I recently bought a utilikilt, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for how to get over my nervousness about wearing it in public.
Thanks. That’s kind of what I was thinking.
And smile! It's disarming for those who might judge.
I get positive comments and smiles all the time.
Indeed! Always smile. I've never had a bad day while smiling. And if you smile just right, people will think you're crazy and leave you alone. 😬😉
Same, except never a jeer.
I was once informed by a snooty traditional that a utility kilt is not a kilt, but that's the worst that's ever happened. I informed him that he was wrong.
I never in my life got so many compliments from random women (and men!) as when I started wearing kilts. If you lack confidence, you won't for long.
Own it. Keep your head up and be ready for the positive interactions to come. You’ll have to get comfortable talking to people because they’ll be curious. In two years of daily wear, I’ve had one “negative” interaction, and that wasn’t said to me, just an old man who said something to a coworker when he thought I was out of earshot. The coworker is also my friend and told him to eat shit. Don’t worry, people will love it. Just be ready to answer friendly questions with a smile.
You may feel a bit foolish the first time, but you'll get over it in no time. It may help to wear it out to a concert, renfair, highland festival, or party where you know that others will be dressing up in unique ways as well to help build your confidence. Failing that, treat this like ripping off a bandaid. You will only wear it for the first time once.
You will get more positive comments than anything. First time I wore my kilt in public, I had women (and guys) saying things like "awesome outfit!" or "nice kilt!" and even an elderly guy in a motorized cart gave me a fist pump. I never got that reaction from other people when wearing shorts or pants.
Grow a pair and let them dangle in the breeze....
Just rock it. I’ve worn a kilt daily for years. A lot of people might subtly stare, but no one really cares, and the ones that do care, just don’t care about them.
Wear it and be proud. Confidence will happen with each "Nice Kilt" you get. I wear my kilts and utilikilts out in public quite a bit. Learn to accept compliments but also learn to have fun with nay-sayers. Just have fun and enjoy. Soon you'll just wear the kilt like it's a pair of really breathable shorts. Almost every time I go out with a kilt, I get asked questions or wanting pictures, or compliments. Women love men wearing kilts, and men who shit on it are just jealous.
Pleats go to the back... apron to the front.
You are going to look badass, so own it. It's only weird the first time.
Other posters here have said it best. Head up, shoulders back, wear the kilt and don't look back.
Normalize kilts as everyday wear.
Just do it. I get near universal positive feedback literally everywhere I go wearing it.
As everyone else is saying, just do it. The more you wear it out in public, the more confidence you'll build. When I started I was sure I would have to deal with negative comments but that has not been the case. I get frequent comments from people saying they love the kilt. People look because it's different, but rarely say anything except to compliment or to ask some variation of THE question.
Just ordered my first Kilt. I feel the same way. A bit apprehensive about going to my favorite pub, but I’m going to give it a shot when it arrives.
If you wear a kilt, the people around you will love it!
I usually only wear my kilt if I have friends to go with. I dunno, it helps me feel like a more sane person I guess. My female friends in particular dgaf if I wear a kilt.
My first time wearing a kilt in public was pretty anxiety producing I had to keep reminding myself that I was wearing a kilt, not a dress. I was delightful surprised at the positive responses. I got from the other guests at the party. Now I must say, it was a Scottish New Year's party so they were other men in kilts. You're gonna have a great time.
Just wear it! If you can’t wear something with confidence then you shouldn’t wear it.
Start wearing it out to casual public places.. parks, trails, local restaurants, grocery shopping... All the places where there's no pressure on people's fashion choices.
After a few rounds of that You have all the confidence you'll need to start wearing it around friends and family.
Like others said, confidence is King and you'll be surprised by the positive feedback you'll get because most people are simply impressed you have the confidence to wear it.
don't go commando as some peeps will think it's funny to check
Yes, people think SA-ing men is funny and acceptable.
IMHO, it helps if you have answers in mind for people's questions. In the Northeast of the US, most of the time people interact with me because of the kilt they are asking if I play the bagpipes (rolls eyes) or they will start talking about their Scottish ancestry. There will be a few that may ask what you are wearing (or not) under the kilt.
You get to decide if the answers are sincere or smart-ass. I decide based on how rude the person is. Most are generally curious.
If I had to guess, I think maybe 1 person in 50 is brave enough to say something, and of those people, most are harmlessly curious or genuinely appreciative.
A life lived in fear, is a life half lived! Go for it!
Hold your chest out and don’t care what they say. It’s hard to do but you gotta keep that head up chest out. Bad posture will make it worse. At least that’s what works for me.
I haven’t gotten comfortable enough for daily wear, but I feel that wearing it to events, like concerts where people are more likely to let their flag fly, helps me out with my comfort level.
Go outside. Sneer at these fools who traded the cool wind for leg prisons, who decided they needed pockets on jeans as well as a bag. You have your utilikilt, and you are mighty. (Power stance)
Thanks, good advice
Since you have so much more room, let those bad boys swing left and right like you just don't care. LOL
But seriously ... own it. If you are looking for someone to say something they are going to read it in your face.
My wife is amazed at how many compliments I get ... and I am in Texas !! I'm kilted probably 90% of the time now.
Wore mine (utilikilt- by tactical shit) at Lego land lol, with my family and grandkids. Like he said "own" it look straight ahead and who gives a rats a@@ on what others think.
I wore mine to st Patrick's day parade (a green plaid) so it was perfect. You will get lots of people that want to be complimentary just because its unusual and they want to say something. Some guys may tease, again because they dont have the guts to compliment you straight out so they go for guy ball busting, which is really only appropriate among friends.
Do some google searches about how to interact with people. Some folks will be sincere, others may be insultung because they dont know any better, so it's best for you to familiarize yourself to the common things that drunken women and dumbass dudes will say.
That being said, you will be the best dressed guy on the block, and you will have a blast. Enjoy it!
Kilt confidence is a thing. Start by wearing it to the store for a quick trip. Confidence is like a muscle, you have to exercise it to make it stronger.
The only negative comments I've ever received were from drunk women who either wanted my Johnson (and couldn't have it) or we're just ignorant.
I've been EDK (every day kilt) for quite a while now. Living in a small Alaskan town my neighbors have got quite used to it. No one really batted an eyelash when I got the great kilt and kicked the Highland wear up to 13.
I've had a few encounters with burley biker type gents down in the big city, Anchorage. As I'm approaching I'm preparing to rubuke a nagative comment when the opposite happens. Dudes give fistbumps or comment positively.
Really it comes down to how confident you are with yourself. Be it pants, kilts, or a speedo, if you walk tall you walk tall.
Go for it and have fun.
As with almost anything in life, just do it. Honestly, how many times in an average day do you even acknowledge what other people are wearing? Nill.
Sure you'll get some looks, but isn't that part of the reason people wear nice stuff?
I'm late to this party but I bought myself a DNKE utility kilt and wore it in public. My wife loves it. But it was a challenge at first. I could feel all eyes on me. But after a few days, it does become second nature to ignore the stares. Heck, I've gotten more than a few compliments. The only thing I didn't have the courage for was wearing it regimental style, meaning no underwear. I honestly have no idea of how the Scottish do it.
The best I can offer is just own it. Walk with purpose and without a care about what anyone else thinks. I can't guarantee your experience will be the same as mine, but I mostly just get people minding their own with the occasional compliment or question and very, very rare jeers.