Re-stiffening a USAK Casual?

[Joshua]

One of my favorite kilts is one I purchased from the classifieds here on XMarks, it is a USAK Casual in Caledonia that has the old "shield" logo sewn in, as well as the frayed selvage.

My question is, while the garment is not yet "threadbare", it definitely does not hold it's shape very well, I am guessing from repeated washings and wearings prior to my ownership (I've washed it approximately once per 3 wearings or so, and worn it at least 1 day per week and at least three extended weekends over about 4 months of ownership). While not as formless as a "well known competitor with the initials Sport Kilt" product that I've owned in the past, it certainly is not as crisp as it once was.

I have steamed the pleats and apron and done everything shy of starching. Are there any tricks to renewing the crispness/shape of PV or is this now my games/house kilt forevermore?

[RockyR]

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has an answer to this question as well. I have a few Semi Trads that are 5 and 6 years old that I wear once a month or so (and have washed a few dozen times) and like ANY fabric, over time, it softens. I'd like to see if anyone has an idea / first hand knowledge how to 're-stiffen' it without making it too rigid.

That being said, think about your favorite jeans or tshirt or whatever... how many times can you wash it before it's destined to become a dish rag? Cloth (especially clothing) has a 'life span' and washing and wearing something shortens it. Sad fact of life.

I'm not saying that there would be an excuse for PREMATURE 'aging' of PV or any cloth for that matter... I think Joshua's point is that the garment is well used and has held up reasonably for it's age... he's just looking for the garment equivalent of the Fountain of Youth.

[Zardoz]

It's interesting that Joshua mentions the Caledonia tartan, because that tartan has always felt softer to me than any of my USAK semi-trads. I don't keep records, but I'd bet it has been worn and washed less than any of my PV kilts, and it feels as limp and less crisp than my oldest most beat up one

I see that Joshua mentions steaming the pleats and apron, which is good for getting wrinkles out, but you need to press or iron the thing to sharpen up the creases etc...

I wash my PV kilts on Cold water, short Gentle cycle, with minimum soap. After the wash, rinse and spin, I run it through an extra spin dry. Then I put a sheet over our spare bed, (if you don't have a spare bed, a big table or even the floor will do) and carefully spread the damp kilt out flat. Take some time to lay it out so it is as flat as possible and straighten and smooth out the pleats and aprons by hand. Spend 10 minutes doing that, and once it dries overnight you should only need minimal ironing.
I do my pressing over a blanket on our seldom used dining table, but agian, the floor will do in a pinch. I set my iron on 'synthetic' and plenty of steam, give the kilt a little spray of water and press the crease of each pleat nice and sharp. Just doing this brings back a little body to the fabric.

There are spray sizing (starch) products out there that supposedly work on poly blend fabrics, I've tried them, but with little improvement. I think they are more useful on poly-cotton weaves than on PV.

I've been told that there are polyvinyl acetate 'starch' probucts avalible to the professional laundry industry that can be washed into polyester and poly-blends to size them up, but I have not tried that route.

[Jay]

The key to starching is doing it in the rinse stage of washing. Starch in a can is a stop- gap.

A cheap starch is to save and recycle the water you boil potatoes in.

Starching this way gets it into the fibers, not just sitting on top of he fabric.

[Riverkilt]

Don't think there's any way for any thing to "get into" the fibers of the synthetic threads of polyesther or viscose (rayon.) Maybe coat them, but not "get into"

If anyone would have an answer to this it would be the folks at Marton Mills or the folks who make the threads that the cloth is woven from. Maybe Rocky could send the question on up the line?

Meantime, the other option is to order up a new Caledonia in semi-trad or even...gasp...wool!

Or, accept that the kilt has aged from Casual to "super casual."

[Santa Kona]

My question is what are you doing when you wear your kilt that it needs to be washed so frequently?

[Joshua]

I wouldnt say washing once every 3-4 wearings was all that much, but please keep in mind this is Florida and this is my everyday kilt that I wear for walking the dogs, hiking, and working from home. Any less washings might raise a stink with my spouse, literally.

Not to mention, I am not the original owner.

[Joshua]

I found a diy laundry starch "recipe" online that involves cornstarch. Since this is my knockaround kilt I will experiment and share my results.

[Paul Henry]

I wouldnt say washing once every 3-4 wearings was all that much, but please keep in mind this is Florida and this is my everyday kilt that I wear for walking the dogs, hiking, and working from home. Any less washings might raise a stink with my spouse, literally.

Not to mention, I am not the original owner.

To me, washing a every 3-4 wearings of a kilt seems very excessive,and certainly that ammount of washing would soften any fabric, some of my camo kilts I've washed once or twice in the same number of years.
For my tradtional woollen tartan kilts, I've yet to wash any of them over 10 years, they do get steamed or pressed , but neither washed nor dry cleaned, so far I just haven't seen the need, and my nearest and dearest haven't complained about the smell either- and they would !

[Whidbey78]

I can't say that I've washed my USAK's too many times in the past couple of years. In the summer they get washed more frequently due to dirt, sweat and all the other fun stuff. Not sure how frequently this happens, really, since I wash them "as needed." I'd estimate 3-4 wearings in summer (I get really grungy in the summer) and probably 10-12 in winter--maybe less. It has been often enough that I've developed a system--wash as per instructions, hang, and clip weighted clothespins on the corners of the pleats and the apron's selvedge. Usually, they're good to go once they dry, and a quick touch here and there with the steamer is the most I ever need.

That said, I have noticed a little softening of the fabric, but not much. As Zardoz pointed out, some of the MM PV's seem to be softer or stiffer than others. After being worn at least once(and often 2-3 times) per week for a couple of years and washed when needed, my American Heritage kilt is still stiffer than my others were brand new! Actually, it's still a little stiffer than I'd like.

I'd be interested in seeing your results, even though my problems tend to be on the other end of the spectrum.