In praise of linen kilt jackets

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The STM Gift shop last fall added a linen kilt jacket to their offerings, for those Scots living in more tropical climes.
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/linen_jacket.html

I had the pleasure of buying the first "prototype" jacket. You'll see me wearing it in the model pictures on the web site. Those photos were taken on the jacket's very first wearing.

I got the chance to wear it a couple of times last fall before the weather turned cooler and I switched over to my tweeds. Now that spring it here (and a warm beginning to spring, at that) have have started wearing the linen jacket again.

I have to say, I was pleased with it when it first arrived, but I am even more pleased with it now! Linen has a bit of a wrinkled look to it (which many say is part of its charm). After a few months of hanging in my closet, it seems the fabric has relaxed a bit and the wrinkles are definitely more subtle and attractive. The cloth is super soft, and a pleasure to wear in these warmer temperatures.

I helped out at the STM tent at the Tartan Day South event at the end of May in Columbia, SC. It was a sunny, warm day, with the temps in the mid-80s, and I had my jacket on most of the day.


Yesterday, for Easter Morning, I was wearing my Armstrong tartan trousers and my wife didn't like the sport coat I initially put on with it. Having vetoed that one, I went for my linen kilt jacket, and that got the thumbs up from her.


Later this week I will be giving a talk to an Antiquarian group in Birmingham, Alabama, and will probably wear this linen kilt jacket there, as well.

I can't say how perfect this jacket is for so much of my warm weather kilt wearing.

Please visit the STM's gift shop catalog and consider ordering one for yourself. One word of warning; these are made to measure, so you do need to be careful when you supply your measurements that you allow some room for comfort. In other words, if you list 42" as the size of your chest, your jacket will be made exactly 42" across the chest. So unless you want a skin-tight jacket that looks painted on, allow some room for ease in your measurements!