skirtcafe.org

I got my first kilt when I was about aged 4 when I was a page boy at my aunts wedding. As it was during WW2, clothing was rationed but my mother got a friend who was a dressmaker to make a kilt for mef from a piece of tartan. It was supported on a bodice so did nit need a belt. There was enough room in it for me to have it for a few years when I grew out of it. It was then passed onto my younger brother who wore it for a few years. Back in those days, we dressed up in our best to go to church on Sundays. The next Kilt I remember having was when I joined the local Cub Scout Pack when I was aged 8 and it was made for me to "grow into" and came to below my knees. When I transferred to the Boy Scouts at 11 it lasted a few years until it became too short to wear. My next kilt was an ex- army kilt which used safety pins to keep it in place but my mother sewed straps and buckles to keep it round my waist. Army kilts were made to last but were so heavy that it drooped down at the back well below my knees and was nuisance when it got wet in the rain.
My family took pity on me and gave me a light weight kilt for my 21st birthday and that lasted me for nearly 30 years. as I was a Scout Leader, I wore it regularly, at scout meetings and also on semi-dress occasions with a sports jacket.. It became so thin with wearing and cleaning that you could have spat peas through it.
For my 25th wwedding anniversary, I "invested" in a made to measure kilt which cost me a fortune. Around this time about 25 years ago, kilts were becoming more popular for formal social occasions like weddings, dinners and other functions especially ceilidhs and I had to buy a jacket to be more formal. It was eather that or I bought a Dinner suit.
As well as Scout events, formal social events, and ceilidhs, I quite often wear my kilt as dressy wear insted of a suit and many people admdire me for it
I just wish that it would be more acceptable for non tartan skirts to be worn. When a man wears a non tartan kilt here in Scotland there are lots of derogatory comments made, by both men. and women.
My wife is critical of men who wear what is generally descibed as "women's wear" so I have little chance of wearing a skirt even at home.

Hi JamieB, and welcome to the cafe. Whereabouts in Scotland are you?

Must say, I've never had any adverse reaction to my blue denim kilt. Quite the opposite- the last two times I have worn it, it has garnered approving comments.

My Mrs is not a fan of my skirts, and refuses to be seen in public with me in one. But I wear them at home just about all of the time, and when I am out without her or our chdren. Also they do not object to me being skirted at home. I think I am luckier than most members of the Cafe!

Jamie,
I live in central Scotland, I often wear denim cargo skirts around in many places, including Rothesay, Glasgow, Ullapool, on trains and buses. The knee length cargo skirt attracts no comments, the ankle length version of the same also gets completely ignored. I find that when I wear a kilt I often get questions about what tartan I am wearing, with a skirt people do not comment. When travelling I rarely wear trousers now, I would rather be comfortable.
It seems strange that more people comment on kilts than skirts, in Scotland, but the comments are never negative and are often questions about the tartan, every now and again somebody will ask about what is worn under it, again, only when wearing an expensive, heavy and impractical kilt, not a skirt.