Lewis Hose and Traditional Garter Ties Review

[Fearnest]

Just my thoughts (and some piccies) on the Lewis hose and traditional garter ties available through the Scottish Tartan Museum's gift shop.

And since I survived CAS3 (if you've been there, you'll know), I'll put the bottom line up front - absolutely wonderful!!! Both the hose and the garter ties are very comfortable for a full day's wear - indoors, outdoors, rain, mud, it doesn't seem to matter much. I found the traditional ties to be more comfortable than the elastic hose garters I've used in the past - losing the chance to have a tartan flash is a small price to pay IMHO.


Now for the details.

A composite of the label/wrapper:



And the hose:


In this picture you can see the "pre-wash" and "post-wash" condition/size of the hose. The lovat (top) had been washed (cold water, air dried) and the loden (below) were fresh out of the wrapper. Not a LOT of difference, but after washing the hose were a wee bit smaller in diameter and longer in length through the leg. The foot portion was essentially unchanged in size.


And the garter ties:


In this picture you can see the "worn" and "unworn" condition/size of the garter ties. Both colors had started out the same length, but the ancient red stretched while I was wearing them (for reasons you'll see in the next picture). The original size is about 36" in length.


"Installing" the garter ties:


I don't have huge calves, but they're not exactly pegs either. You can see the ties just make it around the leg twice (and they're snug enough to hold the hose up, although I think the hose would have held themselves up all day anyway). In order to get any kind of useable display of tie ends once I folded the hose top over, I had to stretch the garter ties a bit.

Before you order the garter ties, you might want to take a tape measure around your leg a couple of times and see how close you're going to come to 36". If you have really large legs, these traditional ties might not be an option for you!

Three words for the Lewis hose and traditional garter ties: "I love them!" (Now I just have to save up for more and more colors!)

[brandycr]

wheres the rest of you ?have to see whole picture to get whole effect lol

[Panache]

Fearnest,

Thanks for the excellent review. You are making it harder to resist getting a pair in red.

Cheers

Jamie

[Riverkilt]

Thanks for the pics of the greens.

I already have two pair each of blue, navy, red, purple, and brown Lewis kilt hose...

That's a LOT of money for kilt hose...but dang it folks...these things are so much easier to wear and wash. I love the thicker top.

Have a mix of other colors of regular kilt hose from a variety of knitters...the "standard" kilt hose just don't have as fine a look at the top fold as the Lewis do on my legs, and they don't have the shaped heel that the Lewis do...the wear is starting to show on the heels of my standard hose.

So, satisfied customer that I am I'm saving up for more Lewis hose in other colors.

I still use the elastic flashes though...I love tartan flashes.

Here's a full pic with the red Lewis kilt hose.



Ron

[McMurdo]

Thanks for the great review, I must look into those when money allows.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I'm glad you are enjoying them! That Loden color looks great with the Army tartan. That, to me, is one of the big advantages to the Lewis hose. So many colors to choose from!

About the garters, I don't think I've worn a pair of elastic garters once since getting mine last October. Don't be afraid to stretch them tight. They are meant to be stretched, and as you have no doubt discovered, they have some elasticiity to them. In fact, getting a real nice tight fitting is key, I have found, to keeping them secure and in place.

I'm interested in knowing the circumference of your calf, just so I know to advise my customers. My calves are about 19" and I have no problem whatever with these. So far, the only people I've come across with calves too large to use the traditional garters also couldn't fit into standard size kilt hose, either.

If in doubt, give it a try before you buy! That's an excellent suggestion to take a tape measure and see how well you can wrap a 36" length around your calf.

Aye,
Matt

[Fearnest]

Matt -

Well, "yours are bigger than mine."

I don't have any complaints about either product - just hoping to let folks see they're going to have to do as you mentioned and stretch the garters just a bit (or a lot), as you still need a bit of "free" tie to get the ends past those nice thick hose tops Ron and I both like so much!

The Lewis hose did add about 1/2" to the calf measure, but that's not a huge deal. I still think I really could go without the garter ties and the hose not budge all day. (Before the garter cops start responding, that's a comment on how nicely they hug the leg, at least when new, not a recommended fashion tip.)

[M. A. C. Newsome]

No, I'm just a dork. My calves are really more like 14". I typed 19" by mistake. That's what happens when you try and post before the second cup of coffee.

[Fearnest]

OK, mine are about 16 1/2" at the point where I wear the garters (so close to 17" with the hose).

(I wonder if there's a correlation between calf size and neck size...)

[beowulf67]

OK, mine are about 16 1/2" at the point where I wear the garters (so close to 17" with the hose).

(I wonder if there's a correlation between calf size and neck size...)

Steve Reeves (old time bodybuilder, actor) said that for proper symmetry the calves, neck and biceps should be the same size.

Sorry to hijack, just thought I'd throw in a geeky trivia fact.