Is a kilt outfit a luxury item?

[Ancienne Alliance]

Very interesting discussion!
So it begs the question: in trying to create a sense of trust with the poor, are you trying to look poor yourself?

I'm sorry to insist but, when I was a child, my mother would by me the best quality woollen (itchy) trousers simply because we weren't rich enough to buy cheap pants that would only last one season. The same with shoes.
After I've grown out of my trousers, my brother, much to his despair, would wear them himself for a few years.

Conclusion : My mother bought the best quality BECAUSE it was cheaper in the long run.


Best,

Robert

[Jock Scot]

I'm sorry to insist but, when I was a child, my mother would by me the best quality woollen (itchy) trousers simply because we weren't rich enough to buy cheap pants that would only last one season. The same with shoes.
After I've grown out of my trousers, my brother, much to his despair, would wear them himself for a few years.

Conclusion : My mother bought the best quality BECAUSE it was cheaper in the long run.


Best,

Robert

Yes I agree, apart from dire emergencies I was brought up with the same way of thinking, which was basically, buy the best and if you can't, then wait until you can.

[skauwt]

After correspondence with fellow X-markers regarding wearing a kilt to work, I realised that it certainly would not be appropriate in my case to wear a kilt to work.
Currently I work with unemployed individuals who are on low income. These individuals could not afford to hire a kilt never bother buy one.
If I wore my kilt to work, it would be totally inappropriate dress where my clientele are poorly off, and certainly would not enhance my credibility with this group of people.
So do fellow X-markers feel that they are part of an elite group, especially if you owned several kilts and outfits?

for a central scottish perspective and with the standard pay here in scotland owning any more than 2-3 kilts in my view is a luxury ,
it was a struggle to get the one kilt i have and all the items and other clothing i bought with it ,
i had to more or less buy from the likes of ebay or wait till they had been on sale , heck i paid about 350 quid in total for everything by the time i added it all up and even then for clothing and a few bits and bobs thats alot of money ,but again im old skool i will only wear my clan tartan and its clan variants so even if i had lots of money there is only 8-9 chisholm variants available to wear
my biggest reason for getting a kilt was i dont do suits so the kilt will be used as and when i think a suit would be wore.. regardless of what others thing if everyone turned up a funeral for example and i was the only one in a kilt then so be it ,its either a kilt or 22inch flares with a shirt and tie

but .... if i had a good pension or alot of money coming in i dont think id see it as a luxury at all

[Tobus]

I think an X-kilt,or UtiliKilt would more likely start a riot in that part of Scotland!

Whoops! I totally missed that this was in Scotland and not the USA. What's the Scottish equivalent for "my bad!" ?

That changes things entirely, considering the Scottish attitude towards kilt-wearing.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Originally Posted by Jock Scot
I think an X-kilt,or UtiliKilt would more likely start a riot in that part of Scotland!

Without causing a riot, they are simply dismissed as cross dressing my most people here in France.

Ignorance? certainly... but still a fact.


Best,


Robert

[Lallans]

Here in Canuckistan, a kilt is considered pretty much a luxury item, but that is based on history and not current economic levels. It's changing slowly, but here the unkilted people attending, say, a Highland Games are still quite surprised if you wear one to the Games and are not an organizer or in a band or other such group and that is mostly because it hasn't entered the Celtic public's consciousness that they are within general economic reach now. I remember how suprised I was when I realised I could buy a new one! From what I know about Scotland and from comments seen here, I would say that is pretty much true in Scotland, or perhaps even more so. The first rule of a helping profession is of course to establish a personal trust relationship with the clients and if a kilt will get in the way of that I have to make the sad recommendation that you don't wear one. On the job I mean.

[csbdr]

In the absence of Ron, I'll chime in. I am a child psychiatrist, and work with an impoverished population. I have worn the kilt to work with success. I haven't done it much, but I don't think it affected anyone negatively to see me in it, and frankly most folks here have never seen one, and wouldn't know the cost of a wool kilt to save their lives. It's really no different, in that respect, from my wearing a nice sweater or sportcaot, because my families do not have the context to work from.

What DID bother me was that it was SO foreign to them, that I think there were alot of raised eyebrows, stares, and shaking heads. Now, this means alot to me, because i have to establish credibility and trust with these parents, some of whom are minorities and don't trust whites/authority figures anyway. To have their child's doctor dress so "oddly" in their eyes, doesn't establish trust or credibility. I haven't worn it much as a consequence. Would it be different if I wore it daily, enough to make it fade into the woodwork? probably.

[azwildcat96]

If I wore my kilt to work, it would be totally inappropriate dress where my clientele are poorly off, and certainly would not enhance my credibility with this group of people.

I don't know what you're job description is around your clientele, but I'm guessing that they already know that you are better off than they are (and therefore able to assist them).

I don't think that wearing a kilt in itself is an inappropriate act in this situation. Perhaps you can dress it down like you are going to the pub? And as others have pointed out, there are less expensive kilts, that are cheaper than some pants.

Seems to me that unless there is a dress code that you are required to adhere to, or a safety issue regarding loose fitting clothing (i.e. working around equipment), you should wear what you are comfortable in.

[Chas]

I think that there are two or even three different issues here. They may all tie together, but probably don't.

Firstly, is the kilt a luxury item? By strict definition, probably yes. There are just too many trades, professions, jobs and tasks where the kilt is more of a hindrance than a help for it to be anything but a luxury.

Secondly, unless one is in the know - a tartan kilt is a tartan kilt. The average man in the street (be he Scotsman or not) cannot tell one kilt from another. Unless they know about different fabrics, most people will assume that what they are seeing is wool. You can wear a cheap off the peg kilt or a hand sewn tank - people will see a kilt.

Thirdly, Jimmy has given few clues as to who his clients are. I have, in the past, had to work with the unemployed and the unemployable, the homeless and the dispossessed, substance abusers and those with mental and physical disabilities. People covered in their own urine, vomit and feces. Did I dress like them - No. I wore a suit, shirt and tie and polished shoes. They expected me to look and act professionally and that is what they got. Dressing down to their level would only have been condescending and insulting.

Do these three things tie together? I don't know. Jimmy must make up his own mind as to what is appropriate at his place of work. His clients should be his issue, if the kilt becomes the issue, then he should probably stick to trousers.

Regards

Chas

[Paul]

for a central scottish perspective and with the standard pay here in scotland owning any more than 2-3 kilts in my view is a luxury ,
it was a struggle to get the one kilt i have and all the items and other clothing i bought with it ,
i had to more or less buy from the likes of ebay or wait till they had been on sale , heck i paid about 350 quid in total for everything by the time i added it all up and even then for clothing and a few bits and bobs thats alot of money ,but again im old skool i will only wear my clan tartan and its clan variants so even if i had lots of money there is only 8-9 chisholm variants available to wear
my biggest reason for getting a kilt was i dont do suits so the kilt will be used as and when i think a suit would be wore.. regardless of what others thing if everyone turned up a funeral for example and i was the only one in a kilt then so be it ,its either a kilt or 22inch flares with a shirt and tie

but .... if i had a good pension or alot of money coming in i dont think id see it as a luxury at all

I can appreciate where you're coming from.
You've just made me think about how much I've spend on kilt-related items and it sure is a great deal more than I thought I'd spend after buying my first kilt! I thought that was a massive jump to spend £200 on one item, however, I've ended up spending over 10x that in 9 months on kilts, jackets, sporrans and everything inbetween.
I could think about what else I could have bought with the money, but it's been worth it and I don't plan to spend that much for another few years yet!