Under the kilt in freezing weather

[Jimmy]

With temperatures in Scotland reaching - 15 to -20 in recent weeks, it has been cold, very cold. I know that in other countries, the temperature plummets even lower but in Scotland we are not used to extremes in temperature just miserable wet weather all year round with the occassional day when the sun shines,

I was wearing my kilt at the weekend and boy was it cold, shivering from head to toe, I think the pleats in the kilt straightened themselves out it was so cold.

So a male friend suggested that during the cold weather on building sites, he would wear tights under his trousers (pants), why not wear them under the kilt?

So any suggestions from anyone who has done this or would a discreet skin coloured pair of tights be acceptable?

[Redshank]

Why perpetuate the myth, wear underwear and stay warm.

[auld argonian]

I hear that pro golfers wear pantyhose (tights) underneath on those truly nasty days when they need the freedom of motion but want a little insulation so the cold isn't cutting into their game...but they're wearing their (usually funny colored) trousers.

It gets bad hereabouts but I'll just wear some warm underwear and maybe double up the socks...my knees may be exposed but they're usually not a big problem and I'm warmer in the kilt than I am in jeans...but I could always wear my thermals under the jeans. I'd not do the tights...it'd still look like I was wearing tights/pantyhose unless they found a way to make them with a leg hair pattern on them...and I'd need the red hair pattern which, I'm sure, they wouldn't bother to make what with us being a genetic minority.

One thought that has come up here in the past is to get the really long socks that they make for ladies but which still look like kilt socks:

http://www.sockdreams.com/products/s...ed-m-stockings

http://www.sockdreams.com/products/s...highs/super-ms

...and pull 'em up all the way while out and about and roll the tops down when you get there and want to be presentable.

Obviously, the guys who take a size thirteen and have monster calves will be chiming in and saying that they wouldn't fit...but that's life...plus I don't think that you'll find these in wool so you loose the insulatin' power of the sheepy stuff.

Best

AA

ps: I kinda hate goin' to that online merchant's site because I see so many truly hot things that I offer to buy for Mrs. Argon and I just get the age old answer, "...maybe after I've lost some weight."

[artificer]

I wore mine last week, and it was about 4*f, dropping to right below 0*f in the evening.

I DID wear a heavy cotton sweater with a t-shirt under it (have to wear a shirt under sweaters, otherwise too itchy, even cotton ones), but that was pretty much my only concession to the cold. I didn't even wear my heavy jacket, as I wasn't going to be outside for more than an hour at a time.

This winter HAS been colder than average, but not as extreme in variation as we've had lately- with some days at -20*f and some at +30*f. So far it's just been unrelenting cold.

[Detroitpete]

By alll means--stay warm. I go about kilted during Michigan winters--I've learned that sometimes I need to wear something a bit warmer--just like one might if they wore 'long johns' under their trousers. We discussed this last year--I'm sure: Try searching on "Kilt Johns" or something similar here.

When it's VERY cold here, I'll wear thermals that I have cut off above the knee--or 'under armour' that I've cut in a similar fashion. No matter how cold it gets, my hose seem to always keep my lower legs warm enough, so I don't need the extra layers there.

Good luck and don't let the cold be a reason to NOT wear the kilt.

[NewGuise]

I walk everywhere, even in prairie winter weather, and the only part of me that gets at all cold are my knees. If the wind comes up at or around -20C, and I have a long walk ahead, I simply roll my hose up over my knees and roll them back down at my destination. But I honestly find a wool kilt to be warmer than cotton trousers.

[denmcdough]

When it's cold out, which it is right now, then I wear Lycra bicycle shorts under my kilt...they even have a nice warm chamois. Try it, it does work!

[Nighthawk]

This is interesting! I've gone through several Colorado winters kilted, and have never had any problems. I wear my wool kilts military cut, which means a higher rise, so I can snug my kilt down to cover my knees when it gets really cold. Otherwise, I just layer my hose. I'll wear Lewis Rich hose with a pair of say WB wool blend hose under them, and then I sometimes get almost too warm!! The other suggestions given here do sound like good ones, though- the long undies being cut off sounds like a nice, toasty idea!

[Jay]

When it's cold out, which it is right now, then I wear Lycra bicycle shorts under my kilt...they even have a nice warm chamois. Try it, it does work!

This works.


You could also buy a synthetic fabric thermal underwear and cut them off just above the knee with a hem. My reco is to buy them in black. This matches any tartan you would wear and does not look out of place. Thermal underwear in -20? Seems pretty obvious to do it.

[caig]

I was in Edinburgh last week when it was about -17c. I wore a Geoffrey (Tailor) tweed kilt and was fine.