Funny things happen when one wears a kilt...

Yes, it is funny how people react when a man wears a kilt. I'm not talking about Highland games weekends nor Burns Supper night in January when kilted poets attend an evening of the famous author's words. No,just the average week day when people are going about their various activities.
This is the third weekend of being "kilted" and going out in public with said Highland dress.
In the time spent out and about,within eye shot of the good citizens of my fair city,so many reactions have been noted. Now there are the obvious looks from children,especially those under the age of 10.

Boys and girls of this age,for the most part, have not yet learned of the kilt and it's association with Scotland,Ireland and the other communities of the world. So when one is seen, they usually will turn to stare,open mouthed in wonderment as to what they see as something men should NOT wear.
This has happened more times than I can count in the short time of wearing my kilt and I have enjoyed the various reactions and resulting actions by these children. Fortunately, most of the time if a parent is there they receive a quick lesson on kilts and of their use,etc. The kids are almost always smiling and happy, learning something new and hopefully remembering the experience.

The next group of children, ages 12 to 17 or so tend to act as we all expect. Giggles,laughs,comments and,if they are boys in the presence of girls,ignorant and stupid remarks. These are also funny as I fully remember being a teen and my total lack of understanding where world cultures and dress were concerned.

 Yes, I would probably have made funny noises and remarks too so therefore I never say anything nor chide these teens for their lack of knowledge. Actually,this group of people seem to me the easiest to educate and teach about things Scottish or kilt related.They simply find it daunting or are shy in asking questions.

Now we arrive at the age group that can pose issues for the kilt wearer. That 18-30 age group that SHOULD know better as to what a kilt is and that it is NOT a skirt nor a dress. Most are knowledgeable about this and many times I have heard them say "Hey,check out that kilt" and "That
is awesome!". Here is where I find my heart happy as they KNOW what I'm wearing and appreciate it. The exceptions are those of drinking age at bars and in establishments where showing off when drunk is fun to them. Never wear your sgian dubh,or small knife,to the bars or any event where someone might see it as a threat. Actually it never was designed as that even though many think it so.

Like the photo above, it was used as a utensil and not a weapon. For some reason though the drunk and ignorant person seeing it feels threatened and therefore offers a challenge. Not a good thing.
Still, this age group is learning more and more about Highland dress due to it's continued popularity and rise in the fashion world.There is hope after all!!

The last groups are the 30-50 crowd and then the 50 and up section of society in America. In my limited experience so far with them,both appreciate and acknowledge the kilt MUCH more than I expected. OK,yes there have been a few redneck ignoramuses with the doltish comments about "Hey,look,a guy wearing a skirt" or "What do you have under that?". I have appropriate comments and comebacks for every contingency depending on who asks so no problem there. But the smiles,nods and generally favourable impressions have come from these age groups.

In my three weeks I have had more than ten people come up and ask about the kilt I'm wearing.Usually they first ask if I'm Scottish,to which I proudly reply no,I'm American of Scottish and Welsh descent. Then they ask a variety of questions from how it attaches to,yes, what is underneath it. The BEST part about wearing a kilt (other than the freedom,pride and love of being part Scottish and wearing a kilt) are the looks,smiles and nods from the ladies!!! Even had a very attractive lady stopped at a light yell out her window "Nice legs and kilt!". Makes it all worth it for sure!! Not that they ALL want to do this:

But the mystery and questions about a kilted man evidently hold some in suspense and make the ladies happy to see one. I sure never experienced such looks BEFORE the kilt so this is a delightful change!! No, I shall not stop wearing a kilt now. :-)  They shall forever be part of my wardrobe. Not a daily part but perhaps once a week. As time goes on I'll share more reactions to the kilt and hopefully add many to the collection.


These observations are solely mine and what I have encountered in my very limited time of wearing a kilt. Others might have all positive reactions and some will have negative ones. Most will have a mix but with a large percentage being good. So if you are a guy and want to give the kilt a try...GO FOR IT!!!  Give it a go and see how great you feel!!  Someday I hope to see things like this as common...

What was it REALLY like?

The St Patrick's Day weekend is now a memory but what a powerful one it is! So much happened on Friday,Saturday and Sunday that it is still running through my head. As mentioned last post,this was the first public appearance of me in my kilt and although apprehensive for the most part,I'm usually willing to give things a try once and test the waters. Photo one here is of Friday's kilt look as we attended the Paddy Hough neighborhood parade in Vancouver. The looks and smiles I received were delightful as I walked around. Only one snide comment from an ignoramus,who didn't know the difference between a kilt and a skirt,was the exception . Most of the comments and stares were very complimentary,especially from the women and girls.

