A Decade of Kilting

[Chris Webb]

I went over 10 years kilting full time last week.

My first kilt was a Scottish Traditional Kilt from a Ren Fair. Then I discovered SportKilt and branched off into not just Tartan Kilts, but solids and cammos ... then even different lengths. As the years rolled by I began to experiment with male un-bifurcated garments of all varieties, exploring which kinds of manskirts worked best for virtually all of life's activities.

I wonder if my experience is similar to others ... I think it must be because of one single observation about the kilt community: folks are not nearly as wrapped up in what makes a proper kilt now as they used to be. Society in general has taken to calling any skirt worn on a man a kilt. I think that anybody who has stuck to kilts full time has learned to deviate from the Scottish Traditional in favor of the Modern Practical.

Over 3,650 days in a row ... last week my Mom said, "10 years ago we all thought it was just a phase." But what nobody knew is that I'd wanted to wear un-bifurcated garments since I was a little kid, ever since I stared at the Indians on the corners of our Wahoo board and wanted to be one of them. Today I am as free as one of them ... even free of the confines of kilts, free to wear any and every kind of skirt I want to wear.

I am a man without pants. It is who I truly am. It is who I always wanted to be.

Kilt ON!

Chris Webb

[skirtyscot]

Excellent, Chris. What can I say but 10 out of 10!

[Caultron]

I see you've listed your occupation as, "Owner/Operator of a Waste Management Rig." What does that mean, exactly? Like, do you own your own truck and do trash collection? If so, that must draw a few second looks. And if that's so, good for you in dealing with them!

[Grok]

I've noticed that kilting forums have threads regarding traditional kilts and related topics; but they also include threads about contemporary versions. Come to think of it, if one likes kilts in general, then its not a big leap to try out nontraditional kilts. Which are not bound by all the rules of traditional kilts, being, well, nontraditional. Actually, the order was reversed for me. My first purchase was a Utilikilt, after seeing a man dressed in such.

[Grok]

Over 3,650 days in a row ... last week my Mom said, "10 years ago we all thought it was just a phase." But what nobody knew is that I'd wanted to wear un-bifurcated garments since I was a little kid, ever since I stared at the Indians on the corners of our Wahoo board and wanted to be one of them. Today I am as free as one of them ... even free of the confines of kilts, free to wear any and every kind of skirt I want to wear.

I am a man without pants. It is who I truly am. It is who I always wanted to be.


Chris Webb

I think that some people are natural born Skirtonians. Not all of them happen to be female. But as a boy you are not supposed to be interested in unbifurcated garments. So you remain silent. I can see why some individuals would be surprised if you begin to express an interest as an adult-seemingly out of nowhere-and assume that you are just going through a phase.

[Chris Webb]

Thanks for all of your encouraging words, Guys, really.

To answer the questions about my occupation, here's a link to a Facebook album with a narrative that explains it very well. It's public, so anyone who wants should be able to see it and read it. Admittedly, it is an advantage to be self employed when it comes to kilting/skirting full time. Folks who manage to do it in a 'real job' have my deep admiration. Nobody on the job ever gives me any guff at all, but construction workers in general are a unique group ... as individuals they are who and what they are without apology or explanation ... it's a good environment to go un-bifurcated as long as you aren't 'faking it'. They look at me, see that I'm authentic, slap me on the back and get back to work. I was kilting full time when I started this little company, it's become part of my branding. I have lost some work over my skirts, but I've gained much more work by being easily recognized and memorable. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/chris.webb.165 ... 849&type=3

As for other Kilt Forums. At one time I was the Top Poster at kiltmens.com (The Braveheart's Kilt Forum) and am a Lifetime Member at kiltsrock.com (The Brotherhood of the Kilt). I posted the exact same thing at kiltsrock.com, it has been seen by about 25 people and not a single remark. As a member of the Kilt Community I think I am received with both admiration for actually being out there kilting and disdain because I am just as much a mugsman and skirtman as I am a kiltman. Some think that in the last 10 years I've aided in increasing the acceptance of kilts, others think I'm the worst thing for kilting there is, mostly because I disregard traditional kilting most of the time. I understand why some hold me in disdain, I really do. I don't kilt out of respect for my heritage or tradition and I've never considered it my mission to make kilts socially acceptable. If I have a mission it has always been to be who and what I really am and to encourage others to do the same. For me that means wearing skirts, it means a thousand other things for other people.

I think it is safe to say that we here are considered to be a little bit of an embarrassment to those over there, so to speak. They very often find the courage to wear their kilts by applying the Heritage Excuse. They subtly judge Skirtonians, or even openly judge us, because they have trouble getting past the idea that outright skirts are also for men ... they feel that society sees us and groups us with themselves and that society feels the same way about us as they do. They see kilts being rejected by society because they think that skirts are being rejected by society ... they see us as standing in the way of universal acceptance of kilts.

But here's the thing I've tried to articulate many times before: Society sees kilts as just another kind of skirt. Yes, there has been a deep seated prejudice against men wearing skirts, but only the most ignorant of people don't accept kilts as menswear. Since society has no stake in what is a proper kilt or not, society has simply grouped skirts and kilts together, at least when they are worn in overtly masculine ways. So Society sees a man in a skirt and calls it a kilt to diminish the cognitive dissonance that comes with seeing a man in a skirt. The Kilt Community benefits from this as much as we do, but the Kilt has lost some of it's notoriety by being lumped together with skirts in general. They resent this. They blame us. But they secretly appreciate that we have not just opened the door to male un-bifurcated garments, we have knocked the door off the hinges.

