Kilts and Humidity / Heat

[GreenDragon]

Any tips for dealing with the heat / humidity while kilted? (Besides AC vents on the floor. )

[Swampthing]

Wearing less wool helps, though I've noticed that a wool kilt compared to a non-wool kilt isn't a bad as a wool pair of trousers compared to a non-wool pair of trousers.

It's also important to wear less upper dress, i.e. cut the argyll and just go with shirt and vest. And don't forget short sleeves, or simply rolling your sleeves up!

Going regimental could help but, what do I know?

[Galician]

In that kind of weather (kind of like we're having now! ), I wear a polo and no hose.

[The Guy in the Kilt at UC]

In that kind of weather (kind of like we're having now! ), I wear a polo and no hose.

I agree a polo helps a lot. I'll roll down my hose like I did today. I work in AC, but I walk to work in the sun. I wear a wide brim straw hat on days like today.

Places to visit that have air conditioning:
Library
Walmart
Alaska

[GreenDragon]

I agree a polo helps a lot. I'll roll down my hose like I did today. I work in AC, but I walk to work in the sun. I wear a wide brim straw hat on days like today.

Places to visit that have air conditioning:
Library
Walmart
Alaska

But Alaska has Bears!

[NewPiperinNY]

But Alaska has Bears!

.. and we have all heard the story about a boy with a bear behind...

[Nighthawk]

This whole bear thing is cracking me up. Just to chime in here- I fully support our right to arm bears, as well.


So-

I find a nice lightweight wool kilt- 13 or 11 oz- is very comfortable in the heat. Humidity, I can't say- I live in Colorado and anything about 20% makes me miserable. So on the topic of heat, I wear nothing long sleeved or heavier than a polo shirt. I actually really Van Heusen shirts they're light and they look great. Also I avoid kilt hose. Wool socks are not great in heat, especially my 2 pair of Lewis Rich hose- those suckers are thick! For the occasions when proper kilt hose are required, I like the hose from WB Socks. They look nice and they're not at all heavy (and they stretch over my massive calves! Always a problem...) So right now, I am wearing a nice pair of work shoes, black Starter socks, black Amerikilt, and a light grey short sleeve button down shirt that I got at JC Penny yesterday (i don't remember the brand). This is how I normally dress all summer, and it's very comfortable.

[KFCarter]

Well, my home, Savannah, is right up there on the list of the horribly humid.

The real key for me is not the kilt... I wear either of my 16 oz wool 8-yarders without too much discomfort... maybe gets a little warm around my middle by the end of the day, but really not too bad. The trick for me has been hose and what's up top. Casual wear isn't too hard to deal with; I wear polos, or either of a couple of very lightweight, short-sleeved "fishing shirts" I purchased at Bass Pro Shops.

Don't know if business dress is a concern for you, but it is for me and wearing my tweeds is out of the question during the summer. I'm currently working with my local men's clothiers to create a kilt-cut jacket in tropical weight. The prototype will be in a light cotton poplin, which is a common material for summer business wear in Savannah. We're going to eventually do one in linen, another popular choice. Not so sure about the other common summer fabric for Savannah, seersucker.

For hose, you can always do the "pushed down" look, etc., but if you're not a fan of that (and I'm not) you can look for cotton "over the calf" length socks. I'm currently wearing these: http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=238
and find them to be light enough to do the trick and come in enough colors to provide some flexibility.

[JolyStNicholas]

It's hard to imagine hotter weather or more humidity than what we have been having here in Florida so far this year! My lighter weights w/ short sleeve shirts and regimental others do help a lot. Sandels w/o hose, too! I try to stay out of the heat as much as possible. The mall, book stores, coffee shops etc. Being retired really does help
and my heart does go out to those who still have to get out in this heat to earn a living!

[2176agp]

All I can say about it this is --- in heat and humidity thank God for Kilts!

Saturday was my first full day out kilted, and it was a hot one -- 32 c / 90 f and humidity up at the high end. I made a 360 mile round trip drive that day, and even without a/c in the car, I was comfy.

It was with sad reluctance then, I put on my trousers to my duty as cantor in church that night (I'm not sure if Croatian Catholics are ready to be lead in song by a kilted Slovak!). The church seemed even hotter, and I can tell you, after being in my kilt all day, I could tell the difference.

I told my wife that next time we go away, as we are planning a run-away weekend to southern Ontario, I know that it won't be trousers I'm wearing!

Tony