why does my mother do this? and how would you react?

[carlajean]

Just want some thoughts really.
We had a big family party at the weekend, and my son drove my parents home, and stayed for a cup of tea and a chat.
He's getting married in a year's time, and was telling us that he was bemused that my mum was going on at him about he should get married in a kilt. Not upset, just wasn't sure how he should handle it (there's no reason why he should, but my parents have a kilt because they used to do scottish country dancing). Because he was too good-mannered to say no, my mum had him in it, and was measuring up for adjustments.
I'm his mum and I wouldn't think of telling him what to wear!
Part of me feels 'oh well, that's the way she is' and the other half feels 'wtf'.
I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

Is he Scottish?

no

Not a drop of Scottish blood here. But a friend married a chap from a Scottish family, and at the wedding all the gents on his side of the family ( and kids) wore kilts, and looked very fetching.

When we got married, I wasn't surprised that the wedding outfitters had a mannequin resplendent (how often do you get to use that word in a day) in highland dress in the window. MrsLH did agree it looked quite fetching. In the same sentence as she forbade me from even thinking about it.

Hell, if you can get married in a church without believing in God, why not get married in a kilt without being Scottish/Scots/Scotch .

Has she always been this demanding?.

If he does not want to wear a kilt then he has every right to tell her he does not want this. Presumably you have also found it difficult to assert your own self in her presence because if you say no to her demands she immediately turns nasty.

If it was my mother, I would ring her up and ask her what planet she was on, because I couldn't fathom what had possessed her to insist on my DS wearing a kilt. My mother would probably huff and puff, and then eventually laugh at her idiocy when it sank in.

But your mother? Who knows! Has she ever done these sort of over the top things like this before?

Tell your dm that she can fetch up in a kilt if she wants, but gentlemen will be wearing morning dress on the occasion of your ds's wedding.

This may inspire her to buy a frock coat and a top hat

Well, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that a gentleman in a kilt is most fetching, but just being manhandled into your mother's old dancing one when you have zero desire to wear one is a bit odd isn't it?

Just tell him to give her a quick call to say don't spend anything on adjustments!