How can I tell if my new kilt is wool or acrylic?

[Jay]

Wear it and see how itchy it is...

My first thought.


Wrap it around your upper torso, under the armpits. The skin under the arms and the sides is a little more sensitive and you will fell the itchiness of wool right away.

The face is also sensitive to wool fibers. Caveat: wash your face first to keep those dirt and oils off the kilt.


Another obvious test is the eBay price point. $50 for something brand new is going to be synthetic... And most likely Pakistani in origin.

[Jay]

Yet another test is wrinkle resistance. Take and small part of the kilt and scrunch or pinch with some finger strength. Then hang it back up. If the wrinkle falls out on its' own, it's wool. If it doesn't, it's synthetic.

[RockyR]

Another thought... take a few pictures of it and load them up here. Many times, based on the tartan, color of dye, construction of the kilt, etc, we can determine if it's an 'import' kilt or a wool one.

[chrisupyonder]

I have heard from a friend that bleach will dissolve wool if left soaking in a strong solution overnight but will not effect synthetic. I have not tried this myself but is a good test if it is a wool/synthetic mixture. My cheap Lidl kilt is 20% wool, 80% polyester so may give a mixed result with the burn test.

Chris.

[CopperNGold]

Warning: Please do not put your kilt in a bleach solution!