Getting Into a Car

[Lazarus Corrino]

Yeah.

What's your strategy on trying to not mess your pleats up?

Thanks.

L

[Bugbear]

** Oops! Reading the other posts, I see that this is about getting in the driver's seat while wearing a kilt. I don't drive; I'm sorry.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I put the seat all the way back and all the way down before getting in. Then I smooth out the pleats before settling into the seat. Main thing is, I take my time getting in so I'm not sitting on folded or scrunched pleats.

[Chef]

Buy a right-hand drive car. This way your pleats will be facing towards the door and will be more likely to stay neat as you slide in.

Or you can just do what MacMillan does. it works for me as well.

[Andrew Breecher]

I sit down sideways in the seat, both legs out of the car, doing a pleat sweep as I do so. Then, still holding on to the pleats, I swing my legs around into the car. This pretty much keeps things in place. I think Hamish found a turntable device for his car.

Andrew.

[James MacMillan]

OK – We here on the wrong side of the Atlantic have a problem. The pleats are facing the wrong way. This also holds true if you are getting into the passenger side – then the pleats are going the right way, and it is much less of a problem. -Basically there are two different ways to get into any wheeled vehicle. Toweled and not.

Wrapping a towel around the rear end, and keeping it there as you slide in behind the wheel works. But it isn't really functional for running errands and getting into and out of the car or truck repeatedly. But -It works! If you are going for a long ride in a fancy kilt it is worth the time spent. Done correctly, the towel method will get you to the end of your journey un-rumpled.

For running a lot of errands, or if you just don't want to be bothered with the towel you must learn something else. If you are wearing a durable kilt and it is also well-made, you need to develop a method that will get you settled into position where the pleats are not crumpled under you.

When you exit, push the seat back, raise the steering wheel; this will give you more room to settle in the next time. Now - Sweep the pleats as if you are sitting down in a regular chair. Back into the door. Plant you rear at the front of the seat and back into the vehicle. Make your rear end draw a sort of J as you slide into the rear of the seat. Maintain rear end contact as you slide into the seat. Feel with your hind end for any wrinkles, if there are any, raise up slightly and sweep the pleats again. After you are settled, move the seat forward and lower the wheel. With practice this can be done very quickly. The more you do it the better you get.

Back in, Sweep, Slide and Swivel back into the seat.

The other option that you could have is to have your kilt maker reverse the pleats. It really makes no real difference which way the pleats fold.

I hope this helps.

[Robert Lamb]

Also make sure the hem of your kilt is not hanging down and gets closed in the door and hange out like your seat belt.
Robert "the kilted" Lamb

[Nighthawk]

Personally, I just sweep the pleats as usual. Truth is, I have more problems in the rare occasions when I wear pants. I try to sweep the pleats when I have none and end up sitting on my fingers!

[McClef]

I lower myself in sideways whilst sweeping the pleats,

I then turn forwards, lift myself up enough to sweep the pleats again then sit down.

Never fails to keep the pleats well, even on long distance drives.

I am pleased to see the argument regarding right hand drive cars - another good argument for changing over to the correct and civilised side of the road!

[emolas]

I've tried the towel method and it works well but as James said, it's a bit of a pain if you plan on getting in and out repeatedly. Most of the time I just sweep the pleats like normal as I get in. Only occasionally do I have to get out and do it again because I missed a spot. For the REALLLLLLLLY long trips (>4 hours) I flip the back of the kilt up so it is sitting in the small of my back and sit on a towel. I make 16 hour drives fairly regularly so my girls can see their mother and I have yet to find a comfortable way to sit on pleats for the duration.