Male Unbifurcated Garments

Letter Carriers going full Kilt Ahead

SEATTLE - A 6-foot-tall, 250-pound letter carrier is campaigning for the right to take off his pants. Dean Peterson wants the U.S. Postal Service to add kilts as a uniform option for men.

The idea was soundly defeated in July at a convention of his union, the 220,000-member National Letter Carriers' Association, so Peterson knows convincing management will be an uphill struggle, but at least he'll be comfortable in his kilt, or Male Unbifurcated Garment.

"In one word, it's comfort," he said.

With his build, Peterson said, his thighs fill slacks to capacity, causing chafing and scarring.

Peterson, 48, has Finnish and Norwegian ancestry but not Scottish. He began wearing kilts a couple years ago when his wife brought one back from a trip to Scotland. (A spokeswoman for Britain's Royal Mail said kilts are not allowed as part of its letter carrier uniforms.)

Now Peterson wears them everywhere — to one son's football games, the other son's concerts, shopping and gardening.

"It's the difference between wearing jammies to bed and wearing your work clothes to bed," he said.

Before the convention in Boston, Peterson spent his family's $1,800 economic stimulus tax rebate to mail about 1,000 letters and photographs of him wearing a prototype Postal Service kilt to union branches in every state, Guam and Puerto Rico.

"Unbifurcated Garments are far more comfortable and suitable to male anatomy than trousers or shorts because they don't confine the legs or cramp the male genitals the way that trousers or shorts do," he wrote. "Please open your hearts — and inseams — for an option in mail carrier comfort!"

The union's executive committee recommended disapproval, saying there was not enough demand for kilts to be worth the bother of the resolution, and delegates agreed by a large margin.

But Peterson said there are plenty of approved uniform items that very few mail carriers wear, including a cardigan sweater, vest and pith helmet. He said many convention delegates did express support after his resolution was voted down.

"I got so pumped up after being at such a low that I'm taking this to the next convention in 2010 in Anaheim, Calif.," he said.

Hey, I wear a Pith helmet! how dare he!

Before the convention in Boston, Peterson spent his family's $1,800 economic stimulus tax rebate to mail about 1,000 letters and photographs of him wearing a prototype Postal Service kilt to union branches in every state, Guam and Puerto Rico.

I'm sure his wife is soooo glad she brought that thing back from her trip...

I saw this yesterday and as a former "man in uniform" (retired U.S. Navy), I can say this guy has a MAJOR uphill battle. You are as likely to get a male postman to wear a kilt as you are to get a Marine to wear lipstick and nail polish.

I LOVE my kilts. If others don't want to wear them, that's fine by me. I don't wear mine as much as I might, due to the fact that it is fairly incompatible with my motorcycle, my main mode of transport. More power to him.

The goal is not to get other malemen to wear kilts, but to get it approved so that HE can wear one. Quite a difference there.

Personally, I'm just impressed he walks. My mail delivery person (who is not a mailman) can't even be bothered to close the flap on the front of my mailbox, never mind get out of the car to walk somewhere. I couldn't care less what she's wearing, but I would like to see a little more care in how she carries out her duties.

where is that video of the guy mowing the lawn in the skirt?

Kilts are comfy. You do look a little out of place wearing them though. The outfit they picked out matches very well and looks quite tasteful to me. Bet it would be comfy for hiking long mail routes.

For funny manliness in kilts, how about as part of a paintball uniform:

I can see polyester Kilts becoming the rage for Municipalities....and Coaches (they need an apparel update)....this be a Fashion Revolution in the makin'.

5 bucks says Nike will have a kilt out for every sport by the Spring.Untapped potential market/opportunity....

I'm far more disturbed by a 6' 250lb man using the word "jammies"

I've got no problem with kilts, but agree he'll have an uphill battle with management...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QWq9WCQa4Y

skirt = balicious

I've worn my kilt swing dancing a number of times. Always fun.

Had a female friend kneel down to check if I was wearing underneath. I asked her, "And would you go commando in a skirt when swing dancing? Yeah neither would I."

My mailman wears a pith helmet LOL!

Salanis wrote: I've worn my kilt swing dancing a number of times. Always fun. Had a female friend kneel down to check if I was wearing underneath. I asked her, "And would you go commando in a skirt when swing dancing? Yeah neither would I."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHxU7tgEhsA

Why doesn't he use religious protection to get them to let him wear a kilt? Becoming a (or at least claming to be a) practicing Discordian should be enough to justify anything, and then it becomes a 1st Ammendment issue.

Persoanlly, I say if a 6'+ tall 250 lb Nordic man wants to wear a kilt, who are we to stop him?

Time to call my union, I'd love a pith helmet. With the ball caps we have my neck still gets burnt.

Zombie thread with a canoe.....but now I wanna know how it turned out for our heavyset mailman.  Did he get his kilt?

i should get one, just to make the kids cringe 

KyAllroad said:

Zombie thread with a canoe.....but now I wanna know how it turned out for our heavyset mailman.  Did he get his kilt?

i should get one, just to make the kids cringe 

Don't think Kilts are manly? The 42nd Highlanders we're still wearing their Kilts into battle as recently as World War I. The Germans started calling them The Ladies From Hell because they were so merciless and vicious.

Canoe deleted

Damn, I want to see the original article!!!

I wonder what ever happened to my pith helmet?   I bought it in grad school for a beekeeping class.   

I don't think anyone would bat an eye if my mail carrier wore a kilt... half the time he (sometimes she) isn't even in a Postal uniform.  The mail boxes in my neighborhood are mounted on the houses, so the carrier parks along the center cross-street and then walks up and down each side.

Despite my Scottish first name, I don't get the impression there is a lot of Scot in my heritage, so I'm not sure a kilt would be proper for me.

Wonder why the guy just doesn't tell his management that he self identifies as a female and wear a skirt, but my real question about the whole story is what is this $1800 stimulus tax rebate and where is mine?

In reply to T.J. :

Well... I'm not sure that was as much of a "thing" back in 2008 when this thread was started. 

Hey Wally!