Weathering

**Hamish** · 15th February 05, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

I have to disagree with Ron's advice, somewhat, regarding a choice for your first kilt.

In my opinion, unless you know right off that you are going to own more than one kilt, your first kilt should be very versitile. That means something you can wear with a t-shirt at the highland games, and something you can dress up with a bow tie and formal jacket to attend the tartan ball.

A camo kilt, or other non-traditional style, usually just isn't going to cut it across the spectrum for versitility.

So if, for the time being, this kilt is going to be your one and only, I'd reccomend a traditional tartan kilt, as suitable for all occasions.

As far as the wool getting wet, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. It's not going to damage the wool one bit. If you get caught in a real downpour and the kilt gets absolutely saoked through, you will notice it is a lot heavier! But then again, if you are in that kind of a downpour, all your clothes are going to be soaked regardless.

The one thing to remember when your kilt is wet is not to sit down in it for any length of time, as the moisture combined with your body weight will "press" the wrinkles into your kilt as you sit.

I have never had to "re-press" the pleats into any of my kilts except for once, and that was because, as I was packing up to go home from the Games, it began to rain. My kilt got pretty soaked, and then I sat in it in the car for an hour and a half driving home. By the time I got there the kilt was a mess! But a few minutes with the iron and all was well.

As for cleaning it, yes dry clean or spot clean works fine. I haven't tried the bath tub method myself, but I've been told it works just great. You won't need to clean it that often. Personally, I hardly ever clean mine.

Why not? Well, think about it. The kilt doesn't really come into that much contact with your skin. The pleats just hang losely about your legs, and at the waist, where it fits snug, you will have a shirt of some sort between your skin and the kilt. So the oils from your skin, and persperation, don't really come into contact with your kilt at all. Unless I spill something on the outside of my kilt, I don't feel the need to clean them -- and then, a little spot cleaning is usually enough to get the job done.

The less you take your kilt to the cleaners, the less wear you put on your kilt, and that's a good thing.

Aye,
Matt

Every word is spot on, Matt, as always.

Too many guys, mainly those new to kilt wearing, seem to be paranoid about cleaning their kilts. Some of my woollen traditional kilts have never been cleaned - even my oldest kilt, which was tailored for me over 30 years ago and which I wore incessantly through the '70s, '80s and '90s for my Highland Dancing and Scottish Country Dancing displays and demonstrations, has probably been dry cleaned no more than 5 or 6 times ....... and it still looks like a new kilt!

As for washing a wool kilt: there is no way at all that I would ever attempt such a thing.

**Hamish** · 15th February 05, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by Al G. Sporrano

I don't mean to hi-jack this thread, but what are the cleaning instuctions for a canvas kilt? I have a Buzz Kidder that I want to wash a couple of times to see if it "softens" the canvas a bit, but I don't know what the procedure is. Anyone know?
TIA!

Al,

I don't know about Buzz Kidder canvas kilts, but I have tried softening several of my Workman's Utilikilts (which are close to canvas, I imagine) by adding fabric softener like crazy when washing them. We have 'Lenore' and 'Comfort' proprietory brands of softener here (I know of no others), but neither seems to have any effect.

The best way to soften these kilts seems to be to wear them - rather like denim, I suppose!!!!

**bubba** · 15th February 05, 05:11 PM

Maybe throw em in a portable cement mixer with some gravel and let the stones beat em into submission.

**Mr. Kilt** · 15th February 05, 06:57 PM

Thanks Ham! I'll give that a try.

**James** · 15th February 05, 07:23 PM

A proper kilt will not come to any harm from the rain-even when worn all day out in continuous heavy rain and for that matter the next and the next.

Certainly it is kinder to the wearer than trousers-or for that matter waterproof trousers for the rain.

In my younger days-I did a lot of backpacking in both the UK and Scandinavia--lands where it can rain and rain and rain-so I can speak with some little experience. This includes river crossings where I and the kilt were in waist deep water.

So you'll be a lot better off than any trousered companion.

James

**Galant** · 16th February 05, 06:56 AM

How about heat? I know a few people have mentioned that with living in Tucson - things could get a little hot in a 16oz. Of course we don't have the humidity here.

Some however has disagreed.

??

**GMan** · 16th February 05, 07:24 AM

Galant,

I find that regardless of the weight of the kilt, it is definetly cooler than wearing shorts.

The kilt is the most universal garment in any type of weather. I am comfortable in it year round, either hot or cold, humid or dry.

**Riverkilt** · 16th February 05, 08:36 AM

Galant,

I respect what our kilted kin from the North have to say about wool kilts, yet I still contend that Tucson is Tucson is Sonoran DESERT (blowing fine dust as well as sand, the kind that blows through window cracks and under doors and gets everywhere).

As a fellow kilted guy in the desert just think the wise way to start is with something washable...tartan if you choose...but your call.

Remember, janitors and house wives treasure wool for dusting, because it attracts and holds dust so well.

I'm out in the dust and dirt of the canyonlands a lot. Maybe I'm just some sort of pig, but I find that I need to wash my contemporary kilts after about three hikes. My tartan tank is kept well protected from the dust in a garment bag.

Al,
I've followed the advice on the board and cold water washed my contemporary kilts five or six times in unscented Downy after I get them. Works great.

Ron

**Andrew Breecher** · 16th February 05, 02:05 PM

This raises a question I've been considering. As many of you know, I plan on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail next summer (2006), which begins at the Mexican border in California. It traverses the desert in southern CA, then the Mojave Desert, before it gets to the high Sierra. Having never worn a kilt in the desert before, what's the "grit factor" on kicked-up dust getting under the kilt? I'll certainly be sweating, and wearing Body Glide, and I'd hate for the dust to get caked onto sensitive bits.

Andrew.