Bit of help on what to work for?

[River]

So, my best friend (who got me into wearing kilts, even if very casually) heartily recommends USA kilts. I’m still very new to all this kilt stuff and looked up what they offer.

I’m currently struggling on which to buy next. I currently have a Sport Kilt, and I enjoy walking around the neighborhood with it the couple times I wore it out, and I think a kilt looks alright with my usual boots and leather jacket combo. I also enjoy a lot of the movement offered versus plain shorts, especially (probably weird to here) when it comes to stretches and working out. Kilts seem so much more fun, and I’d like to wear them more often and make them more my common wear as well. Goodness knows I need some other bottom outside of jeans.

From my understanding, the Casual and Semi-traditional Kilts are machine washable (or at least implied to be) and affordable enough to begin getting a few for daily wear. How different are they, however? Is there a difference in quality or longevity? Would both be good options for what I intend to wear them for?

This is already lengthy, I feel, but would the 5 yard wool kilt also be good for my purposes? Alas, that also means dry cleaning more often, hmm. But, apparently, they’re weightier and help with winter warmth and wind according to my friend. I do not know how wool would feel in Texas humidity or summer weather lol.

But anyway, thanks for takin’ a look at my very newbie questions, aha!

[Father Bill]

Since you already have a "cheapy" to wear when your kilt would be in danger, the wool kilt will rarely need to be cleaned, so that's not much of an issue.

If you read through a number of threads here (the search function is your friend) you'll understand that you need to be VERY careful of which dry cleaner you use, how you prepare your kilt for them, and what you tell them to do. A dry cleaner who only thinks they know how to do it can destroy your expensive kilt.

Please, please, please, research it carefully and become an expert by reading lots of threads here. Some of them will even teach you how to wash your kilt safely yourself in the bathtub! I've been wearing the kilt for some time now, admittedly not as a daily garment, but I've yet to clean or wash either of my two.

[OC Richard]

I recently got a USA Kilts 5-yard "semi traditional" kilt.

It's the first kilt I've ever owned that isn't a traditional kilt (6 to 8 yards of wool kilting fabric, handsewn pleats, the full traditional cutting out of pleats, steeking, stabiliser, lining etc).

My impression is that the 5-yard "semi traditional" kilt falls pretty much halfway between "casual kilts" and traditional kilts, as the name says.

It looks pretty much identical to a traditional kilt on the outside. The differences are on the inside, in how it's constructed.

The feel of wearing it, and how it looks when worn, is very much like a traditional kilt, especially like a traditional kilt made with less yardage (which my traditional kilts are).

BTW traditional kilts weren't always 8 yards: in catalogues from the 1930s you can order your kilt with 6, 7, or 8 yards. My handsewn traditional kilts have around 6.5 yards in them.

About being washable, I know nothing about modern fabrics like Marton Mills' PV but you can read all about them here on XMarks due to their popularity.

My kilts are all 100% wool.

As Father says you don't dryclean a wool kilt very often. For me, it's about every 20 years or so.

And yes there are numerous horror-stories about kilts being pressed incorrectly! The people at a drycleaners have no clue how to do it properly. It's best to baste the pleats in place before taking a kilt to the drycleaners.

[River]

Since you already have a "cheapy" to wear when your kilt would be in danger, the wool kilt will rarely need to be cleaned, so that's not much of an issue.

If you read through a number of threads here (the search function is your friend) you'll understand that you need to be VERY careful of which dry cleaner you use, how you prepare your kilt for them, and what you tell them to do. A dry cleaner who only thinks they know how to do it can destroy your expensive kilt.

Please, please, please, research it carefully and become an expert by reading lots of threads here. Some of them will even teach you how to wash your kilt safely yourself in the bathtub! I've been wearing the kilt for some time now, admittedly not as a daily garment, but I've yet to clean or wash either of my two.

Ooh, thank you! I have been idly reading the threads and there’s so much information! Thank you for your help, I think I’ll look up the bathtub cleaning method once I obtain a wool kilt. Glad to hear they don’t need to be cleaned as often as some other garments!

