Lighter weight Kilts

[David Dubh]

So as you can see I'm looking for a lighter weight kilt. My question is which is would be a better solution for me a medium weight 8 yard or a smaller kilt 5-6 yard kilt in heavy weight or medium weight.
If I go lower yardage who makes one with all the internal construction horsehair canvas and stabilizers.
Will the medium weight wrinkle more than heavy weight?
Thanks David

[Richrail]

All my wool kilts are 5 yard, 3 are heavy weight 16 oz. and 1 is 13 oz. they are from USAkilts. They don't wrinkle very much and they if they do the wrinkles fall out after hanging up. My don't have the interior stabilizer, they are very comfortable. I live in Reno NV. for the climate I didn't want the weight of eight yards for wool.

[Taskr]

it depends on what you're looking for, mostly
if you are going to wear the kilt a lot in the Okanagan's stink'n hot summers, you might want to consider PV. i have a Freedom Kilts PV that is very comfortable in the heat but still has the traditional look. If you want wool, perhaps a heavy/medium 4yd box pleat if wearing in warm weather a concern.
If your kilt is for occasion wear, a medium or even heavy weight is probably just fine. i've worn my 8yd heavy weight many times in AB mid-summer and stayed quite comfortable. Wool being natural fibres provides for surprising comfort in heat - caveat, if not a lot of sitting

[David Dubh]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen
I've read that the internal stabilizers are important so that the tartan doesn't get pulled and distorted with wear
Thanks David

[Taskr]

yes, they are. If its going to continue to look good and last, you want that.
If you ever get to Steve's shop in Victoria, he can provide a wonderful introduction to the importance of good construction.

[The Wizard of BC]

There are basically two ways to construct a kilt. Prior to the advent of the Casual style kilt all kilts were made with construction that I call "kilt made". This method includes internal strengthening elements that allow the outer fabric to float and drape naturally. Kilt wool is not very dimensionally strong so without the internal elements, the garment will not hold its shape, will pucker, and seams will give way.

Casual style kilts, the MUG style kilts and now the imports rely on the strength of the outer fabric and the stitching for their overall strength. This is what I call "Jeans Made". The problem is when fabrics are used that are not capable of withstanding the stresses of strapping the kilt on and moving in it.

Even a quality Poly/Rayon fabric will hang better, and last longer, with the addition of the internal elements. But there is an added cost in both materials and labor. Some of that cost can be offset by using less fabric. A wide, rugged pleat and Kingussie pleating will use about 5 yards of fabric. A box pleat will use about 4 yards of fabric.

Some of the cost can be offset with mass production or lower labor rates.

Kilts are open at the bottom. When you move you create a huge fan with the pleats. This is why people wear shorts in the summer and why ladies have worn skirts in hot weather. They are cooler.

If you want a garment for warm weather pick a fabric that breathes. Wool is warm in winter and cool in summer. P/V and some other synthetics feel cooler because they do not insulate like wool. Less fabric will give you less weight and fewer layers.

So it all comes down to what your budget allows. Kilt-Made will be more expensive but look better and last longer. Jeans-made is less expensive and if made from really strong fabric may not require all the internal structuring.

[David Dubh]

Thanks for the follow information Steve. So I want kilt made and am willing too pay for it . So am I better with a smaller yardage heavyweight kilt or an 8 yard medium weight wool?

[derosa]

I have a 5yd knife in 13oz and a 4 yd 16oz box, the knife feels slightly lighter to me but not in any significant way, most of the difference seems to be in the front. I suspect that trimming the hidden part of the knife pleat at the lower weight helps keep the back of the kilts close in weight despite the roughly yard difference. On hotter days the lighter/thinner aprons are slightly cooler though neither gets uncomfortable. Best for hot would probably be 13oz box then 13oz 5yd knife, and I'm not certain a 13oz 8yd would be better or worse the a 16oz box, balancing act of weight differences between front and back.

[Manu]

I'd say go with a 5 to 6 yard heavyweight and add internal construction. Most kiltmaakers will skip the internal construction in a 5 yarder because the pleats don't need to be cut out since less material equals less volume on your back, so the pleats add stability and strength to the garment. If you want the proper internal construction, I know Rocky will do it and I'm sure the Wizard would as well, after all they're custom kilt makers.

[Todd Bradshaw]

As far as I can tell, the discussions that happen frequently here where folks are trying to figure out which yardage and which pleat patterns are cooler in hot weather are pretty much a wash. I own two 16 oz. eight-yard Dalgliesh wool, knife pleated kilts, two 13 oz. eight-yard Marton Mills wool knife pleats, and a 13 oz. Strathmore wool five-yard knife-pleated kilt. Our most local Highland games (Milwaukee) tend to be at or near the Memorial Day and Labor Day holiday weekends and it's usually about 90 degrees and frequently quite humid (as it was this year).

Yes, there is a bit of a weight difference between them, but a well made kilt distributes its weight evenly and spreads it around. If I couldn't see the kilt I had on, I'd be hard pressed to decide which one it was by how warm I felt. There are always a lot of options to decide on when you order a new kilt, but in my opinion, trying to guess which style is going to be hotter or cooler is not really a factor. Honestly, it's not the kilt that is making you hot in that sort of weather.