It's amazing how just wearing a shirt and tie in this age of "casual-ity" can make people think that you're an authority figure.

There was a great story that I read in an interview with a photographer named Anthony Edgeworth who had problems at work because of just such a thing.

Mr. Edgeworth had been in the USMC and was an old school kind of guy when he went into professional photography back in the early 1970's. He knew that the had to learn the business and "pay his dues", so he started out as a studio assistant to an established photographer. Being who and what he was, Edgeworth showed up for work in a jacket and necktie...for him, casual meant wearing a cardigan sweater with a necktie and that was it. This being the early '70's, everybody around him was running around in t-shirts and jeans being conspicuously "hip". So when the clients showed up and started looking around to find "the boss", guess who they went to every time? Edgeworth. Apparently this caused the real boss some little embarrassment and got Edgeworth into a bit of hot water.

(Edgeworth went on to do a couple of books that some of you might be interested in; one on the USMC and one on the British Guard units. You may find these somewhere out there on Amazon or Fetchbooks because they're out of print but apparently much sought after.)

Anyway...obviously the kilt just exudes AUTHORITY...the woman made the assumption that you were in charge!

Best

AA