Kilted Life - Support pages

FAQ and common misconceptions:

Men who wear skirts are sissy, gay, or transvestites right?
Actually, men who wear kilts and other unbifurcated garments come from all walks of life. We are talking about lawyers, techies, truck drivers, bikers, actors, business executives, athletes, you name it. Some of the butchest and straightest men in the world have discovered the truth about comfort and freedom in men's clothing. You would be amazed what wearing a MUG does for your confidence as well. Almost universally, new MUG wearers have reported that they feel much more secure in themselves when wearing a MUG. It takes a man to wear a skirt.

Men who wear skirts are perverted or immoral.
Let us first not forget that the concepts of "immorality" and "perversion" are based on the aggregated viewpoint of public opinion. Something that is far from precise. There certainly is, as with anything else, a sub-culture that involves fetishes of different sorts with guys in unbifurcated garments. This is certainly not the norm. Most guys who wear MUGs wear them primarily for the freedom and comfort alone. They don't care if they get blank or incredulous stares. They are secure enough in themselves to not care what others think based on what they are wearing.

Guys wearing skirts are just wrong or sick!
Who says? Where is this written? Please show me because I would really like to know! People who believe this line of close minded thinking need to take a few history lessons or better yet take a look at my definition and history pages.

Guys who wear unbifurcated clothing get teased and taunted a lot.
This is not true. There will always be an element of people who just won't "get it" and may be tempted to cause trouble. You will always have this no matter what the topic is. A guy wearing a skirt just happens to be a convenient target. For the most part however, you will find that people are curious or even supportive. Compliments and congratulations on your courage are more often the case. Some people will even ask all kinds of questions because secretly they envy and are just looking for the courage to do it themselves. You'll get all kinds of questions including ones such as "What's worn under the kilt?" or "What clan are you? / Are you Scottish?" [the classics]

It's difficult to wear unbifurcated clothing every day.
No, not really. For the most part, all you have to do is make the decision to start. The biggest obstacle is getting employers to accept MUGs in the work environment. In some cases this is not practical, but in any place where casual clothing is the rule, employers should be broached about the subject. Many people find that the management is not as opposed to it as they thought. If they are, typically they have a good reason such as customer interaction. However, there have been some cases of discrimination such as casual clothing allowed and women can wear skirts, but not men. In cases like this, those that feel comfortable doing so should respectfully challenge the management for a logical reason why. Ultimately however, there is little you can do without jeopardizing your job by pushing the matter further.

How do you use the restrooms?
This question comes up more than you would think. Actually, it is easier than with pants. Urinals are much easier because depending on the garment, there is either the normal zipper fly for some modern kilts and mugs or if it is a wrap garment, you just open the wrap. In the stalls...well this should be self explanatory but some remove the MUG and hang it on the coat hooks. I don't recommend this because a thief may unfortunately steal your modesty. Most people hike it up and tuck it in around their torso under their arms. It's not really much of a chore. I recommend that people get into the habit of taking a zip-lock baggie with a hand full of wet wipes along in their pockets. Cottonelle by Kleenex make a type that has aloe and lanolin and is 100% flushable.

Kilts are costumes, aren't they?
Absolutely not! They were never intended to be costumes, but the failing support of men wearing unbifurcated garments in public have for quite some time relegated them to this costume status because of the association of kilt wearing with re-enactments and historical festivals. Those that are brave enough to choose comfort over image are trying hard to reverse this image for the sake of men everywhere.

What does "regimental" or "commando" mean?
"Regimental" is Rennie/re-enactor slang for wearing one's kilt without undergarments. The origin of the term appears to be "regimental style", referring to Scottish Regiments in the United Kingdom army, who wear their kilts this way.

The fact that the UK Armed Forces still have kilt-clad soldiers allows people in the UK to buy wool kilts in army-navy surplus stores, though from what can be read, it is wise to sew a small flap of a less rough fabric in the area that rubs against you -- this technique is taught by quartermasters in the aforementioned military.

In many cases, "Regimental" is considered the "manly" answer to "What's worn under the kilt?"

I wear a Utilikilt [other modern] and some people say "That's not a *real* kilt!"
They're right! This is a game that a lot of snotty stuck-up little "rennies" like to play because it makes them feel superior. The best reaction is to either agree with them, or if you want to take it further you can exclaim that you are glad that it isn't because you can wear it everyday! Most traditional kilts can't be without a lot of extra care. Utilikilts and other modern utility kilts were made to take a beating which make them perfect for every day wear. [This is Kilted Life, remember?] Also, keep in mind that their so called "traditional kilts" are not REAL kilts either! I don't purport to be a kilt historian, but I have read that a real greatkilt was made from at least 9 up to 12 yards of wool. What they are wearing is the modern English interpretation of the historical garment. Don't bother getting into this debate with them though unless you really know them well. Most likely, it is a waste of your time. For more information about "real" kilts, check out the historical links on my links and information page.

People keep saying I'm wearing a skirt, but I keep telling them it's a kilt!
OK, if that's what you want to think... Seriously, if this bothers you so much that you have to force the issue, then how do you manage at all? Yes, you are wearing a kilt, but a kilt is a skirt by definition. It is a men's skirt, yes, but it is a skirt. A very masculine one. There are many more MUGs out there than just kilts though and all of them by definition are men's skirts. I know many kilt wearers would dislike my attitude and I don't mean to sound harsh, but to me saying a kilt is not a skirt is like saying a car is not a vehicle or a violin is not a musical instrument. "Skirt" is just a general description of a garment, but for some reason many guys get hung up on the one particular description that defines it as a woman's garment. I contest that this is a wrong line of thinking.

Interestingly enough, looking up the phrase "skirt" in Roget's Thesaurus what do you find?

Notice that the sarong is also listed here. For more information, check out my definitions page.

What is the Lion/Dragon thing?
That is the "Rampant Lion" emblem. The Rampant Lion of Scotland was originally the emblem of William the Lion in the 12th century, during the years when Scotland was independent. Since that time the Scots have used the Rampant Lion to proclaim pride in their nation. It has been used in many things such as jewelry, flags, clothing, etc, etc. The Rampant Lion emblem design has been absorbed by other cultures as well. Today, you find this emblem represented in many countries.