Shorts versus the kilt

**Jimmy** · 24th May 10, 04:52 AM

I was at the Scottish pipe band championship on Saturday in Dumbarton with temperatures in the 70's.
As usual at this event I was kilted but in reflection wearing a kilt belt and sporran and even kilt socks at the ankle was a bad decision.
I have said before on this forum I cannot understand how some of our members who stay in very warm climates can wear even a light weight kilt in preference to shorts.

Like all X-markers I thoroughly enjoy wearing the kilt and look forward to events where I can go kilted but I have to confess that on Saturday I wish I had worn shorts.

Perhaps one guy there had the answer as he wore his kilt without sporran and belt which always seems to weigh a ton on warm days, but I feel that just wearing a kilt without any accessories never looks good.

So i have to hand it to the guys in warm climes and wear the kilt even though its a light weight.

**dfmacliam** · 24th May 10, 04:59 AM

That's why I enjoy wearing my 4 yd box pleat...

**madman79764** · 24th May 10, 05:12 AM

In the area where I live in West Texas during this time of year temps in the 70's are morning lows and can climb into the upper 90's to lower 100's. In my case at least I don't really notice the heat even when I'm wearing my 16oz 8 yard denim due to the winds we get here and being in a desert area the humidity being low 8 to 12 percent. I have also been kilted full time even at work for the past 18 months so that may also be a contributing factor for me.

**OC Richard** · 24th May 10, 05:35 AM

Here in the Southwestern US I've never felt hot in the kilt itself (normal 7 to 8 yard medium to heavy weight wool traditional kilts), only hot on the lower legs due to the kilt hose.

I have some lightweight cotton "soccer socks" which solve that issue. I'm a "traditional" guy so I wear a tradtional kilt with sporran, socks, and ghillies.

Now what many others around here do is dispense with socks and shoes altogther, going with bare legs and zorries in the heat.

About a waistbelt, I never wear one unless I'm in military-style Full Dress with doublet, waistbelt and crossbelt, feather bonnet, etc.

For obvious reasons, the kilt is actually cooler than shorts in the heat, I think.

**macwilkin** · 24th May 10, 05:44 AM

I am a big aficionado of authentic Bermuda Shorts:

http://www.bermuda-online.org/shorts.htm

Note the connection to the Highland regiments stationed in the Somers Isles. I have worn my kilt hose with a pair of shorts that resemble Bermudas (not made there, unfortunately), and I have been quite comfortable in the heat & humdity of SW "Misery".

T.

**cessna152towser** · 24th May 10, 05:45 AM

I wore a 5-yard 13oz/yd wool kilt in Wilson tartan with sporran, and knee high soccer socks to the Pipe Band Championships on Saturday. A four-yard box pleat kilt would have been equally suitable. I do have lightweight denim kilts which I have been wearing around town this past few days in the warmer weather but I considered the five yard wool kilt more appropriate for a highland games or pipe band event where the kilt police are always out in force. Give me a kilt rather than shorts any day!

**Skipper1** · 24th May 10, 06:28 AM

The bigest problem I used to find with kilts in summer are the hose - usuallyu to thicki for comfort even if worn scrunched down. So I bought light weight knee high socks from Abacrombie et al that i wear during ther summer. I have a sedate black, a gray and a brown pair. When folded down over a pair of light weight black garters and worn with a light weight kilt I find I am more comfortable that in shorts. In fact, the shorts that are popular today are the same length as my casual kilts so there is very little difference. Kilts offer more freedom of movement though.

**dutchy kilted** · 24th May 10, 06:36 AM

I am sure the purists will be screaming, but I wear the kilt for comfort ...

In the Summer when I wear a UK or my denim kilt I wear a nice pair of leather sandals. All in all, much cooler than shorts.

**macwilkin** · 24th May 10, 06:43 AM

Personally, I don't think it is so much the garment we choose, but the fact that, at least in the USA anyway, we have become so used to air conditioning in the summer that our tolerance for the heat is next to nothing.

T.

**sanddog28** · 24th May 10, 07:21 AM

I think a lot has to do with the temps that you are most accustomed to. Here in FL we have pretty much 8 months of weather above 80 degrees with only about 21 days or so of cool weather scattered throughout our "winter" that being the case I can handle wearing my kilt without a problem in the mid to upper 90's with the humidity in the 70's. The other side of the coin is when I visit friends in Washington state in the fall, we will start a pub crawl with the temp in the 50's they are in kilts and t-shirts while I am wearing layers of shirts and sweaters or fleece. All just what your used to, but I will whole heartedly agree with Skipper once the temp starts to climb the first thing to go is the hose. Getting them off just and going with a light sock scrunched at the top of my boots helps immensely. But when the occasion demands hose with a more formal look I definitely notice the difference in my comfort.