Getting into a car with a kilt, and maintaining your pleats.

[KiltedBishop]

I am surprised I haven't seen more of this, or maybe I am just the last to figure it out. But I have wondered how does one get into a car and have their pleats in a fairly odered folds under them. obviously you could lean forward and reach under you and flatten them but some of us are too tall for that. so I have started carrying an old drawstring in my pocket. when I am ready to get into my car I wrap it behind me about 3-4 inches about the bottom of the kilt, pull it around and keeping the pleats against the back of my legs I step into my truck and sit. of course it isn't perfect but just wondering if anyone else has any ideas.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

As I sit, I put both my hand behind me and smooth the pleats down, so when my bum hits the seat, everything is in good order. Same thing I do when I sit in any chair.

In fact, I do it so often, I sometimes even find myself performing this manouver in pants without thinking!
Aye,
Matt

[Kilted_John]

Matt, me too. It has become such a habit, that even when I'm in jeans, I'll do it, then think to myself, "why the h%ll did I just do that???" I wear kilts so often that it's something I do w/o thinking. I just do it.
-J

[Nick]

My biggest concern when getting in and out of a car is making sure no one gets a cheap thrill. After I'm in I'll do my best to straighten. I can usually smooth things out pretty well while sitting in the car.

[GMan]

My only advice other than what the others have said about the pleat smoothing, and Nick has said about the "thrill" shot is to watch where and how you place your leg that is outside the car.

[Pittsburgh Kilts]

A friend of mine had a late-70's Cutlass Supreme. The car had a beautiful white interior, and bucket sets that actually spun outwards, so you could sit down and then rotate back under the steering wheel. Anyone remember this? I always wondered what the point of it was. NOW I know! Wish I could get a set of those for my car!

[bubba]

Jeff, you can get em as aftermarket custom, but it ain't cheap.

[The Wizard of BC]

We've actually covered this topic in at least two other threads, but here goes again.

I teach this to my new kilt wearers. Girls used to learn it very young, and women have used the "sweep the pleats or scoot the 'boot" drill for many years.
Watch old movies and pay attention to how women used to sit down

"Sweep the pleats" - when sitting, reach one hand under your butt and sweep the pleats down in a smooth motion towards your knees as you sit. In a car without Jeff's pivoting seats,turn sideways, keep the knees together, and sweep, sit, then pull your legs in.

"Scoot the 'boot" - Back-up to a chair till about a foot away. Squat down keeping yur back upright and sit on just the edge of the chair, knees toghter. Then slide your butt back into the seat of the chair.

Both methods work fine to keep your pleats smooth. Both methods maintain modesty.

Pratice until they become so natural that you don't even think about it any more.

[Hamish]

I bought a small turntable cushion from a mail-order catalogue. It's actually intended for the elderly (me?) and the infirmed. I simply sit on it with both legs outside the car, then swing round bringing both legs inside the car. There is no disturbance of the pleats in this manoeuver.

When entering anyone else's car, it is not quite so easy because I am quite tall and there is usually little room for fiddling about. However, I try to press down on my feet and, whilst arching my back and lifting my bum off the seat, perform the usual sweep of the pleats beneath me with both hands.

I find getting into an aircraft seat MUCH more difficult, because there is absolutely no room at all - neither in the seat nor where headroom is concerned. That's why I tend to fly long-haul in non-pleated garments or an 'alternative' kilt such as a Utilikilt!

[beverlonian]

I find getting into an aircraft seat MUCH more difficult, because there is absolutely no room at all - neither in the seat nor where headroom is concerned. That's why I tend to fly long-haul in non-pleated garments or an 'alternative' kilt such as a Utilikilt!

Hamish, having just returned from a long-haul flight visiting family, this was something I was wondering about. As you may gather from other posts, my wife is anti my kilt wearing, so flying kilted with her is a no-no. As you say, the seating for folks such as me who have to sit in the back of the aircraft is so tight, I would imagine keeping the pleats in order would be a big problem. Also, I imagine Utilikilts would be worse since mine creases after a short period of normal wearing. Oh dear, if only my wife would accept kilts - I would have loved to have flown kilted regardless.