Winter kilts

[terryk]

Hello,
Here are a some pictures of my two DIY winter kilts.
These are taken in my back garden- I haven't got out and about much in them yet.
The Harris is 15oz, the Melton is 18oz...both very warm and comfortable!
Terry

[tpa]

Well done Terry, you've obviously been busy. We'll have to try to give them an outing soon.

[Dughlas mor]

Nice work. They look both warm and comfortable.

[Catharps]

You look warm and toasty!

[Micric]

You just need to yard them up a bit Terry. Even if cold out your knees want to show.

Good job though!

[Kylahullu]

You just need to yard them up a bit Terry. Even if cold out your knees want to show.

Why? (Yes, the tradition or fashion but still...)

This is a question I have been thinking a bit. If it is cold it is cold, period! No weather above the freezing point is cold. And if you are freezing it is not the fault of the weather but the clothing you wear.

In every discussion of the great kilt there has sooner or later been someone saying it is/was a versatile garment; when the weather is cold it can be worn longer and in warm weather it could be shorter. So, why not taking this idea to this "small kilt" we use today? If someone has a kilt for cold weather why not have it a bit longer?

By my "preliminary tests" two inches longer drop makes a difference in -10C (14F). That puts the hemline just below the knee cup and gives them some protection from the elements. Will continue testing.

I got this idea when I got a cheap heavy woollen "too long" kilt from ebay. I was thinking of shortening it by hemming it, but postponed the job to see if it worked better as is as a winter kilt.

[Spartan Tartan]

I really like that blue one. I'm partial to blue, perhaps. Very nice work.

[Pleater]

Those are two excellent outfits, and you look entirely unaffected by the weather.

I think that you are quite right about the effects of a slightly longer kilt, particularly if you intend being outside for any length of time.

The black kilt which I absent mindedly made too long is of lightweight materials, but there are over 8 yards of it.
Although the temperatures have dipped below zero we have no snow, and I have found that wearing that long kilt with hose and shoes and a cap and jumper I have been warm enough outside.

Wearing a shorter kilt is decidedly more draughty and requires the addition of a long plaid, not so much for insulation as to turn the wind - even my shortest plaid is long enough to wear over one shoulder and reach my ankles fore and aft, and I usually have a cord or belt or bag I can use to secure it just below the waist to keep it spread out and overlapping. The biblical girding of loins always comes to mind.

In really bad weather unfolding the hose is a good idea.

I have been laughed at for my quaint attire a few times over the years, but a couple of times I have seen the scoffers turning blue with cold and rendered reliant on others for their safety and once their very survival, so above a Force five, in constant heavy rain or below minus four degrees C you need to abandon thoughts of conforming to conventions.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Micric]

Why? (Yes, the tradition or fashion but still...)

This is a question I have been thinking a bit. If it is cold it is cold, period! No weather above the freezing point is cold. And if you are freezing it is not the fault of the weather but the clothing you wear.

In every discussion of the great kilt there has sooner or later been someone saying it is/was a versatile garment; when the weather is cold it can be worn longer and in warm weather it could be shorter. So, why not taking this idea to this "small kilt" we use today? If someone has a kilt for cold weather why not have it a bit longer?

By my "preliminary tests" two inches longer drop makes a difference in -10C (14F). That puts the hemline just below the knee cup and gives them some protection from the elements. Will continue testing.

I got this idea when I got a cheap heavy woollen "too long" kilt from ebay. I was thinking of shortening it by hemming it, but postponed the job to see if it worked better as is as a winter kilt.

Good morning Kylahullu,
Why? may appear a pertinent question, and I May oversimplify things, but to me a long kilt Really blurs the line between a kilt and a skirt, and I for one don't want anyone to mistake me for an old spinster!
Re. Cold, I can sympathise, as where we live in Western Canada (Alberta) we can get cold, as in -20 to -40- odd (C).
I still don't wear a kilt longer though, your knees get used to it, and if it's Too cold, wear trousers. Simple as that.
I know my opinion is not everyone's opinion, but as we are all entitled to one, mine is that a long kilt looks B. awful!

If we look at the normal & modern fashion for the kilt, it will be noted that the length is to the top or at most mid knee.

If we look at it historically, a long cloak, plaid, or "matchcoat" (essentially a wool blanket) would be worn in cold weather, and the latter is very effective and can go mid calf Over a kilt and look perfectly correct.

I still feel leave the kilt as it should be, and wear appropriate apparel over it, or wear your normal trousers till it warms up! :-)

Very best wishes,
Richard.

[cessna152towser]

Looking good.
I especially like the navy blue boxpleat kilt. Very stylish and a nice length for a cold day.