My Towns Core Values and Tolerance(Not only skirts)

[mikel]

Hi All
It's been awhile since I last posted but this topic(where we live) has a profound influence on our OTH and families acceptance of skirt wearing.

Two years ago we moved from Southeastern Rhode Island/Massachusetts. I felt very uncomfortable wearing a skirt in public, lots of stares from locals. I was a substitute teacher in the towns High School and Middle School for 4 years when that last year, I stopped getting invites to teach at the High School. Somebody called the school and also my wife that they saw me in a skirt. My wife went ballistic! Her acceptance of my skirt wearing went from some to none! Since moving to Northern New Hampshire, I've find nothing but outgoing, accepting people with an occasional compliment. My wife has gone so far as to suggest what would look good with the current skirt I am wearing. I've come to making the following comparisons to both places.

Southeastern MASS/RI-------------Core values ------The immediate family is the center of the universe. Be suspicious of neighbors and folks who don't look and have the same values/politics as yours.
Acceptance-------People should look and act as your family so that they don't "infect" your children. (There is very little turnover in population so the chances of meeting "strange"
people are slim.

Northern New Hampshire----------Core Values--------We don't have the income to hire help so we depend on our neighbors(they are our extended family). Hard work is respected. Protection of the environment and
individual liberty are most important. People are valued by what they do not by how they look.
Acceptance-------Wide tolerance of different views and appearance. Many newcomers retiring from other areas of the country. Many people work in hospitality and are exposed to
different customs and appearance. We also have the Highland Games in September, so its not unusual to find a guy in a kilt.

So if you would like to share the core values and acceptance of where you live, I may or (maybe not) want to visit you.

Mike

[norstdresses]

Mike, this is a very interesting topic.
here are two places where I am staying.

Koenigsbrunn, southern Germany core value: Respect for hard working people, very tolerant regarding men wearing dresses all time
Acceptance: Fully accepted everywhere.

Selebi Phikwe, Botswana core value: conservative respectful people, very religious and educated.
Acceptance: As I am a foreigner, the society accept my dressing style, however most of the meetings are formal and suit and tie are expected. I respect this, but out of meetings, on casual Fridays and during the Weekend I wear my dresses everywhere without problems. People are curious asking if the dress has something to do with my culture.

[Kilted_John]

Seattle area: depends. Mainly liberal, but there is some conservatism in the rural areas. Tolerance seems higher in the rural areas, but, for the most part, no one cares, skirt-wise. That said, as mentioned in the skirts = celtic thread, a lot of people who really should know better do think that a guy in a skirt is a guy in a kilt. Doesn't matter if they're wearing an actual kilt, or a very colorful floral print silk skirt.

-J

[Sinned]

York: A Roman city with two Universities so plenty of young people around. The hub of major transport links, railway and motorway with several large population centres nearby but still located in a very rural area of Yorkshire. Tourist centre with a major Cathedral ( York Minster ) and major historical links ( can't do any major development without a very serious archaeological dig being undertaken ). I suppose very white and working/middle class.

Tolerance: So far, apart from MOH, I have not come across only indifference and no opposition or intolerance of my wearing a skirt ( as opposed to a kilt of which I have only one and have not really worn it yet ).

[NH Dan]

What a very timely thought. Although we have yet to meet, Mikel and I are practically neighbors and we came from the same state to retire. Just this past Saturday evening my wife and I were having a discussion with our part-time neighbor who lives outside of Boston most of the time. He has always carried a mans hand bag or clutch?. Having just returned from a trip to Italy with his with he purchased an over the shoulder purse which I understand a lot of men wear in Italy and that has become his new man bag. It is stylish. My wife was saying that in certain parts of Boston (Revere) he would have a problem from some people but here, in the north country, the people seem to be more accepting. I have yet to wear my skirt away from home but have kept it on when company has visited with yet a comment being made.

[Darryl]

Well...with the lack of pockets in my skirts so far I was squeezing everything into a smallish fannypack, so I got a Bleeker Messenger Bag in black.
http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-112878 ... enger+bags

Probably will do a casual kilt and sporran next...though a setup I can wear a Navy Blazer with perhaps so I'll have the jacket pockets, and maybe a vest....