Might Be A Daft Question...

[Kinetikat]

...especially as I'm asking a forum of mostly guys!

But as a woman trying to break into what is a hugely male-dominated sport over here in the UK, am I dicing with my credibility as a female athlete by wearing a short kilt instead of the knee-length original? If you haven't yet seen the pics, go to my blog at www.throwingmyweightsaround.com and you will see the two different kilts - the first, knee-length one, in a post titled 'I Kilt It!' dated April 17th, and the newer, shorter one in a post titled 'Supergirl and the Killer Flamingos!', dated May 10th.

I ask because a (female!) friend mentioned it with a dubious look, and said something along the lines of 'it's all very well you wearing your little kilt and big boots and doing the flirty girl thing for PR, but you want to be taken seriously as an athlete, don't you?'

I hadn't actually thought of the sight of a 47-year-old Troll Princess with decently-clad legs as being in the 'flirty-girl' class, but it kind of knocked my confidence a bit.

What say the Great Rabble?

[gary meakin]

I would say follow Shannon Hartnett as an example

[Mickey]

Can't speak for the athletics side, and don't know how things are in the UK, but it has generally been my experience that when girls get snide with other girls on their clothing, it's because of envy.

I think you look great in either one, and when I watch women in any sporting event, I'm watching the sporting event. Really don't care what they are wearing. If you are comfortable in the short one, and if it makes it a bit more fun for you, I'm certainly not going to bag on you for it. If you can throw a telephone pole across a field, I'm gonna take you seriously even if you are wearing Hello Kitty pajamas.

Be yourself and have fun. Forget the rest.

[tulloch]

I have no experience in UK events. I know that here you would be seen as quite ordinary. Your competition kilt is actually not too short. I have seen shorter. I think the original one would be long enough to interfere with the freedom of movement of your legs. In my opinion you are fine as you are. Steady on!

[Joshua]

Wot Mickey said.

Frankly, throw in whatever is allowed, and if you can add your own flair to it (i.e. mini-kilted skirt, tights, etc...) the better.

[Grizzly]

Sue I wouldnt worry about it. Throw in what you feel most comfortable wearing that way you will be more concerned about the athletics rather than how you look. Personally I am looking forward to seeing you compete at Harpenden and would it matter to me if your kilt was 2 inches shorter .........er no!

GGGP has much more experience in etiquette for female games competitors it might be worth PMing her for advice.

[ForresterModern]

You are wearing leggings underneath so I do not see what issue there would be with wearing the shorter kilt for athletics. I can see how the longer one rides a bit low on the knee and could be a nuisance if not obstruction to free movement needed. Throw away!

[Frank McGrath]

I saw the pictures and want to know who gave away the man secret of Duct tape?

Good Luck to you! Anything worth doing is worth doing all the way.

[azwildcat96]

Don't worry about it! I can't comment on what is normal outside of the US, but here in the States, I've seen women in "standard" length men's kilts and shorter "mini" kilts. The technique, and length or height of a throw is where the credibility is.

[o1d_dude]

My suggestion is to follow the link below to a photographer's page where the subject matter is Scottish Games action photos. Look at the photos of the women competitors and draw your own conclusions. FWIW, these are photos from West Coast competitions and the weather is quite warm. Tank tops are the rule and many women opt for the mini-kilts.

Scottish Heavy Photographs