Two days ago I took my Dad to the eye doctor. The waiting room was crowded. I was wearing a pleated denim miniskirt. While Dad was in with the doctor I went into the bathroom, the door was thin and I could hear everything that was said. LOL! As soon as the door closed I heard an early teen say, "That guy's was wearing a skirt!" Then I heard several, "No, it's not a skirt." Finally I think his Mom said, "He's in a kilt, Son, it's a skirt but on him it's a kilt." When I came out of the bathroom the kid that I think made the skirt comment just looked at me and said, "Cooool." LOL! I think this is great news for us all, that is unless you are Hell bent on keeping Kilts and Skirts separate.

So, even though I wear denim pleated skirts, denim straight skirts, cargo skirts, flair skirts and, yes, outright kilts I can say with a clean conscience and with technical accuracy ....

Kilt ON!

Chris Webb

[Grok]

Traditional kilting is fine for traditional kilts. The new, nontraditional variants are good too. On the other hand, I acknowledge that other societies developed their own MUGs, which might be worth consideration. And we needn't refer to these other MUGs as "kilts." We can use their traditional names. For example, a few years ago their was an attempt to market sarongs as "surf kilts." Myself, I feel comfortable referring to a sarong as a "sarong", without any cognitive dissonance.

[Chris Webb]

Myself, I feel comfortable referring to a sarong as a "sarong", without any cognitive dissonance.

I hear ya, but you are a Skirtonian.

[Grok]

I have to wonder if people will try to apply the word "kilt" to other traditional MUGs of other societies-if such are imported. Or what about home made creations? (See the sewing section) What do you call the resulting garments if you convert mens' trousers to skirts? Or garments made from scratch?

[Chris Webb]

Grok, I think that we will come up with specific names for these new skirts. But I think that Society at large will, at best, simply add an adjective to the word, kilt. This has already begun right here in the skirting and kilting communities. Even the kilt forums have changed what used to be called a kilt into the Scottish Traditional Kilt ... then there's Sport Kilts and Utility Kilts and Contemporary Kilts. But I sincerely believe that Society will increasingly call any kind of skirt worn on a man a kilt. My experience bears this out at least weekly ... no matter what I wear I get way more 'nice kilt' remarks than I do 'nice skirt' remarks.

We can fight this trend by correcting folks outside our community when they call our skirts, sarongs, wraps, etc. 'kilts' ... or we can embrace it and be thankful that Society has found a pretty simply way to resolve the cognitive dissonance that results from 95% of them seeing a man in a skirt. Personally, I never correct a complimenter no matter what and consider all of them to be minor victories in the War on the Tyranny of Trousers.

Yesterday I was wearing a Scottish Traditional Kilt at the Fort Worth Rodeo ... two BEAUTIFUL cowgirls saw me and one said, "I really like your skirt!" The other said, "It's a kilt!" I replied, with a wink, "She can call it anything she wants." They both giggled and blushed, and I hoped my girl friend didn't notice. LOL! I guess I believe that correcting anyone outside of our community when they offer even the slightest encouraging words towards our skirting is simply counterproductive. If most of them want to call my skirts 'kilts' then I'm just fine with it ... who am I to criticize a sincere compliment.

Correcting the non male un-bifurcated society members only embarrasses them ... they've already gone out on a limb by being encouraging to us, we should not discourage them by correcting them. But, that's just me. I could be wrong.

[Uncle Al]

...... I guess I believe that correcting anyone outside of our community when they offer
even the slightest encouraging words towards our skirting is simply counterproductive.
If most of them want to call my skirts 'kilts' then I'm just fine with it ... who am I to
criticize a sincere compliment.

WELL STATED

.... Correcting the non male ANY un-bifurcated society members only embarrasses them ...
they've already gone out on a limb by being encouraging to us, we should not discourage
them by correcting them. ....

I've had compliments from "Both Sides" and I gave up trying to 'correct' any persons comments.
That "correction" slams the door in their face and prevents further discussion.

A compliment is a compliment WHY negate a compliment by 'correcting' the person who gave
the compliment. Just smile and say thank you Thus the "Ice" has been broken.
Open conversation can start about any and everything that may come to mind.

OK - That's my $.02 worth for the day

Uncle Al

[Chris Webb]

Uncle Al, your 2 cents worth is valued at about 2 grand. Well said, Sir, very well said.

[wsherman]

hello Chris and congratulations!

Ten years kilted is an anniversary worth marking! Keep on kilting!

Slainte'!
Bill & Sir Brinkley the exubrant! My LeaderDog

[Uncle Al]

Uncle Al, your 2 cents worth is valued at about 2 grand. Well said, Sir, very well said.

Thanks Chris, just tryin' to support the 'cause'

Uncle Al

[Grok]

...... I guess I believe that correcting anyone outside of our community when they offer
even the slightest encouraging words towards our skirting is simply counterproductive.
If most of them want to call my skirts 'kilts' then I'm just fine with it ... who am I to
criticize a sincere compliment.

WELL STATED

.... Correcting the non male ANY un-bifurcated society members only embarrasses them ...
they've already gone out on a limb by being encouraging to us, we should not discourage
them by correcting them. ....

I've had compliments from "Both Sides" and I gave up trying to 'correct' any persons comments.
That "correction" slams the door in their face and prevents further discussion.

A compliment is a compliment WHY negate a compliment by 'correcting' the person who gave
the compliment. Just smile and say thank you Thus the "Ice" has been broken.
Open conversation can start about any and everything that may come to mind.

OK - That's my $.02 worth for the day

Uncle Al

Excellent points. Sometimes it is best to simply say "thank you" as a response. Confused but accepting-perhaps this is the best that we can hope for in other people. (We are iconoclasts at a very early stage of change). Unless its a man who is interested in trying something besides trousers.