HELP How do you get in a car?

[Douggie M]

My problem is this, I'm fairly new to wearing a Kilt and find that when I get into a car my Kilt bunches up as I sit down. Aside from being a bit uncomfortable my kilt gets creased up and looks like I slept in it at the pub gate.
Any suggestions.
Douggie.

[Holcombe Thomas]

Good day, Douggie.

The experts will weigh in shortly, but my method is to turn, facing out from the car, and "back" in to the seat, sweeping the pleats as I do so, and then turn to face forward. I'm adding a 90 degree turn to the same way I sit down in a chair.

You might profitably watch how a lady in a skirt enters a car.

Hope this helps.

Holcombe

[Orionson]

I'm fairly sure this dilemma has been discussed here before, and I bow to the experts before adding my tuppence...

After 50 years of regular kilt wearing this is how I address the matter. I begin by standing with my back to the open car door and the backs of my calves touching door sill. I sweep the pleats down from bum to knee on both sides simultaneously whilst lowering said bum down onto the seat. Once down I pivot and swing my legs up into the car. The pleats usually hold their flattened position under said bum during this maneuver. Settle and adjust, as necessary once a comfortable forward position is achieved.

I have always found the kilt to be an exceptionally comfortable garment to drive in. Especially on hot summer days with the AC on full blast and directed to it's most advantageous location.

[Father Bill]

The suggestions above work well. I add one manoeuvre to the others: after I'm facing the right way behind the wheel, I arch my back to lift my backside and do one more sweep to straighten everything out before settling in.

[tundramanq]

If your car seat is too high or the fabric "grabby", my truck is both, get in and supporting your self with feet and seat back, raise your bum off the seat and sweep the pleats straight. This gets totally automatic in a very short time and works for restaurant booths as well.

[Ordway]

Entering a car is somewhat easier on the kilt in Australia and Great Britian than in most of the rest of the world. Using the instructions offered above, you turn your legs in the opposite direction of knife pleats when you swing them into the vehicle thereby smoothing the pleats rather than creasing them. You must be more careful boarding from the other side.

[Chas]

Although I agree totally with Orionson, I also appreciate that we are entering the car from the other side. North American drivers will be sweeping then swivelling against the flow of the pleats. Also many fabric carseats don't allow for a swivel as they seem to grip cloth.

There is an other option. Obtain a new plastic carrier bag. Cut down both sides, to give you a large rectangle with a handle at both ends. Sweep your pleats using the bag. Depending on the size of the bag and the size of your aft end, you might be able to transfer both handles to one hand. (This is the ideal as it gives you a spare hand for balancing, adjusting or what ever as you sit.) Sit and swivel. Ease the bag out from underneath yourself, pulling in the direction of the pleats. A final wiggle for comfort and you are done. Stow the bag in side pocket of door or glove box, for the next time.

If it works for you, then it would be advisable to look round for a heavy-duty piece of plastic - preferably in manly black. Garden waste bags are usually made of heavy duty plastic.

[tpa]

Orionson and Father Bill have all the necessary moves covered. I usually only need the final arched back sweep when wearing one of my cheap acrylic kilts, the wool seems to manage much better. I can only agree that traveling in a kilt is definitely the way to go, the occasional extra sweep is a small price to pay for not having to continually extricate trousers from where they are least comfortable, particularly if, like me, you have a protuberant bum.

[Father Bill]

There's one other manoeuvre that helps too: when you sit on any chair with a kilt, sit at the front edge and then slide back. It has a similar effect to the "sweep" to which we're referring.

[hector]

I steer the car the continental way and apply the method described by Chas. I use a long winter scarf as tool. It works very well too.