Halloween Bifurcated??

[Hamish]

Thanks Hamish, she'll be looking for anything to cheer her up today. The labour dispute with her company is getting uglier.

Very sorry to hear that, Colin. Give Jill another hug from me then.

A big Hello to Dave W. when you see him next.

Will do! He's 'between jobs' right now - I'm seeing him on Wednesday.

[Andrew Breecher]

I did wear trousers tonight - and all of my friends thought it was the funniest costume they'd ever seen. They all "got" it, and had a good laugh. After work, I went out to a party and carried a cricket bat, calling myself "Shawn of the Dead" - once again, those who "got" it thought it was hillarious.

Funny enough, even without wearing a kilt, I seemed to attract women. I think I must have become far more confident in the last two years of kilt-wearing, because that would never have happened before!

Andrew.

[JackK]

While wearing my Stillwater Kilts Royal Steward last night a teenage girl Trick or Treater asked "are you wearing a skirt'. My reply was no a kilt actually. Her response was 'what is that'. Oh, the youth of today what are they taught. Wish I would have had the time to explain, but her and her friend's need for sugar, precluded any delays for a history lesson.

Jack

[Riverkilt]

So today, back at work wearing a mostly red, but wildly colorful, striped Ecuadoran shirt I bought in Albuquerque from a street vendor, tan UK Mocker, Red soccer sox long enough to turn down like kilt hose, and brown tennies.

I walk into our agency's lobby a few minutes ago 5:30pm, and a young Navajo lady in her 20's who I've never met before says, "Hey mister, Halloween was yesterday."

I paused and politely asked her, "And if I'd said that to someone who walked by us in Traditional Navajo clothing, what would happen to me?"

She just put her head down and said she was sorry.

I certainly hope so...

Ron

[bear]

So today, back at work wearing a mostly red, but wildly colorful, striped Ecuadoran shirt I bought in Albuquerque from a street vendor, tan UK Mocker, Red soccer sox long enough to turn down like kilt hose, and brown tennies.

I walk into our agency's lobby a few minutes ago 5:30pm, and a young Navajo lady in her 20's who I've never met before says, "Hey mister, Halloween was yesterday."

I paused and politely asked her, "And if I'd said that to someone who walked by us in Traditional Navajo clothing, what would happen to me?"

She just put her head down and said she was sorry.

I certainly hope so...

Ron

I never like to be on the end of a double standard and always fight it. There is a lot of this directed towards men these days. This is not one of those times.

Sorry Ron, but I'm not sure that was an entirely fair thing to say to her.

You had every right to give her a snappy comeback because of her rudeness but I just don't think the 'tradition' card should have been used in that particular case.
You can't make an honest comparison to Navajo traditional clothing and the outfit you described. There isn't one piece of Scottish traditional clothing in your list.
I think, and this is just my opinion, that you insulted her heritage more than she insulted yours when you compared her traditional outfit with what you were wearing.

I think the 'tradition' card should be kept for traditional outfits. If a kilt is a garment, we can't use the 'tradition' argument and call it a costume whenever we feel like it.

Please, don't anyone think this is some kind of attack on Ron. I've seen the traditional argument used for all kinds of things on XMarks. This is just the first time I've seen it used as a shield for a bit of outlandish garb.
I just think it cheapens Scottish and Navajo traditions if used to protect personal style.
Again, sorry Ron. Your story just went against my whole "kilts are garments, not costumes" ideal.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

... I think the 'tradition' card should be kept for traditional outfits. If a kilt is a garment, we can't use the 'tradition' argument and call it a costume whenever we feel like it.

Please, don't anyone think this is some kind of attack on Ron. I've seen the traditional argument used for all kinds of things on XMarks. This is just the first time I've seen it used as a shield for a bit of outlandish garb.
I just think it cheapens Scottish and Navajo traditions if used to protect personal style.
Again, sorry Ron. Your story just went against my whole "kilts are garments, not costumes" ideal.

Bear, I am not sure that Ron was using the tradition argument as much as he was framing his response in a manner that the lady could understand. I thought he was just pointing out that just because she did not recognize the clothing being worn, she should not assume it is a costume. If Ron had said he had in fake fangs, blood dripping down his shirt, and a black cape, then it would be reasonable to assume he was wearing a costume, but not just because he was wearing something unfamiliar to the viewer. I think he was just trying to frame it in a way that she would immediately understand.

Or not, Ron is really the only one that can answer that question!

[Riverkilt]

I hear what you're saying Bear. She never did specify what she was referring to, the UK or the very loud and very bright Ecuadoran shirt...at the level we are here in the boonies most folks consider a Utilikilt a Scottish garment since it is a kilt (like the comment from a passing Navajo teenage girl a couple days ago "nice kilt" meaning my UK caramel workman's).

Our little city shares a common boundary with the Navajo Nation, we are a border town, and it is very common for Navajo people to wear Traditional Navajo dress in town.

Guess the point is, it seemed effective for the level we were at...she (and probably I) would be lost at the higher nuances of the issue.

My frustration was after having needlessly sweated out the costume vs. garments deal for Halloween I got rudely zinged by a total stranger the day after...my God remains an Ol' Coyote.

Ron

[bear]

Funny enough, even without wearing a kilt, I seemed to attract women. I think I must have become far more confident in the last two years of kilt-wearing, because that would never have happened before!

Andrew.

Maybe the people you know were treating you with the respect they're used to giving you in your kilt and others sensed it?