Weathering

[Galant]

I'm still contemplating my first kilt, and one option is 16oz wool, traditional. How does wool fair in wet weather? Avoid it like the plague?

Not that we see too much rain in Tucson, but we do get heavy rain seasons. Then of course there's that blazing sun....?

And cleaning? I've heard spot cleaning for outside soiling or dry cleaning. Some by hand in their own bath....? How do kilts hold up with these? Frequency? Alternate methods?

Thanks.

[Riverkilt]

Don't know if this helps, I'm up at the north end of the state and its still hot up here.

I wear my traditional for special occasions, like I'd wear a suit in the old days.

For day to day knocking around hot dusty/muddy Arizona nothing beats wash and wear.

If its your first kilt you'd hardly get a chance to wear it if it was a formal job. Why not try a less expensive contemporary kilt first.

I'd suggest the camos from Freedom Kilt or Pittsburgh Kilts. Or the UK original which is their lightest. You might luck out and get a UK original off the rack at HQ, or at the Highland Games in a few days.

Amerikilts tiger stripe camo is very light too.

If you're gonna be making the scene on 4th Avenue then you NEED a black workman's - no question about it. Those are usually instock since UK sells they through Amazon.com too.

But basically, with it starting to heat up soon, and get dusty and wet both I'd recommend starting with a wash and wear.

When you do get to the traditional, be sure and check out Kathy's Kilts over and Albuquerque...our closest Traditional kiltmaker.

Think Buzz Kidder's place is right down the road from you in Sierra Vista too, have yet to buy from him...they looked kinda basic, but maybe a good place to start.

Ron

[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

[Graham]

I agree, if versatility is what you want then a good tartan kilt will serve you well whether you want to wear it hiking in the mountains or at a formal dinner.

[Galant]

So I wont have to worry about shrinking or anything like that?

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Since wool it what it is, there's not gong to be any problem with the shrinkage. That being said... don't toss it in a hot dryer.

Don't forget to check with the FormalWear stores to see if they sell their kilts. You can get an AUTHENTIC traditional kilt for way less then a new one, and the cost is comparable to many others that are not near as nice.

Highland Heritage carries a load of kilts that they will sell directly. It may take a phone call, but you'll save a LOAD of money on a superior kilt.

[Mr. Kilt]

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!

[Doc Hudson]

Since not one else mentioned it, I guess I'll have to do it.

Wool is a natural insulator and it is warmer in the cold and cooler in the heat than most any other fabric. This is especially true when the fabric is wet.

In heat, the wet wool will dry by evaporation and act as a cooling agent.

In cold weather, when wet, the fibers swell and do an even better job of locking out the cold wind. I've heard, second or third hand mind you, of Highland troops actually wetting their great kilts before bivouacing for the night. They said their kilts were warmer wet than dry.

[Rob Wright]

Galant, if your going for a traditional in wool, I would downgrade to 13 oz wool instead of 16oz. Not quite as hot, I've worn my 16oz trad. when it has been 100-105 (the kilt hose is actually hotter than the kilt and the only place I get really warm is weree the belt is or so but Tuscon gets a lot hotter than that. I wouldn't worry about the monsoons to much, unless you are unlucky and get caought without an umbrella or somekind of shelter the kilt will be fine.


Rob Wright

[Barb T]

Hi guys

Just like to second what Matt said about cleaning a wool kilt. If you take good care of a kilt, you don't need to run off to the dry cleaners to have it cleaned. And a dry cleaner can easily ruin a kilt by fanning the pleats when pressing them.

Here's what we do to keep our kilts in good shape and out of the dry cleaners.

-Be sure a kilt is dry before you put it into a garment bag or hang it in a closet. If your kilt is sweaty from wearing it, lay it out lining side up to dry and air, and it won't get smelly.

-If your kilt gets a spot on it, put a dish towel under the spot, wet the spot, and blot it with a Q-tip (small spot) or cloth (large spot) soaked in Era or some other enzyme detergent. Just don't rub the spot, or the spot will get fuzzy. Rinse the spot, and you're done. I suppose magic marker won't come out, but I've had no trouble removing blood, HP sauce, red clown make-up (yes....), ice cream, catchup, coffee, beer, you name it.

-Water won't hurt wool at all. _Unless_ it's hot water coupled with agitation followed by a dose of cold water. That's what causes felting, when all the little plates in the wool open up in the heat, lock together with the agitation, and slam closed again in the cold water. That's why you don't want to put a kilt into the washer and why the bathtub method (although a bit extreme) should be OK unless you use hot water and a lot of agitation.

-I've heard of some people who clean their wool kilts by hanging them on the line, hosing them down, and pressing them. I don't know how clean this gets the kilt, but it won't hurt the wool.

Cheers,

Barb