Yes, I have also been told that kickstands aren't 'cool' on a bike, but I reckon, be confident in what you need, what's most functional for you, not what other people think looks good. I have a kickstand on my bike, I am thinking about removing it, but ONLY because I am very uncoordinated and scared that one of these days I'm going to ride off with it still down and have a big stack! I'm so paranoid that I'm constantly twisting around as I ride off after stopping to check I've flipped it up, which is probably just as unsafe!