 OK, so the comments from the ladies are a wonderful part of wearing the kilt. I admit it and won't take it back. Certainly not the ONLY reason as it is not something I wear everyday. But the smiles and remarks from the female sex make this a good enough reason if I DID want to don my tartan everyday!!! Here with Friday's outfit I wore a simple green sweater with it,making for a casual yet classy look.

Then Saturday arrives and the trip downtown to Portland gave a lot more eyes a glance at the kilt.
We went to Powell's Books where the stares were just as obvious yet kind and non aggressive,a very good thing. Only photo I took here was this one with Mr Bones,poking fun at his need for a kilt too!!

We came back home early to attend a delightful dinner with my family at the Stardust Diner in Vancouver where we enjoyed a great meal.

Then a decent night's sleep and St Patrick's Day officially arrives! The three of us drove to the Shamrock Run in downtown Portland to cheer on our running friends in this years event,boasting over 35,000 entrants. I decided against it this time due to budget but perhaps next year.
We saw some of our friends during the race and then met up at Rock Bottom car for a drink. That was the FIRST place!!!

Then on to Kelly's bar for a Guinness!! Never been to this one and was delightfully surprised.
Only one pic from that place as it was simply way too dark inside.

After that we piled into cars and headed back home to Vancouver and the pub named Shanahans!!! This place was hopping for sure and packed to the rafters!!

The camera on the ipod Touch is lousy and I see red eye now and then but some decent photos resulted. A few boilermakers and much Guinness made the day a treat!! After Shanahans we went to the Double Down Irish bar downtown and that was our last place. Had a great time with our friends!!

What a day indeed!!! Now the question lingers....will I wear a kilt very often around town?? Absolutely!!!  Ever day?? No, as I don't have enough kilts for that and I still like my trousers now and then. But on nice evenings or days and also when going to town, I will certainly be kilted!!
Now to go find the next tartan and kilt I want to add to the collection!!!!

St.Patricks Day weekend and the kilt!

The start of the 2013 St Patrick's Day festivities got under way with Vancouver's Paddy Hough parade. This is a small parade through a mile of Main street Vancouver,Washington. It was also the first time wearing a kilt to a function other than going to the supermarket or the Starbucks.

These small parades are so much more enjoyable with limited crowds and the lack of cacophony that accompanies the big events. I attended this years event with my partner,Liberty Anne(my wife Ann had to work so could not go) and we enjoyed the time spent on Main street Vancouver!

The kilt is working out well. No negative comments so far and all positive words from men and women alike. Today, the 16th, I shall be kilted up for the downtown Portland core and to show off there. It will be interesting as I know there will be others wearing a kilt. Makes me feel better knowing others will share the same national pride of dress.

Tomorrow, the 17th, is the official St Patrick's Day and we shall cheer our friends on in the Shamrock Run in Portland as 35,000+ runners tackle the hills. Looking forward to a great weekend!!

From Welsh to kilts.

As mentioned previously, when I find something interesting that takes my breath away, I latch on to it. I don't just dive off the rocks so much as jump from the cliffs. I immerse myself and if I don't find it as interesting in a few months, well ,I find something else that is fun and envelops my heart and stimulates my mind.
             This is usually regarding hobbies and languages or possibly outdoor activities. Now when it comes to heritage and my family, that is something I embrace fully. The Welsh/Scottish/English and Swiss heritage all mean so much to me even though I'm 100% American. Not a hyphenated American. Still, I speak English and want to learn languages that are part of my family past. That means German (which I have dabbled with since 15),Welsh, and Scottish Gaelic. The Welsh is particularly interesting to me and I have now learned 15-20 words and am on my way to more. With books,mp3's,podcasts and other means, it can be a great deal of fun!! So that is one of many things I'm in the middle of as I type this.

  
       Not only have I taken up this delightful language and the history of "our" people and culture, I have tattooed it on my soul and skin. This means I will NEVER forget where I came from. The newest addition to the inked body that blogs here are two dragons. One a small blue "pocket" dragon and the other a Ddraig goch on my right wrist, for all the world to see. Under it is Cymru which is  Wales in Welsh. I'm ever so proud to have this permanent reminder.

    Now while the Welsh lessons are proceeding well and I'm learning a lot about my heritage and family tree, unfortunately my bagpipe and whistle lessons have fallen by the wayside. So for now they shall remain there awaiting a return to practice.

                                One other major event in my life happened yesterday as I donned my kilt for the first time...in public!!!!  Yes, I made the effort and went out,outfitted up as a kilted man should be. Proud? Yes indeed!! All good looks and compliments resulted too. Here are a few pics of the outfits.

  What fun it was to go kilted! And with St Patricks Day this weekend, it will be in use again.

                  Those are the headlines for the blog this week. Next post will entail more about the language and kilts as well as possibly some running news.