I wore nothing but Utilikilts for five years and most people recognized it as a kilt.

The people who had a hard time with it were recent immigrants from Hispanic countries and some Middle-Easterners.

It's simply unusual for a man to wear a kilt outside the context of a Celtic event or a wedding.

I was very self-conscious the first few times I wore the kilt, and probably "noticed" things that weren't really happening. If someone's giggling behind me, it's just as likely that their friend just told them a joke as it is that they're giggling about me.

If someone's looking at me funny, it's most likely that they aren't used to seeing a kilt outside of the usual contexts. Or, they come from a culture where men don't have any garment like a kilt and so they don't know what to make of it.

And there might be the occassional person who thinks I'm gay or a cross-dresser.

I can't do anything about the ignorance of others.