Kilts in the office

[Riverkilt]

Great news! After a few weeks things will seem "normal" to the folks at the office.

I honestly think that if I went back to pants at work now it would freak them out worse than the first day kilted did

I really screwed up with the UK Mockers. They didn't look like much to me in on the UK website or in the pics I could find. I bought my first one, olive, second hand from CJ at UK. I liked them so much in person that I now have two more, a navy and a tan.

Today was my first day at the office in a tartan kilt with sporran rather than a PK, FK, UK, or AK. Was sorta worried it would seem too costume like to peers. Turns out they'd been waiting to see a "real" kilt.

So maybe will wear my other tank tomorrow. My X Marks is due soon from Kathy's Kilts and Rocky has a Thomson Gray semitraditional in process...and, oh yeah...I decided to try a black Stewart SportKilt with the sewn pleats, belt loops, and custom length. So dang, I'll soon have five tartan kilts available for the office. My old tartan SportKilts are just too gathery - skirtlike for now. Though did sew pleats into one of them myself and thinking about the other.

Dang...I'm a kilt junkie for sure...when these three roll in think that will bring the kilt count up to 28! Someone lock me up before I kilt again!!

Ron

[GMan]

Well done!

[A Dhuglas]

Took a while to revisit the thread and was delighted to read that: (1) you went for it, (2) you went for it in a big way and (3) all is going well. Bully for you!

Was impressed to hear that HR circled the wagons strongly in your corner. That would indicate both an open corporate mind (not uncommon for HR types in my experience) and some intelligence in the HR leadership. Perhaps they realized supporting you was the better path since to do otherwise carries the scent of discrimination.

[Andrew Breecher]

Congratulations on your success.

When I interviewed for my current job (waiter at a restaurant) I wore a kilt. It was never an issue from the get-go. Although I interviewed in a tartan kilt, I was told the uniform was khaki. So I wear a khaki UK. Whenever I go in on my days off, the rest of the staff love to see my other kilts. They tell me which are their favourites. They've never seen me in trousers.

If I ever went for another office job (I just don't want to do that right now), I'd wear a kilt to the interview. Number one, I just wouldn't want to work somewhere I couldn't wear the kilt. Number two, it would make me stick out in their minds, and that can never hurt when they're interviewing several people for the same job.

Andrew.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

A Dhuglas, I agree that usually the HR folks have to be a little more open minded, if just becasue of the potential for discrimination suits, etc.. Just reviewed my last post on this and realized that I did not mention exactly how far on my side HR ended up. Besides agreement that the kilt was appropriate attire and allowed by company policy, my HR contact also told me to let HR know if I got any bad reactions by anybody else in the office! Now I know that I could do that anyway, hostile workplace, harassment, etc., but to have them explicitly state their support and willingness to address any issues with others in the office was awesome.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Congratulations on your success.

When I interviewed for my current job (waiter at a restaurant) I wore a kilt. It was never an issue from the get-go. Although I interviewed in a tartan kilt, I was told the uniform was khaki. So I wear a khaki UK. Whenever I go in on my days off, the rest of the staff love to see my other kilts. They tell me which are their favourites. They've never seen me in trousers.

If I ever went for another office job (I just don't want to do that right now), I'd wear a kilt to the interview. Number one, I just wouldn't want to work somewhere I couldn't wear the kilt. Number two, it would make me stick out in their minds, and that can never hurt when they're interviewing several people for the same job.

Andrew.

Andrew, that brings up something that the 2 women who are my peers brought up yesterday. They said that it has made the atmosphere more fun in the office since I started the kilts, and that they look forward to seeing which kilt I am wearing (alas, I onlt have 2 right now), and what I wear with them. As has been stated, kilts are a very versatile garment, and while Hamish has mucho fashion sense, I am just stumbling along. Luckily, nobody else here knows what correct kilt fashion is either (if there really is a "correct" fashion!). So far, I have been going pretty basic with button down shirts, or polo type pullovers, black hose and shoes, and a kilt pin. Ordered an AK in tan yesterday, so I will have something else to wear soon, which will also open up some color options that I don't have with the Nightstalker and shadow tartans.

[Riverkilt]

Ya know Warrior,

If you think about it an HR manager's job is pretty much the same old daily grind. Highly administrative...policy work...recruiting...checking...et.al.

Having a good, sound, productive, mentally stable employee show up in a kilt is probably and exciting thing for them too. They also get a chance to be proactive about policy and protect you from harrassment. They get a chance to show off the company diversity.

As far as fashion advice: galleries galleries galleries. The answers are in individual galleries and kiltmaker galleries. You'll know what works when you see it. Of course Ham's gallery is the place to start.

This kilt boom is an economic engine too. Most of us wind up buying shoes, kilt hose, kilt pins, belts, sporrans, shirts, vests, jackets, caps to go with our kilts. I've found that not too much of what I had on hand already to wear with pants goes well with my kilts. Some, but not most.

For example...I own about 40 aloha shirts and seven pair of Z Coil shoes. They sorta work, but its a bit much to demand that the public take in stride an elderly beer-bellied guy in Z Coils, kilt, and Hawaiian shirt. Sure is comfortable though.

Ron

[skyeboat]

Well done all who are promoting the wearing of the kilt. Its really easy for me as live in scotland. Again well done.