I was a twin, and brought up in the late 40s in a prosperous home in the west end of Glasgow, and I was subjected from the earliest age to petticoat discipline by my mother. I was always dressed in kilts even for school wear, and in the same tartan as my sister Pamela, and I am sure mother dressed us as if we were identical twins. We wore the same underwear, namely girls' knickers, either school type or satin ones in the same style. Our knickers came out of the wash together, and we wore what Mother laid out for us.

It was only outside the family that I was aware that I was different, when the other children on the way to school called me 'Nancy' and 'Kiltie Kiltie Cauld Bum'. I understand that last expression came from the fact that soldiers wore nothing under their kilts, whilst I certainly did not have a cold bottom,with my thick fleecy school knickers under my kilt. When I told Mother that the other children
on the way to school jeered at me, she just said they were rough and uncouth, and I was an example that they should be made to follow. I behaved well whilst dressed in a kilt, even at school, and I think that adds to some of the points you have made Miss MacDonald.

For secondary school I went to a private school in Glasgow called Hutchison Grammar, and there were quite a number of boys who wore kilts to school, and, whilst it was an all boys school, we had a girls' Hutchison Grammar school just down the road. All the boys wore navy blue knickers under their kilts for school, and for PE we just put football shorts on over our knickers. At the girls' school they wore navy knickers until summer, when they changed to wearing blue gingham dresses and matching knickers. I still got teased travelling to school, but I was beginning to reap the rewards of Mother's training, as I liked being in my skirt.

Pamela was sent to Albyn Boarding School in Aberdeen, where the dress uniform was a boys' kilt outfit - yes, for girls - minus the sporran, but including the kiltie hat. I loved the holidays when Pamela was home and we went to Church and Sunday School as two kilties, as Mother made Pamela wear her dress uniform, and put me a kiltie hat, so that Pamela and I were dressed identically.

I think my years of petticoat discipline stood me in good stead, and it was not forced upon me, just accepted along with other more
traditional disciplines in the home, and it made me a much nicer boy. This carried on even when I was married, as my wife
insisted I wore a kiltie outfit on a Sunday as a minimum, and she herself bought the school knickers for my outfits. Sadly my wife passed away a few years ago, but I still carry on the kiltie tradition, particularly on a Sunday, and I would love to hear from other kilties and their experiences of formal petticoat discipline.
Yours sincerely,

'Nancy' Wilson

Petticoat discipline was especially popular in Scotland up to the 1970s at least, because a naughty boy could so easily be dressed in a tartan skirt and girls' fleecy knickers without attracting undue attention. And of course a tartan beret was a perfect addition. Even tights and a blouse could be worn out of doors, and so the contrite boy felt well and truly petticoated.

This would not be possible in other countries. It is always of special interest to hear of Scotch cases of petticoat punishment, as they are a subject unto themselves.
Susan