Box pleats in summer

**kilted2000** · 22nd May 23, 03:09 PM

I've read on here that a 4-yard box pleated kilt is great for summer, even in 16oz wool.
1. Is this because of the box pleating or the lower yardage? Would a short yardage knife pleat be just as cool?
2. Would such a kilt still be cool to wear in 80-95 degree F temps?

**Father Bill** · 22nd May 23, 04:41 PM

I have one. All of the above. The only spot that gets warm is across the belly where it’s held in of necessity.

**Liam** · 22nd May 23, 06:26 PM

I have a couple of Summer kilts I had specially made. One is a 4 yd PV box pleat with sewn down pleats. The other is a 4 yd knife pleat 11 oz. wool kilt. Both are great to beat the Summer heat - much better than a pair of shorts - and classier looking too!

**Tobus** · 23rd May 23, 04:12 AM

A lot of people claim that lower yardage kilts, or different pleating styles, are better suited to hot weather. Personally, I think that's mostly wishful thinking and I don't notice any difference between them. The kilt is not a skin-hugging garment below the fell line like a pair of trousers or a jacket, so there really isn't a boundary layer to retain heat. The thickness/weight of the material isn't going to make any difference in heat retention when it's just draped loosely or swishing around. When people start claiming that 13oz is so much cooler than 16oz, I just shake my head. The average person probably couldn't tell the difference between the two weights if you handed them sample swatches.

For me, the heat retention happens around the waist and especially across the back/kidneys where the bulk of the material is trapped against the skin. That's where you have multiple layers of pleated wool stitched down (ideally cut out to reduce bulk), as well as the stabilizer, lining, etc. But I still think the difference in the weight of the cloth is negligible here. It's more about the construction. A traditionally-made kilt is still going to be warm in this area.

As for pleating styles, some have made the argument that a box pleat has more of a bellows effect whilst walking, and tends to produce better air circulation. I'm not convinced. I've hiked many hundreds of miles wearing kilts in the Texas heat and humidity, and couldn't definitively say that one pleating style moves air better than another. Not that I'm the final authority on this, of course, but that's just my experience. All this business about summer-weight kilts or summer-appropriate pleating styles is largely rubbish in my mind. I've tried everything from modern utility kilts to lightweight box-pleats to traditional kilts to military kilts, and don't really notice any appreciable difference when it's hot.

So with that said, this 4th-generation Texan who is no stranger to heat will wear a well-made traditional/heavy kilt in any season.

**OC Richard** · 23rd May 23, 05:07 AM

I don't have any 4-yard boxpleated kilts but I really like the look.

About the arguments for or against different fabrics, yardage, and pleating style vis-a-vis hot weather I don't know.

My kilts are around 6 yards of heavyweight wool which to me is ideal. They have the look of traditional kilts but feel better balanced on my body than 8 yard heavyweight kilts.

I just prefer the feel and look of 16 ounce wool over lighter-weight wool or synthetics.

**ShaunMaxwell** · 23rd May 23, 05:40 AM

I have a four-yard box pleat from Matt Newsome in Maxwell hunting that I got several years ago. It’s a custom weave from DC Dalgliesh (16 oz. or thereabouts), and is by far the lightest and most comfortable of my kilts. It’s hot in my part of the world more often than not, and this one has served me well.

Cheers,

SM

**Jock Scot** · 24th May 23, 01:27 AM

I have to say Shaun, that the Gurkha Brigade tie does go rather well with that tartan.

**Silmakhor** · 24th May 23, 03:29 AM

At the moment I wear a 4 yard box (16 oz) in rotation with two USA Kilts PV casuals. The PV definitely feel cooler around the midriff than the box, subjectively anyway. But I would not rule out a placebo effect.

The last time I wore a "tank" 16 oz/8 yarder was some time in 1990, so my recollections there may be a bit fuzzy. But the box definitely feels more comfortable.