First full kilted day at the office

[kilted_brewer]

While on an extended parental leave from the office, I wore a kilt just about every day, but today I finally spent a full kilted workday in the office. (I had stopped in briefly once early in October while kilted, but was only there for 40 minutes or so.) As you might guess after all that extended period of freedom, I've got the addiction pretty bad (just ordered my 4th--inexpensive--this week).

I work for a place that's not likely to blink at much when it comes to personal preferences (it's a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly workplace with a voluntary fragrance-free policy; the office composts kitchen scraps, has a bike storage room and a shower room off the kitchen, hosts a weekly yoga class in the office after work, has a very casual dress code, and the list goes on...) so it's a pretty accepting place to work. I love it, and was sure I'd have no problems wearing a kilt to work. I don't think anyone would have said anything if I had worn shorts and a t-shirt to work today (it was almost 60 degrees F)--that's pretty much been my spring, summer, and fall attire up to now.

At any rate, once I started wearing kilts every day, the one thing I noticed with all this acceptance going on in the office is that there really isn't much variation in dress among the staff. No one wears a uniform, but almost everyone is always in pants. Not anymore.

So what happened? A few surprised looks and grins, a few compliments (one "nice Utilikilt"), one not-so-welcome "You look so cute today! I'm wearing a skirt, too"...from my boss, one "Aren't you cold?", and most people pretending not to notice. Pretty much what I expected. Wait 'til I show up in the tartan kilt with sporran!

Hurrah!

[BarefootScott]

No one wears a uniform, but almost everyone is always in pants. Not anymore.

It's nice throwing a monkey wrench into the social norm, isn't it? It's a lot of fun, and very addicting.

I'm curious, what is it you do that your office is so lax on dress code? Sounds like a great place to work.

[kilted_brewer]

I'm curious, what is it you do that your office is so lax on dress code? Sounds like a great place to work.

It's an environmental nonprofit organization called Co-op America. We publish the National Green Pages, and co-produce Green Festivals in San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Chicago.

And yes, it is a great place to work! (He says starting his 10th year on St. Patrick's Day, 2007).

And very rarely, we do have to "get dressed up," but usually in an organic cotton, business-casual kind of way.

[Warlock]

Happy kilting, laddie. I'm envious.

[cessna152towser]

Excellent; here's to a kilted career. My first kilted day at work four years ago was forced on me at the time due to a leg injury which kept me out of trousers for a few weeks and I was favourably surprised at how well it was accepted by staff and public and set me on my way to regular kilt wearing.

[Splash_4]

Good for you!

[Dirk Skene]

Like Beuth Sim I am envious. I can't go kilted at my day job, I could go kited at my part time job but I'd need a very heavy kilt with little or no sway. This would be for practicality & safety as I work in the galley of a cooking school.

Keep it up and keep spreading the kilt

[davedove]

And very rarely, we do have to "get dressed up," but usually in an organic cotton, business-casual kind of way.

Just as a side note, those offices where the dress code is more casual tend to have more fit individuals. For one main reason: the people don't have to change out of their "business clothes" to take a walk, and are thus more inclined to do so.

[turpin]

It's fun to challenge people's day-to-day muse by offering them a visual "shake-up" that get's them thinking out of the box. I always smile when I catch people trying not to look at me in a kilt.

[GMan]

Kilts for ever! Good for you.