What to consider when shoping for a kilt?

[AKScott]

If it were me, I'd take a vacation to the mountains, drive a couple of hours north to Franklin, NC, and pop into the Scottish Tartans Museum to see some of the different options in person before making up your mind.
Aye,
Matt

This is great advice, seeing a few kilts in person before you order. I couldn't do that where I live. Another thing you can do while you are there (probably) is get measured for a kilt by someone who knows what they are doing - something else I couldn't get done near my home.

In Alaska winter I don't find PV kilts to be any warmer than 16oz wool (I am up to four kilts now, 2 wool, 2PV). The biggest variable in cold weather is how much cold air there is inside my kilt is directly related to how much I walk around.

You might think about ordering a PV for really hot weather as your first kilt - I tend use mine when running the barbecue or fooling around in the garage and so forth. That way you can get kilted without a huge initial investment, and have a serviceable light weight kilt for really hot weather.

Once you have worn it for perhaps a few weeks you can specify the measurements you want in a more expensive kilt with confidence.

Just an idea. I have noticed in previous threads the residents of the hotter southern tier US States often have kilts in lighter weight fabrics and lower yardage and are quite happy with them. I have the opposite problem here of course.