the wearer's intentions. I'm not saying intentions don't matter, but the road to Hell is paved with them—especially the good ones That's also just the way the question was asked.

Personally, I see tartan kilts as a form of intangible cultural heritage. That is to say that kilts are always already part of people's life-worlds and their meanings far exceed narrow nationalist sentiments. As I wrote in post #44, there are plenty of different types of kilts and ways to wear them that don't look like the wearer is from Scotland.

But I think I understand an often misunderstood viewpoint. Let me try to explain.

That old chestnut about some Scots disapproving of kilt wearers who are not British citizens living in Scotland needs to be taken with a grain of salt. There are plenty of resident Scots who actively encourage people of Scottish heritage to represent with kilts and tartan, as well as many resident Scots who are quite happy to share their culture with people from other backgrounds.

I'm not just talking about the Scotland-based purveyors of Highland attire who flog their wares to a global market. I'm also referring to events like Homecoming, institutions like the Scottish Register of Tartans, and the many active Scottish clans (and/or clan associations) who reaffirm and maintain ties with the diaspora.

I suggest the rub for the disapproving Scots is that the tartan kilt is a key national symbol in Scotland. In fact, that meaning trumps all others for those people. In such cases, any person who is not resident in Scotland and wears a tartan kilt in a civilian situation will look like they are pretending to be Scottish in the nationalist sense. They don't see it as a heritage, cultural, or fashion garment because, to them, it is either A) Scottish national attire or B) a uniform (pipers, regiments, dancers, athletes, etc). No plan C and it doesn't matter what the intention is.

The analogies of American blue jeans or Western wear don't really hold up to comparison because those aren't national symbols in the same way a tartan kilt is. A closer comparison might be clothing made out of the US flag being worn by someone who is a citizen of another country...

If the following people were not US citizens, would they not look like they were pretending to be from the USA?

[Pleater]

Over a decade or so - since the heat really kicked in down on the South coast, I have noticed more and more dancers wearing kilts - presumably for the way the hot air gets wafted away. I drum for Morris dancing, and there are various events where kilts are worn with increasing frequency. The Cotswold and Northern morris dancers are restricted by the traditions of their localities, but the Border morris is far more - strange, with some wearing very little, rags and tatters is part of the traditional costume, but it is rather anarchic and prone to excesses and whooping.

There are some social dancers who also wear the kilt rather more formally, but presumably for the same reason - at most gatherings twenty years ago it would have been unusual to have enough men in kilts to get a single eightsome reel's worth, unless they were a demonstration team, but now the caller will sometimes restrict the first one in the program to kilts and dresses only as reward for making an effort.

It is perhaps odd to have a garment which is associated with both ends of the social spectrum - the Border morris men wear pheasant feathers in their hats and aspire to a poaching mentality and the social dancers - I suspect - dream of dancing courtly masques.

Anne the Pleater

[KyleRoy]

I can't say if I 'look' Scottish in a kilt, but people usually assume I am, including Scots.
I have 2 kilts, both modern tartans: one for my mothers ancestors, the other for the part of England where I was born, "The Black Country"
My main reason for wearing a kilt (apart from that I just love it) is for Scottish Country Dancing. Even to a class, I just don't feel right wearing trousers or shorts.

[Father Bill]

You know...

... I don't normally wear my kilts except to occasions that in some way or another may or may not, rightly or otherwise, call for it - Highland games, attendance at Scottish heritage events, Scottish weddings when requested to do so, occasional events at the Lodge or Legion. It's something I've enjoyed with great respect and carefully selected occasions. It means that I've worn my kilts perhaps less than once a month over the last years.

...but now, having felt disparaged, discouraged, and in effect scolded for wearing one when I'm not Scottish enough to please some folks, I'm hurt and ticked off, and may go and change into a kilt right now out of self-righteous anger at feeling (rightly or wrongly) shabbily treated.

Maybe I'll eventually even become one of those daily kilt-wearers in a personal attempt to thumb my nose at those who don't like it. Some of the comments probably made in honest, good intent, are hurtful to those of us who are sensitive enough in trying to be respectful, and when our respectful intent is not in turn respected or understood, then all you-know-what may break loose!

One or two members here know how I've felt in the past. It's happened again.

Defiant but hurt cheers,

Bill+

[CMcG]

You know...

