As many of you know, I've been enjoying hiking in kilts for a number of years, and each summer I direct a summer hiking/search-and-rescue/trail maintenance program in the mountains of western North Carolina. For the first time, my crew this summer wanted to make and wear kilts, too. After shopping for fabric, we descended on the local craft center and fired up their commercial Singer machines. Four evenings later, my guys had their first kilts, all done by themselves with no prior machine sewing experience.
Not only did they hike in them, but for the next week they went everywhere in them...parties, brewery tastings, pubs...they were like little kids at Christmas. Of course, I had to accompany them on these adventures to mentor them in proper kilt etiquette, witty comebacks, and to help them fend off the curious ladies. (tough duty, but someone had to do it, right?)

Here's a photo of the Kilted Montreat Wilderness Rangers (I'm far left) after their first kilted hike, an easy 8-miler to the top of Graybeard Mountain.


After a bit of arm-twisting, they consented to a pleat shot...


Fabrics are (l-to-r) 6-color desert, digital woodland, mossy oak, and solid olive drab. All poly/cotton, knife-pleated 3" deep with 1.5" reveals, full-width aprons. All of them added side pockets for their folding knives, and underapron pockets for wallets, pens, etc.