Those loops of ribbon on the sides.....

[longhuntr74]

I've noticed this too! All of our old kilts have white linings. The three kilts I have had made in the last 15 years all have black. If I had thought about it, I would have told them to use white.

I wonder why this is?

I think it's pretty simple. White shows dirt and sweat and gets yellowed over time. Since laundering of the kilt is something that is not typically done on a regular basis, makers have migrated to dark linings to hide visible signs of dirtiness.

As I have a love of history and vintage, I will be tempted to use white when I make a kilt I think.

[slohairt]

I think it's pretty simple. White shows dirt and sweat and gets yellowed over time. Since laundering of the kilt is something that is not typically done on a regular basis, makers have migrated to dark linings to hide visible signs of dirtiness.

As I have a love of history and vintage, I will be tempted to use white when I make a kilt I think.

Oh, undoubtedly. For the modern kiltie who habitually wears his kilt with his shirt untucked, this is especially noticeable. However, if the lining is off-white to begin with (and it usually is) than it isn't too much of a problem with your shirt tucked in. I use an off-white lining in my personal kilts just because I like the way it looks, but as I previously wrote, all of my (non-dancing) customers request black.