... I don't normally wear my kilts except to occasions that in some way or another may or may not, rightly or otherwise, call for it - Highland games, attendance at Scottish heritage events, Scottish weddings when requested to do so, occasional events at the Lodge or Legion. It's something I've enjoyed with great respect and carefully selected occasions. It means that I've worn my kilts perhaps less than once a month over the last years.

...but now, having felt disparaged, discouraged, and in effect scolded for wearing one when I'm not Scottish enough to please some folks, I'm hurt and ticked off, and may go and change into a kilt right now out of self-righteous anger at feeling (rightly or wrongly) shabbily treated.

Maybe I'll eventually even become one of those daily kilt-wearers in a personal attempt to thumb my nose at those who don't like it. Some of the comments probably made in honest, good intent, are hurtful to those of us who are sensitive enough in trying to be respectful, and when our respectful intent is not in turn respected or understood, then all you-know-what may break loose!

One or two members here know how I've felt in the past. It's happened again.

Defiant but hurt cheers,

Bill+

Good on you for remaining defiant!

For each person who would disapprove of the way you wear the kilt because you are not a British citizen residing in Scotland, there are many more Scots and people of Scottish heritage who would give you a hearty "AYE"! Citizenship thus doesn't have a monopoly on what it means to look like you're "from" Scotland when you—or anyone else—wears the kilt.

[Alan H]

Father Bill....

You are entitled to your opinions, yes? I mean, you probably have opinions about quite a few things. I can hazard a guess that you have certain opinions about religion. I suspect that you have opinions about what you like to eat. You have opinions, I have opinions, everybody has opinions.

I bet you have an opinion about how you like to wear your kilt(s), eh? I certainly have opinions about how I wear them. For example, I fell down on a dirt/gravelly section of our practice field last week and scratched the bedickens out of my right knee. I haven't work a kilt for a week and a half now, as I'm of the opinion that others don't really need to see my scabby knee!

We all have opinions. Here's the thing.... It's polite for me to listen to others opinions, especially if I know that the person in question is well-informed about the topic we're discussing, it makes sense for me to listen to and try to understand their opinion. I might choose to adopt their opinion. Or I might not.


It's one thing to respectfully listen to others opinions and consider them. That's just polite and mature and a sensible thing to do. It's something else entirely to allow other peoples opinions to squash your fun, or allow them to change your behavior even if you disagree with them, and so on. I bet you know people who have different political views from yours. I bet ANYTHING you know folks like that. However, on election day, you cast your vote, walk out of the booth and go have a sandwich with your friend who has different opinions from yours.

If you like wearing your kilt, then wear it. I, too have felt some emotions somewhat like what you've described in this thread in the past. Something like 12 hours later I decided that getting all upset over someone elses' opinion, just because it didn't agree with mine was silly. So then I went and strapped on a kilt, didn't worry about what others did or did not think about it, and went about my business having acquainted myself once again with the notions that folks have different opinions from mine about all sorts of things.

[Alan H]

If I could, I would post the two pictures of myself....an American from California, who's Scottish ancestry is much, MUCH diluted by Swedish, English, Dutch and French DNA, standing in the sun room at our B&B in Inverness, Scotland with Jock Scot.

He's wearing his usual kit..a kilt and a tattersall shirt with a tie and a rather casual belt, and pardon me...kind of a silly, embarrassed grin. .. I'm there, posing all silly-MANLY, next to him in my nice cotton kilt hose and leather shoes and the Capercaillie (non-clan) kilt and my checkered shirt.

Our hostess at the B&B, Agnes, was quite delighted that I wore a kilt and even roused her somnolent husband to come and see us. The next day, her husband, so amazed that an American could actually put the stuff on and not look like a moron, went and fetched his kit and showed me his kilt, belt and and sporran.

Anyway, Jock and I and the Luminous Joan walked a few blocks downtown and spotted a tourist wearing a contemporary kilt, which Jock had actually never seen before. I think it was a Blacklader. Anyway, we went into a lovely Spanish restaurant and had tapas and wine, and before long Jocks tie was off and his shirtsleeves were rolled up. We had a lovely time and he teased Joan quite thoroughly about my participation in this forum

NOT ONCE did Jock complain about my wearing of the kilt. NOT ONCE did he grouse about the damn American appropriating Scottish culture. In fact, Jock, who by his own admission, very rarely attends a Highland Games, took the time to go to the Inverness Games, in the pouring rain and cheer me on.

