Winter Kilting

[Sir Robert]

Well I just flew back to Germany from Louisiana after being home to put my house in order after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Boy it is cold in Germany!

I know that kilts are "to the top of the kneecap" but was there ever a longer length? The local goth shop has "kilts" much longer than kneecap but it looks well...like a skirt. The only redeeming factor is the Royal Stewart tartan. If I put the whole Scottish regalia on like a sporran I could pull it off. It would still look funny. I could allways whack it off at the knees later.

What sayeth the Kilting community is there a place for longer kilts?

[Mike n NC]

I'm kinda feeling like you. Long kilts are too much like a skirt. I have worn a kilt when the temp was down around 27, didn't have any problem as long as I kept moving. When I stood still for any length of time my knees got cold.

Mike

[Shotdir]

Get a real full kilt....
Just pleat it when you get up in the morning, put your belt high or low depending on how cold it is, and tuck the rest over your shoulder after fastening the belt and off you go!

That was probably what they did back then when it was cold.....


for now howvere,
my OPINION is that a new kilt longer than the middle of your knee cap looks defective, absurd, out of place, gross, funky, weird, (insert other perjorative adjective here).

Kinda like a guy trying to wear a skirt.

But you are the one wearing it, not me, so do what you want.

Ed

[Whiteraven]

In my limited expeience I have found that wearing a kilt in the winter months takes some getting used to. The temperatures you are talking about ( 27 F/-3 C ) egsist year round in the, high mountains of the area that I live. Today is concidered warm 0 C 8-) . I have worn my PV 4yrd Kilt in -20 C temps before. While it was quite chilly, as long as the wind didn't blow to much, a person could get used to it. You would be suprised at how fast one gets aclimatized to the wheather. It kind of makes you feel tough, especially when you get the , aren't you cold, question.

As for the Looooooong "kilt" , I have looked at them on the net, and in my opinion it looks like they are strictly for the cross-dresser. Not really my kind of thing, but if you like them go for it.


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Whiteraven

Bad spellers of America untie!

[Iolaus]

Very few people know the "top of the knee-cap" rule. As a "new fashion" the rules are fluid. The purists will wail and gnash their teeth, but if kilts truely catch on, the height level will begin to vary just like skirt levels do. As I (and others) have pointed out, 21st Century Kilts, which is a major player in the kilt world, will make a kilt any length you want, and actually advertises a "full-length kilt" on their web-site.

[Ranald]

The great kilt used to be worn with the part of the kilt that get tied to ones shoulder down by the calves.
Don't Clan An Drumma wear their kilt at the lower level ? and with leg wraps!

[Wompet]

Well I just flew back to Germany from Louisiana after being home to put my house in order after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Boy it is cold in Germany!

I know that kilts are "to the top of the kneecap" but was there ever a longer length? The local goth shop has "kilts" much longer than kneecap but it looks well...like a skirt. The only redeeming factor is the Royal Stewart tartan. If I put the whole Scottish regalia on like a sporran I could pull it off. It would still look funny. I could allways whack it off at the knees later.

What sayeth the Kilting community is there a place for longer kilts?

First off, I hope everything went well with the ordering up in Louisiana.
Second, I'm looking at it this way:
Does (cost of "goth kilt") + (cost of alteration) =< (cost of regular kilt in Royal Stewart)?
Keeping in mind, the cost of alteration may iclude explaining to a German tailor what the proper cut and length of a kilt should be.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[GlassMan]

It's was extremely cold today as I took visiting relatives down to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and being the kilted one I was the only one not complaining about the cold. The only time I felt uncomfortable was when they were all inside the USS Constellation touring the old sailing ship.

I stayed out on the water front so I could smoke my pipe, and also because you can't get a wheelchair on board. Well, at one point the wind changed and I got a sub-freezing blast right up my kilt.

The only time a real kilt has ever felt cold to me is when I'm seated in that wheel chair. If I'm using my cane, the kilt and an Inverness Cape is always good enough for me.

As for length, I subscribe to the top of the knee rule. And I'm always one who believes that something should be done right the first time. So I would suggest just getting a good, new kilt in the tartan you like rather than buying something and hoping it will look good once altered.

[furrycelt]

I have never had a problem with the cold in my kilts. Granted I live at a latitude of 35.8 degrees North. (Though it can get rather cold and windy at times in North Carolina USA.) Anyway... my kilt goes right to the knee-cap as it should. To cover my legs I just wear thick socks that go to my knees. They look great with a kilt; very "traditional" looking. I have found that if I can keep my feet, head, and torso warm, I will be fine. Keeping your head warm goes along way to keeping your whole body warm.