Family objections to wearing your kilt

**St. Amish** · 28th July 09, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by McFarkus

The only family objection I've encountered was from one of my nieces. She doesn't object to the kilt per se (her father and I both wear them). She asked that for her college graduation, that we wear p@nts because she wanted to be the center of attention and when we wear kilts, WE are the center of attention. LOL

Exactly why I refuse to put one on for weddings (unless, of course, it's a kilted wedding), graduations, and the like. It gets a lot of attention, and it isn't fair to draw the attention away from the honorees.

About the family objections, the only ones I get are from the in-laws. They think my kilt is a gimmick. They also hate that I always have Celtic music playing at my house. Some people just look for reasons to be offended, and I'm not going to let it stop me from being a proud Scot.

**werewolves** · 28th July 09, 10:39 AM

My family is pretty supportive. The wife loves them. We're not Scottish, so I have one uncle who ribs me that I should be showing Norwegian pride instead. My aunts and cousins seem to like them.

My mom is a little harder to sort out. She learned a loooong time ago that if she disapproves of something, I am 75% more likely to do it. So she hasn't ever said anything against the kilts, but I get the distinct feeling that she finds it weird. My dad seems to dig them, and while he has never come out and said it, I get the impression that he brought up the idea of getting one and was firmly told no.

Such is life

**Dall_Piobaire** · 28th July 09, 11:07 AM

Interesting, from the sounds of it, we need a first wives club!

My mom loves the fact that I play the pipes and ecourages the wearing of the kilt, pushes it in fact. See, there has always been a struggle for who has the most interesting side of the family. Her side, of course, is Boyd. Now on my dad's side we are directly descended from Mayflower passengers, as well as Standish, Aldens, and Brewsters, as well as having family that was nobility in Strathmore. More amusingly, or not, I have found that Boyds opposed Sampson during the Revolutionary war, somehow that is not hard to believe!

My son loves all things Scottish, and is truly proud of his heritage. My daughter, well, I had taken it for granted that most all teenage girls find their parents, particularly their fathers, at the least, embarassing!

Now my ex was born and raised in Aberdeen, came here for a bit in her late teens, went back and was given a horrible time about being "American". This put her off of her heritage and Scotland almost completely. Now all of the sudden, with my son's strong interest, she is all interested and flouting it again. Loves to point out that my side of the family is much more removed than her's.

Ah, let the games begin!!!

**R. Anderson** · 28th July 09, 11:08 AM

My wife has always hated my kilt. She feels that the only reason one wears a kilt is to get attention. She has a problem with being the center of attention and feels everyone should follow her opinion. LOL. My favorite thing to do is have her meet me after work for dinner and when she arrives I'm wearing my kilt. Let the seething begin. :-)

**MacKay71 Wife** · 28th July 09, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by MacKay71

My wife bought me my first kilt!

You go, babe! Seriously, I did buy him his first kilt, and I am usually the first one to say "wear your kilt." My family gives him a lot of good natured teasing, but has overall been supportive. But then, as my dad jokes, "we knew he was a little weird when you first brought him around."

I really think it has to do more with your attitude than anyone else's. Do you wear your kilt because it's really part of who you are or do you wear it because it ticks other people off? There are times such as weddings, etc., that MacKay71 will ask someone ahead of time if it's okay if he wears his kilt. Usually because he's been respectful enough to ask, they say yes. Wearing a kilt should be about fun, comfort, heritage, etc. and should not be about "love me love my dog." While you should always be free to wear what you want and being supported by your family should come with that, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. There are those times when offending someone, whether they are right or not, is just not worth the family disharmony!

**MacKay71 Wife** · 28th July 09, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by Dall_Piobaire

Interesting, from the sounds of it, we need a first wives club!

I second that! Although he is my second husband, I am his first wife. Wish I had chosen better the first time around! Maybe I should've just looked for someone wearing a kilt and proceeded from there!!!

**Nighthawk** · 28th July 09, 11:21 AM

My sister in law is firmly convinced that men in kilts are all gay, or wannabe crossdressers. She made it a point to make fun of me every chance she got, which offended my dad a whole lot more than it did me. I just figure that all she's doing is making herself look stupid and closed minded. My dad has gotten on her for it several times. We recently took a family vacation to New Mexico and paid a visit to my godmother, whom I haven't seen in almost 20 years, so she hasn't seen me kilted. (My kilt was always reserved for special occasions when I was a kid.) As soon as she saw me, the first thing she said was how handsome I looked and how much she loved the tartan (I was wearing my Colorado state.) My sis in law made her usual stupid "skirt" comment, and my godmother, in her very honest and frank way, very gently and sweetly and said "Now don't be an idiot. Every educated person knows what a kilt is!" Sis in law hasn't said a word since... Thing I love about my godmother is that she can say something that puts you in your place like that, and do in the sweetest way possible. SO- support from everyone except my sis in law, whom I think has finally realized that she needs to just get over it.

[QUOTE=MacKay71 Wife;766519]

Originally Posted by Dall_Piobaire

Interesting, from the sounds of it, we need a first wives club!

I second that! Although he is my second husband, I am his first wife. Wish I had chosen better the first time around! Maybe I should've just looked for someone wearing a kilt and proceeded from there!!!

Well, we live and learn. I'm on my second marriage. My ex didn't mind my kilt wearing, but it was always reserved for special occasions, so I don't know how she would have reacted to casual kilt wearing. But she's been more fliratious with me lately... Ick.

**Stratherrick** · 28th July 09, 11:22 AM

Had I worn a kilt on my first wedding day, my ex would've walked back down the aisle!

My wife and soulmate now, well, I wore my kilt and, along with a strip of her Ghanaian father's kente cloth, we tied a piece of Fraser tartan around our wrists in our handfasting!

I love my wife sooo much!

Bruce

**Nighthawk** · 28th July 09, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Stratherrick

Had I worn a kilt on my first wedding day, my ex would've walked back down the aisle!

My wife and soulmate now, well, I wore my kilt and, along with a strip of her Ghanaian father's kente cloth, we tied a piece of Fraser tartan around our wrists in our handfasting!

I love my wife sooo much!

Bruce

Nice!! My wife actually wanted me to wear an Amerikilt for our wedding. I have always said that I regard myself as a modern man steeped in tradition, and that's how she saw the AK. So it's my wife's fault that I got my first cotemporary klt. Up to that point, it was just my one trad that no longer fit me.

**Galician** · 28th July 09, 11:26 AM

I was at the annual Celtic Gathering held in Manhattan's Central Park, and quite a few people were asking to take a photo of or with me. One guy who did told me that his wife refuses to let him wear it. I gave him this site as a place of support and info. Maybe we'll see him some day.