Halloween Bifurcated??

[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?

[toadinakilt]

Remember to print a T-shirt with text "I wear pants, I am a sheeple"

What's a sheeple?

[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.

[Iolaus]

What's a sheeple?

It's a political reference to the current state of many of the American population - "We the People..." "We the Sheeple..." - blindly allowing others to tell them what to do, like sheep.

The term is starting to be used outside of the political arena now as a derogetory term for people who feel they have to stay within the box that society has set up for them.

[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]

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

Hah! I've done similar things.
You take a shot one day and the next day an innocent comment seems like an attack.
For the last year or so, it all runs off my back. My mantra is becoming, "Life's too short."

[Riverkilt]

Also proves that kilts remain one of the finest ******** detectors available.

One of the joys of being 61 is FINALLY realizing I can just be myself and enjoy it, rough edges and all.
What others think of me is none of my business.

Ain't life grand?!

Ron

[eighties]

Okay I have to put my two cents in here. And this will be a two issue post.

ISSUE 1: While I an in 100% agreement that my kilt is not a costume, I was bombarded by questions from my co-workers asking why I didn't wear it. Instead of trying to explain to so many people that which is so obvous to us, I simply said I was to rushed that morning to dress up (which was the truth, they just don't know that I would have dressed as a pirate or a knight).

ISSUE 2:I think the reason I got asked this so much is because someone here at work was wearing a kilt for Halloween. While I should have been put off by this I wasn't, here is why. His department was doing a Medievil theme and they were all dressed in some type of period clothing, kind of like a Ren Fair. Sure, he could have used a few pointers but really he did nothing that disrespected the kilt. In fact he actually commented several times on how comfortable he found it and that he may wear it more often to work.

So big deal if Halloween may have been what prompted the kilt. Someone has just had there eyes opened. I can live with that.