Wearing the kilt while driving

[Cowher]

I wear a xxl T-shirt so I take a XL or large t-shirt and cut off the neck and Sendai it's a tube of cloth. Then I put it on like a shirt but I slide it down over my kilt. That holds it in place during a long drive. I usually just take my sporran off.

I would like to ask the rabble a related question. Does YOUR kilt really just give up the wrinkles? I went to loon NH to the highland games. It's a 3 and a half hour drive away from my home. I had wrinkles in my kilt. I hung up the kilt when I got home and went to bed. Two days later I took a look at it and the wrinkles were still there. I always have to steam my kilts to get the wrinkles out.

I just don't buy into the entire "the wrinkles just melt away" story.

[chrisupyonder]

I find my cheap 5yd 12oz polyester 80% wool 20% needs pressing after a drive but my Lochcarron 8yd 16oz wool tank, which I wore nearly every day while on or 6 weeks holiday all over Scotland, has never been pressed, just hung up each night and looks as good as new. I think its down to the quality of the cloth and the deeper pleats in the tank.

Chris.

[OC Richard]

The pleats on my heavyweight wool kilts usually do fine while driving, except when I've had to pipe in a pouring rain, and get into the car soaking wet.

Then I've had to press the pleats when I get home.

One issue with driving kilted here is the strong sunlight beating down on the kilt. Kilts here get exposed to lots of strong sunlight and they can sometimes fade badly after a couple decades of regular wear.

So, when I drive kilted I fold up the edge of the kilt so that the front of the apron is protected from the sun, the reverse receiving the sunlight.

Fading can be a huge issue here. A pipe band I played in back in the mid 1980s ordered a bolt of heavyweight British Columbia tartan from Lochcarron. Those original kilts, still around, have faded badly, the lovely cherry red having faded to a hideous dull pink.

[Mike_Oettle]

Provided I sit down with both feet on the ground (sweeping the pleats as I go down), then swing into the seat, driving kilted is no problem for me.
That goes for my PV kilt and my 13oz woollen one.
I have not had problems with my sporran, but that might be because it is so small.
Regards,
Mike

[Cowher]

I find my cheap 5yd 12oz polyester 80% wool 20% needs pressing after a drive but my Lochcarron 8yd 16oz wool tank, which I wore nearly every day while on or 6 weeks holiday all over Scotland, has never been pressed, just hung up each night and looks as good as new. I think its down to the quality of the cloth and the deeper pleats in the tank.

Chris.

I was wearing a 8yd 16oz modern MacEwan tartan from Lochcarron. It is a tank. So no it's not the quality of the cloth. I may do a thread on this.

It's also notable in my 16oz double box kilt. But that to be expected with the lower yardage.

[rlloyd]

Excellent demonstration! I think it should be a sticky, somewhere.

Of course, we here in the UK are lucky having right hand drive vehicles. I just pleatsweep and sit into the driving seat as if I were sitting in a chair. When I swivel round into the driving position my pleats are in the right direction and will stay there.

As to the sporran, if I am sitting, driving, eating, toileting or dancing close, I push my sporran on to my left hip. Far easier to do if you use a sporran strap rather than chains.

Regards

Chas

So that's why the UK has right-hand drive!

[OC Richard]

Just now I've returned from a piping gig (kilted of course) and an issue came up: when driving kilted, I use both hands to sweep the pleats as I get into the car, meaning that I can't get into the car while holding things in my hands, which I can do if wearing pants.

Otherwise it's much more convenient and comfortable driving kilted.

[CopperNGold]

Can you imagine a woman in a pleated skirt getting up to these strange antics to keep her pleats straight? No, neither can I. If my wife did I don't think I could keep from laughing. So, how do your wives react? Can they keep a straight face?

As for the sporran, I'm with Jock on that. I put mine on when I get where I'm going.

No, we don't go through all that rigamarol! It would definitely be hard to keep a straight face if I saw a man using the towel or belt method!

First, we sit sideways on the seat, swing our legs around to under the steering wheel, then adjust our pleats.

A good fabric will shake out within minutes of getting out of the car. Women have been been dealing with this (entering and exiting a car) with pleated skirts, short skirts, tights skirts, flowing skirts, floor-length skirts, etc., all our lives, and it just becomes second nature to us.

Good luck finding which way works best for you!

[Dale Seago]

It would definitely be hard to keep a straight face if I saw a man using the towel or belt method!

If it's done properly, you'll never see it: We don't do it until there is no one in a position to notice.

There's a more surreptitious method, if one has a jacket or jumper (sweater) or some such: Use that instead. Looks like you're just putting it into the vehicle, but quickly passing it behind/under rather than over yourself.

[CopperNGold]

That's just wrong on so many levels!