A man has been defended after arguing with his girlfriend over her wedding outfit.
In a recent post shared on the popular “Am I the Asshole?” On the Reddit forum, the wedding guest asked if he was wrong to “threaten not to accept.” [his] girlfriend” as a companion to the event due to a “wardrobe disagreement.” She went on to note that her friends, whose real names she did not give but referred to as Kate and Max, sent a wedding invitation with “loose dress guidelines.”
He emphasized that while there was “no strict dress code,” men were required to wear a suit and tie. The Reddit user added that since he often wears a kilt with a “Prince Charlie or Braemar jacket and vest” when he “wears formal wear,” he asked the bride if that was appropriate. However, before receiving a response to the request, his girlfriend, whom he referred to by the fake name Sara, explained to him why she should not wear that outfit.
“Sara told me I can't wear my kilt because it wouldn't be appropriate for formal wear, of course she has seen me in my kilt and my PC for other formal events,” he wrote. “But she said she would leave him if the girlfriend said she was okay.”
According to the wedding guest, the bride later told him that it was a “great” idea for him to wear the kilt since the groom and the other guests would be wearing one. He added that his girlfriend still told her not to wear the kilt because “she won't be in the wedding party.” However, he later pointed out that the bride “explicitly said that she already knew that some guests would wear kilts.”
Things took a turn when the boyfriend said that Sara asked him to tell her boyfriend that he couldn't wear the kilt. The boyfriend then explained how uncomfortable he felt with this request, before the Reddit user discussed how his girlfriend ultimately felt about the outfit.
“[The groom] “He was strange because he knew I would ask her to wear my kilt and he thought it was strange that she would ask him about it,” he wrote. “I felt a little hurt and when I asked her why she asked Max to tell me not to wear a kilt, she said she thought it was the only way to make sure I didn't embarrass her.”
He went on to explain that he somewhat understood why his girlfriend was embarrassed, noting that “sometimes she gets stares when [he’s] wearing a kilt in public, and [he] “She knows she's an introvert.” He went on to describe some of her partner's previous thoughts on kilts, before revealing that he was worried about attending her wedding with her.
“She also comes from a fairly conservative background and when we met she had never seen kilts before and had some doubts about me wearing them in the past,” he concluded. “I admit I got a little angry and told her I didn't have to bring her as my date, because I was the one who was invited.”
The Reddit post quickly went viral, with more than 6,300 upvotes. In the comments, many people defended the Reddit user's idea of attending the wedding without her bride, while criticizing her for approaching the groom over the kilt.
“It seems like everyone but your girlfriend is fine with you wearing a kilt,” one wrote. “Leaving her behind for this wedding would clearly be a kind gesture so that she can avoid embarrassment. It's much less drastic than pressuring your boyfriend to forbid you from wearing a kilt. “I would consider this kind of extreme attempt to control you to be a red flag.”
“For me, the worst thing is that she is a companion and she asked the groom to tell his friend not to wear the traditional attire that the groom wears. She wouldn't be invited if he [OP] “He wasn't wearing it, but thought it was appropriate to demand that he not be allowed to wear his kilt,” wrote another.
“She asked it to your face and, in an attempt to get her way, went around behind your back to try to get the result she wanted. You already said no. She didn't like that. Her reaction is telling, man. Listen to her tell you who she is,” a third commented.
Many people praised kilts as wedding attire and acknowledged how their family members have also worn them to formal events.
“My husband wears a kilt every day. He has casual kilts at home, but I love hanging out with him as he ALWAYS gets compliments from men and women. I find it surprising because men don't usually comment on other men's clothes. “I’m also not the jealous type and I enjoy other women admiring my centers,” she wrote one. “If your girlfriend is embarrassed by the kilt, she needs to get over it.”