To put it on a personal note, I honestly do not believe that Jock objects terribly to Americans putting on kilts. What bothers him are:

1.) the tourists who wander in and waste a ridiculous amount of his and everybody elses time by lecturing him for twenty minutes about their g-g-g-grandfathers connection to some chieftan from 400 years ago and how they have the inalienable right to wear the Clan XYZ tartan.
2.) people who go out of their way to pretend to be something that they are not.
3.) people who have the hubris to lecture Scots army lads about how to wear their uniforms.

I did none of those things. I just strapped the thing on and we had a lovely dinner. I strapped on another one and went out and did my thing with stones, weights, hammers and cabers at the Inverness Games. At no time did I lecture anybody about my right to do a flippin' thing. I just did them. At no time did I pretend to be anything which I am not. I just threw rocks, laughed hard, drank wine and had a grand time. At no time did I pretend to know more about anything than anybody else.

Well...that's not quite true. I know more about heaving cabers than most people.

Do not make Jock Scot (and those on the forum who agree with him) out to be something horrible and terrible. He's not. He's a great lad, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent with the man and if I have the privilege to go back I would be absolutely thrilled to go catch some trout with the man...in which case he'll have to show me what to do, as I have not a clue as to how to fly-fish.

[Father Bill]

Thank you Alan. I consider Jock to be a personal friend, although you've a leg up on me, having met him in person - I have not, but look forward to it. I am not attacking Jock or anyone else individually, but we all have feelings as much as opinions (which you have noted) and they are real and we all have a right to them without justification. Feelings are as real as toes and fingers and we don't have to justify having those either.

My own feeling is hurt and some anger (which usually comes from hurt) when I hear a comment that I'm not Scottish enough to wear a kilt. I do not have to justify or change my feelings. They're just there, like my fingers and toes, and I don't have to justify stating them either. It's good for folks to know how others feel when they make any given statement.

[Jock Scot]

My word you chaps ought to listen to yourselves! Full off dismissive, defensive indignation and hurt feelings whilst you are trampling all over others, a minority's, hurt feelings! An explanation by that minority has been given, perhaps poorly, in an attempt to curb this perceived "to hell with you" we are not only not going to agree with you, we are going to do what we like anyway and in the process moan about our hurt feeling! Hurt feelings are a two way thing and that has totally and I am afraid to say, been selfishly forgotten.

Now I am very sorry that upset has been caused, but I don't see much sign of at least a modicum of understanding from the majority which have closed ranks in a state of high dudgeon. There have been exceptions of which Alan H is an honourable exception and there have been one or two more who's names that I cannot remember, sorry. Now these few have at least made efforts to understand from their admittedly non Scot upbringing. That does them great credit in my book.

Now I said earlier in this thread that I don't think these differing points of view will ever be reconciled and from what I have seen here I seems that I am right.

So what to do? Do we retreat whimpering into our respective corners and not listen to another point of view, by doing that in the end only one point of view will prevail and the other point of view will still exist unheard and festering, whether you like it or not. Or do we listen to each other and try to understand where each other are coming from? Even whilst dis-agreeing with good grace in the end, but unless points of views are aired and people listen to what is being said these situations like we have now are bound to occur.

My posts here are nothing new, and overtime others have voiced them too and what has happened? Heads have been stuck in the sand or people have run off into the dark screaming that they don't like what they hear. Many who I have agreed with have given up in despair, because they have been shouted down by those who don't want to hear. We are all the losers because good sources of kilt knowledge and experience has been lost to all.

The only way forward is for all colours of opinion to be voiced and also accept that firm words will be used on occasion and yes we have to accept that one persons words may sound harsh, perhaps they need to be, but insulting? I think not. Come on chaps we are not in a kindergarten here.

[neloon]

Perhaps a difficulty in communication is sometimes due to the fact that, on this site, we cannot always express what we feel for fear of offending certain rules of the site. A variety of UK sites to which I belong have no such rules and seem to proceed with no dissension or rancour. Often having to bite own's tongue is not always conducive to mutual understanding.
Alan