Knockabout kilt

[Steve Ashton]

Honestly, that would be a question best asked directly of Rocky.

You can contact him here within the USA Kilts forum section.
or
Via email - sales@usakilts.com
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via phone - toll free - 1-800.368.8633

[Katia]

Thank you for your input- the wool standing up to wear is my biggest concern. As for trousers, in the summer here (Central Valley of CA) it is MUCH more comfortable to wear the kilt.

I meant "comfortable" in terms of not worrying about what you may be showing off (or what others may think you may be showing off).

[Steelkilt]

I meant "comfortable" in terms of not worrying about what you may be showing off (or what others may think you may be showing off).

Gotcha! I’ll be working in a yard that doesn’t have neighbors looking on (rural, 2 acres), so that shouldn’t be too big an issue (unless they’re coming over to see what the deal is with the kilted gardener!).

[ratspike]

Thank you for the correction and the great options! Would the semi-traditional from USAkilts be made like a traditional kilt with internal strengthening elements?

Unless the construction has changed since I bought mine in 2014, no. I've worn it a ton and never been particularly careful about cranking down on the straps and it's held up just fine. If it were me, for just banging around the yard I'd save 120 bucks and get a casual instead.

[tweedhead]

I would think wool might develop pulls and wear from too much rough work.

My biggest concern, though, would be cleaning. If you're doing yard work in it, you're going to want to clean it often. For me that would mean I would want something I could throw in the washer with no fuss. Second consideration would be practicality; if you're just mowing the lawn and raking, a kilt would be fine. If you have to be up and down off the ground, bending over, possibly climbing up on things, trousers may be more comfortable.

Weighing in on this, wool is a remarkable material and good quality wool is a lot tougher than folks may realize. I'm a gardener at a botanical garden and over the past few years I've become a big believer in wool workwear. Six months out of the year, I wear very heavy 28oz wool trousers and the only real problem with them is picking up burrs, tick trefoil, beggars ticks, etc. I've been switching between two pairs and most of the nap has been polished off where my thighs rub together but the fabric is as sturdy as ever.

I've also got an old Orvis tweed sportcoat, probably only 18oz weight, that I use in the autumn and on warm winter days and it's held up remarkable well through the rigors of rose gardening, tulip planting, tree pruning, cutting and dragging brush through the woods with handsaws and chainsaws. In the cold and wind I have a blanket-weight wool anorak (probably 24+oz) and a cotton canvas anorak to go overtop, and with long wool underwear I'm quite comfortable working in -30 Celsius windchill.

Wool has some self-cleaning properties; get some mud or dirt on it? Just let it dry and knock it out. Sweat through it? Air it out in the sunlight. The biggest risk from stains are grass, repeated soil and mud, 2-stroke fuel, motor oil, but I've had the same two pairs of wool work pants for two years now and they look just fine. Granted, the fabric looks like this:
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so it doesn't show much on it. Plus most gardening stains in my experience are on your knees, and that isn't a problem with a kilt.

For taking care of it, just let it dry and air out regularly. It's not going to your daughter's wedding so it doesn't have to be dry cleaned and perfectly pressed, just taken care of like any other piece of wool clothing in the days before home washing machines. Wiping with a wet washcloth and airing it out to dry is sufficient 99% of the time. A full wash with soap is only needed if it gets really fouled by organic material or petrochemicals (compost, manure, rotten produce, gasoline, oil, whatever else) that really soak in. Hand washing in a basin or tub, lanolin soaps like eucalan, laying flat to dry in a sweater rack or the like, and airing out. For really bad stuff like being soaked with gasoline, wash with Dr Bronner's and let it dry before washing again with a lanolin soap. Also clean it well if you're storing it for more than a month for any reason (seasonal use, illness, moving house) and store it in an airtight bag or bin to protect it from moths because moths love dirty wool. Come springtime when it gets warm again I clean all my wool workwear and store it in rubbermaid bins until October/November. I suppose dry cleaning is an option before storage, but I'm allergic to dry cleaners (not the chemicals. Just giving them money)

As such I'm going to break with everyone else and say for the longest lasting piece of workwear you can get, go for the heaviest duty wool fabric you can like a regimental cloth thats 18oz+ in weight. Darker colours are preferable of course for hiding stains, but if it is truly a knockabout piece of clothing stains don't matter at all and go for whatever colours you prefer. For a cheap heavyweight wool beater, I'd say used military kilts are your best bet.

Granted all of this is based on my experience working in a continental climate, and I only wear wool when its cool to cold. In hot weather I switch to synthetics and linen. I wrote all this out before seeing your profile says California! I don't know how well you do with heavy wool out there, kilt notwithstanding.