Traditional 8 yard kilt or 5 yard kilt

[possingk]

Let's just say that you are going to come into enough material in US Bicentennial to make an 8 yard kilt, and a skirt for your wife. You are mostly German, Dutch, with a little Irish and Scottish, but very far down the road. You don't have a clan that you associate with, and at this point you don't wear clan kilts. Currently you own, three USA Kilt Casual's, two SWK's, with a 5 yard Xmarks kilt on the way. You live in PA where the climate is pretty warm most of the time. You also wear kilts everyday, not to work (yet), but everyday none the less. Would you have a Traditional 8 yard made, or would you go with a 5 yarder and some accessories?

Traditional 8 yard kilt Pro's
It's a Traditional 8 yard kilt
Unless we get our own tartan this will be my tartan
The formal of all formal kilts
Will be heavy for Buffalo winters (where my family is)

Traditional 8 yardCon's (these are more of questions than statements)
Going to be heavy for:
summer things
Indoor events in the winter (they crank up the heat)
Will be a Traditional 8 yard kilt so I won't snow blow or anything in it (Probably true of any wool kilt though)
I wear kilts every day, so having seven and one I think will be too heavy for summer concerns me.

So what do you all think...

[Kilted KT]

I prefer the feel, weight and sway of an 8yarder. I have both a heavy wool 8-yarder and lighter-weight 5 yarder. The five yarder has far thinner pleats, sways a lot different, and is prone to blowing up in the wind. The pleats do not stay in place very well, and it more oft than not looks like it needs a good pressing.

The wool tank, on the other hand, always looks great. The pleats are very deep and stay through almost anything. The heavier wool has a looser weave, and it breaths a lot better than you would think. I've been in 90+ degree days mowing the lawn in both a UK survival and a wool tank, and the tank was far cooler than the UK.

since I've bought the tanks, I rarely wear my 5yarder.

[Blu (Ontario)]

Answer... 8 yard kilt. You'll be glad you did.

.

[RockyR]

Since you already have a couple casuals and a 5 yarder on the way and NO other 8 yarders, I'd say go for the 8 yarder.

If you want to get very formal, you'll have an option.

What weight is the cloth? 8 yarders in a 13 oz cloth aren't THAT unbearably hot in the summer if your activities take you indoors for part of the time.

It'll help you to "round out" your collection a bit.

my $.02

[David Dalglish]

8 yarder--Theres no comparison

[Southern Breeze]

8-yards. You'll not regret it.

[Cawdorian]

8 yards - the only way to go, you'll love it.

[Ruanaidh]

Go for the whole eight yards!

[Scottish Chi]

An 8 yd to round out your selection since you don't have one. Also since you are going to have a skirt for your wife might I suggest the hostess length if there is enough material. It would then give you both a nice formal outfit to wear together.

Cheers! Bill

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I'd agree with Rocky that since you already have some 5 yard kilts, may as well go for the 8 yard.

But I also wanted to comment on Kilted KT's comparison. It sounds like most of the differences he cited (5 yarder wrinkling more often, blowing up in the wind, etc.) would be due to the difference of fabric used in the two kilts. The amount of cloth used really shouldn't affect those things. But the weight and type of fabric will.

A 5 yard knife pleated kilt in 16 oz worsted wool is not going to wrinkle any more or less than an 8 yard knife pleated kilt in 16 oz worsted wool. The only real difference is that the 5 yarder will have fewer pleats and those pleats will not be quite as deep.