I really like wearing a kilt...

[jeanfor]

I have been wearing a kilt and really like the fit of it. Wearing a kilt is really not a problem in New York City, New Jersey area and even in my area. One lady gave me a compliment yesterday when I was in New York and said "nice kilt". I saw only one young man wearing a short black pleated skirt when I was in New York City yesterday.

[crfriend]

Wearing a kilt, except in the most backwards of areas, should almost never cause a problem; and in most large cities, outright skirts seldom seem to cause any sort of grief.

I was out and about in Boston (MA.USA), my local "big city", in a black calf-length skirt and received no untoward attention whatsoever -- and this included moderate-length walks through "touristy" areas (think Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall) and rides on the subway.

[jeanfor]

My feeling is that the fear is with us men more than anything else.

I have been to many neighborhood, including Washington Heights (hispanic) and Harlem and it was no issue.

[crfriend]

My feeling is that the fear is with us men more than anything else.

Indeed that seems to be the case -- and it's likely the case because we are flaunting "conventional norms" and we're aware of that. However, the fear response isn't necessarily the best response to have; I prefer the notion of "risk assessment" over "fear", because we can ascertain the potential level of risk, and can alter our behaviours and looks to reflect that risk.

Risk, to each individual, will ,likely mean something completely different. For some, the biggest risk will be from a boss who "finds out" and cannot deal with the notion in a rational manner; for others, it may be a risk of ridicule that they'll find difficult to handle; for others still -- and this is a long-shot -- there's the risk (usually perceived) of violence for "stepping over the boundary" of the "conventional norms". Each of these requires different responses.

First off, fear of losing one's job is a powerful anti-motivator; it makes one toe the line precisely. It also turns us into subhumans. My skirt-wearing was a poorly-kept secret for years until I finally decided to take the risk to wear one to work openly -- and it was a virtual non-event. This may be different if you're in an externally-facing position in an uptight company, but if you're in an internal position it ought not be an issue.

Ridicule, unless it trends toward threat-behaviour, is easy enough to deal with: if somebody laughs at you, let it roll off your back and realise that you brightened up some poor ignoramous' day a bit.

Finally, if physical threat is a real possibility, I'd posit that that's not a situation one would want to be in in the first place -- irrespective of clothing. Basic self-preservation pretty much proscribes entering overtly dangerous situations unless it's absolutely necessary (or incredibly rewarding).

[AMM]

For some, the biggest risk will be from a boss who "finds out" and cannot deal with the notion in a rational manner;...

First off, fear of losing one's job is a powerful anti-motivator; it makes one toe the line precisely. It also turns us into subhumans. My skirt-wearing was a poorly-kept secret for years until I finally decided to take the risk to wear one to work openly -- and it was a virtual non-event. This may be different if you're in an externally-facing position in an uptight company, but if you're in an internal position it ought not be an issue.

It depends upon the company. I work for a large multinational company, and large companies tend to have Policies. This cuts both ways.

On the one hand, the Company has dress policies: when talking with my boss one time, the topic came up of how much more comfortable the women in our office were (it was one of those heat waves -- like today -- and they were all wearing sleeveless dresses or skirts), and he said that some men had asked about wearing a kilt to work and been told no. We get fairly regular Official Reminders (E-mails) of what is or is not considered acceptable office wear. Given that precedent, I am certain that I would get at least a stern talking-to if I showed up in a skirt or even a kilt.

On the other hand, it's harder for them to do anything to me about what I do in my off-hours, as long as I don't associate it with the Company. Our office is in New York City, where nobody would think twice about a man in a skirt anyway, but even if someone in my chain of command did find out what I wear on my own time and wanted to take some action against me, he would have a hard time doing it, since there's no Official Procedure or Policy on the subject. If my boss found out, he might or might not use it as another excuse to give me a hard time, but that's as far as it would go.

[jeanfor]

View the current economic situation. Employers are the one in power situation these days. In the case of corporations it is more a question of defining a standard in this case. What the man would wear with the kilt. Probably fear as well and lawsuits. I know women have the upper hand in that but men are basically responsible for not being more involved in the way we dress. We have accepted the penguin way of dressing for too long where women have had the guts to do something about it!