Pigweed
Amerikilt: Fashion, freedom or folly?
by Pigweed on 29 July 2010
My wife works with a woman who is always complaining and frequently insulting her coworkers while patting herself on the back for upholding the virtue of “speaking her mind.” Never speaking up can result in you getting pushed around and failing to right a wrong and being exposed to things you find offensive etc. But “speaking your mind” must serve a purpose and is subject to manners and decorum.
And so it is with “I don’t care what people think.” Worrying too much about what people think can stifle creativity and inspiration and spontaneity. But again you cannot entirely disregard “socially acceptable” and “common decency.”
This brings me to the AmeriKilt. I was at a music festival along the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend. There was a full range of music and a full range of ages from toddlers to aging hippies (or more likely ex-hippies allowing themselves to relive those free-spirited days).
Among the sea of tie-dyes I couldn’t help notice the number of men in both kilts and free-flowing hippie skirts. After elbowing my brother and pointing a dozen times we retired to the beer garden for a local microbrew to discuss the matter.
Initially I snickered and mocked. Then as I sipped and sweated in searing heat I thought how nice a breeze across my wedding tackle would be. Then my only worry became pockets. As you see, the AmeriKilt has an attached man-pouch.
Since I actually like its features, is it some sense of decency that prevents me trying the AmeriKilt or do I lack the courage of these unencumbered men who have thrown off the shackles of convention and embraced the freedom, comfort and perhaps trend-setting AmeriKilt?
What if it reached the acceptability of say, men who wear crocs? Would that give me enough cover? Am I going to let fear of ridicule rule my life and determine my choices?
At what point is “worrying about what people think” the right thing to do? Probably at the AmeriKilt.
2010-07-29 » Pigweed
29 July 2010 @ 6:09 pm
I think your wife should quit (kidding) and you should not try this idea out at work (not kidding.)
D
29 July 2010 @ 8:39 pm
I’ll share my thought… if you like it – do it, and stop listening to people (see above post) trying to tell you what NOT to do. You live your life one time, brother – now wrap yourself in an AmeriKilt and step out and ENJOY your independence!
29 July 2010 @ 10:11 pm
Biologically speaking, kilts (or skirts) make more sense for men than they do for women.
But … we don’t live in a purely rational world. For some reasons skirts are associated with women and pants with men. It doesn’t make sense, but that’s the way it is.
If there was a movement to change this, it might make sense to join it. But right now, a man who wears a kilt had better be playing a bagpipe, or he’s gonna get beat up.
30 July 2010 @ 9:05 am
Well, Michael, I have to admit that the man who signs the paycheck is high on the “Last people to tick off by wearing something that makes them uncomfortable” list. If Pigweed wants to show up at a backyard barbeque at my house in a kilt, why should I worry about that? But if I show up for work in a professional office in fishnet stockings and a dog collar, most bosses would find someone else to do the work for them.
30 July 2010 @ 11:07 am
If you want to dress like a fruity hippie…suit yourself.
30 July 2010 @ 1:04 pm
It might be the sort of thing you could wear to the Renn Fest.
30 July 2010 @ 8:48 pm
There was a guy who used to show up on talk shows in support of “mens’ rights.” He wore a skirt. Not a kilt, a skirt.
It was hilarious to see women wearing trousers lambasting him for wearing a skirt. Trouble was, the message was completely lost on those idiots. (Women can wear what they want, men are more constrained than women.) He lost credibility, and questions were more towards the “Are you a transsexual?” than about the issues he wanted to talk about.
I was very glad to see him give it up, although I don’t give a rat’s a** what he wears myself.
And just because Scotsmen go commando doesn’t mean you are obligated to
3 August 2010 @ 2:02 pm
Thanks, Pigweed, for a well-constructed, persuasively argued commentary on the complexities of social order. “Speaking one’s mind” is an important part of our cultural heritage and should be applauded when appropriate. As you point out, however, sometimes fighting authority or flauting convention is gratuituous and only serves to disrupt the social order. True, we should fight injustice and tyranny whenever we see it, but we also have to eat some shit sometimes to get through the day. If I confronted my co-workers everytime they said something moronic or slightly offensive, I’d be doing 10-20 by now. As for the Amerikilt, let the wedding tackle fly if it feels right. Just don’t wear your Spandau Ballet concert t-shirt at the same time.
3 August 2010 @ 3:09 pm
Swing — welcome.