Cotton Kilts

[davedove]

Has anyone here ever had a cotton kilt. A few vendors offer this option and I was wondering how they hold up. How do the pleats hold? Is is comfortable for summer wear? Things like that.

[cavscout]

Are you refering to cotton flannel or cotton twill?

If flannel it will wrinkle very easily, like flannel bed sheets I imagine.

Cotton twill is what many of the contemporary kilts are made of.

If you want something for just lounging the flannel may be fine. But not for wearing out and about.

I wear my UK like a pair of rugged pants. Very durable and comfy and takes a beating when I wearr it to do yard work or construction.

[Canuck]

Has anyone here ever had a cotton kilt. A few vendors offer this option and I was wondering how they hold up. How do the pleats hold? Is is comfortable for summer wear? Things like that.

They hold up very well. I have much success with the brushed cotton. looks like wool. They come in various weights. I'm working with 10oz. Denim is cotton as well. The lightest I use is 8oz super light for summer. If the kilt is constructed properly it works rather well. I believe Steve at Freedom kilts has also experienced success with his kilts and Jeff as well at Pittsburg kilts. The great thing is they are washable and breath well.
Cheers
Robert

[davedove]

Are you refering to cotton flannel or cotton twill?

I suppose I'm asking about the twill. I can't imagine the flannel being able to hold any kind of shape. Does anyone know if the twill holds its pleats well?

[Canuck]

I suppose I'm asking about the twill. I can't imagine the flannel being able to hold any kind of shape. Does anyone know if the twill holds its pleats well?

No I work with cotton twill brushed cotton. Not flannel. The twill works very well.

[The Wizard of BC]

I work almost exclusively with 100% Cotton and Polyester/Cotton Twills.

Both fabrics hold up very well to use.

I caution my customers that with the 100% Cotton, they will need to pay a little attention to the edges of the pleats. As with all Cotton, some small amount of curling WILL happen at each stitch line. A quick steaming or ironing will take this back out. You can also minimize this curl by snapping each pleat as you take it from the dryer and then running your fingernail along each stitch line.

With a small percentage of Polyester added to the fabric you have a trully wash and wear garment. My Poly/Cotton is 65% Poly and 35% Cotton. By washing in cold water, drying on a medium heat, and removing the kilt from the dryer just before the cycle is complete, the kilt comes out with almost NO wrinkling. A quick shake and hanging up with a couple of pants hangers and your kilt is ready to wear. Poly/Cotton is what I use in my Casual Kilts. It moves nicely, the pleats stay straight and true, and I can sit for long periods and any wrinkles fall out fairly soon from their own weight.

A Caution... I find denim to be a terrible kilt fabric. The weave consists of two different yarns. One dyed and one white. The two do not act the same and cause severe puckering at the stitch lines.(Look at the seams on your jeans. every one is puckered. Now imagine that on a pleat where you don't have a leg inside to stretch it out.) Every denim kilt I have seen soon looks like a mini-skirt or tutu. I have had denim shrink as much as 18% after one years washings. You can't stop it.

If you want a durable and heavy work kilt I suggest Cotton duck canvas. I have been using a 10oz. for kilts for about a year now. As long as you understand that this fabric starts out stiff as a board, and will fade and soften after about a year, it is a good choice as it is almost indestructable.

[Rob Wright]

The brushed cotton twill Jeff of Pittsburgh kilts use is really nice. I have ! in a 10 oz weight and one in 12oz weight. The 12 oz material is comparable t oa pair of jeans. There is a liitle bit of curling but the iron takes care of that. i reccomend Jeff highly, the 12 oz is one of my two kilts I wear t owork as a cook.

Rob

[Riverkilt]

I have a blue denim Utilikilt. Worn a lot, washed a lot, no puckering anywhere, even the flatfell seam on the outside of the front apron.

No problems on my other cotton kilts from FK and PK.

Don't know about the lighter stuff like SportKilts cotton..

Ron

[Jerry]

I have a cotton Sportkilt. It was one of my two original kilts (the other was a Blackwatch sportkilt). I ordered the Blackwatch and the cotton kilt was somehow shipped by mistake. I was about to call about The Blackwatch kilt when it showed up also. so I wound up with two for one. Anyhow, for knocking around the house, and as a wrap when I get out of the shower ot's a great garment. I've had it over a year now and the pleats are still just about like they werewhen I received it. I'm sure that someof the others meentioned before make a much better cotton kilt, but I have liked mine considering what I paid for it and what I use it for.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

AS with many fabrics, you have to take the weight and weave into consideration just as much as the fibre. An 8 ounce wool won't necessarily hold-up as well as a 13 ounce cotton twill... and I've owned both.

Any heavy material with a TIGHT weave will hold well. Any heavy material with a loose weave won't.

Any light material with a TIGHT weave will hold okay. A light material with a loose weave will disintegrate. Don't sneeze on it!

When you can get a heavy fabric, tight weave and find it in a "maintenance-friendly" fibre... go for it! Wait until you find a 13 ounce brushed cotton and feel the stuff. Then, imagine it pleated!