[River]

I recently got a USA Kilts 5-yard "semi traditional" kilt.

It's the first kilt I've ever owned that isn't a traditional kilt (6 to 8 yards of wool kilting fabric, handsewn pleats, the full traditional cutting out of pleats, steeking, stabiliser, lining etc).

My impression is that the 5-yard "semi traditional" kilt falls pretty much halfway between "casual kilts" and traditional kilts, as the name says.

It looks pretty much identical to a traditional kilt on the outside. The differences are on the inside, in how it's constructed.

The feel of wearing it, and how it looks when worn, is very much like a traditional kilt, especially like a traditional kilt made with less yardage (which my traditional kilts are).

BTW traditional kilts weren't always 8 yards: in catalogues from the 1930s you can order your kilt with 6, 7, or 8 yards. My handsewn traditional kilts have around 6.5 yards in them.

About being washable, I know nothing about modern fabrics like Marton Mills' PV but you can read all about them here on XMarks due to their popularity.

My kilts are all 100% wool.

As Father says you don't dryclean a wool kilt very often. For me, it's about every 20 years or so.

And yes there are numerous horror-stories about kilts being pressed incorrectly! The people at a drycleaners have no clue how to do it properly. It's best to baste the pleats in place before taking a kilt to the drycleaners.

Thank you for your in depth description of the semi-traditional kilt! I infer that the dry cleaning is a pretty risky venture at times for a kilt, so I will definitely spend some time on lookin up proper dry cleaning information for a wool kilt!

[KennethSime]

I'm in a pretty similar boat as you man.

I wore a traditional 8-yard for weddings and such on a semi-regular basis for the past 20 years. I've worn a few utility kilts while hiking, but it never became a regular "daily" thing.

Over Shelter In Place this summer, I decided to buy a kilt for more everyday wear. I settled on Sport Kilt because I knew the name from attending Highland games as a kid, and because they offer pockets on their kilts which I figured was essential. I wore it around a bit, walking the dog and took it on a few hikes and was happy enough. And then I found the Kilts & Culture podcast/YouTube show from USA Kilts!

After watching the last two years worth of Kilts & Culture, I figured it was time I upgrade from the Sport Kilt. First I ordered a 5-Yard Wool, but that was delayed by the woolen mill. So to fill the void, I ordered a Casual Kilt. The 5-yard is still on order, but I've been wearing a Casual for a few weeks now and am very, very impressed.

The Casual Kilt puts the Sport Kilt to shame. The fabric is more substantial, drapes better, and pleats better. On top of that, the thing is built rock-solid: excellent sewing, sturdy velcro, and really great looking pleats! Whereas the Sport Kilt feels almost delicate (like a t-shirt), the Casual Kilt feels more like denim. In short, the Casual Kilt is more like a real kilt, and I feel better about wearing it because I know I look good. The worst part is that I spent significantly more on the Sport Kilt (in order to take advantage of their "custom features," which I don't miss at all.

Then, USA Kilts launched their big sale on 8-Yard last month, and I had to order yet one more to take advantage of that savings. In fact, the sale is still on! You can get a Made-In-Scotland 8-Yard Kilt right now for a bit less than USA Kilts typically charges for a 5-Yard Kilt. If you're at all interested in getting a traditional kilt, now's the time! My only advice would be to measure for it like a traditional kilt: 2 inches above the navel down to the cap of your knee (or mid-knee), and double-check those measurements.

My understanding is that the Semi-Traditional Kilt is built basically like their 5-Yard Wool Kilt, only made from Marton Mills PolyViscose, the same fabric as their Casual Kilt. This means it is machine washable, though you should only wash it on cold because of the scotchguard-like teflon coating. I wouldn't hesitate to order another Casual Kilt, but I think my next USA Kilts order will be for a Semi-Traditional kilt. For a bit more money, you get the same great every-day machine-washable fabric in a more fitted garment that looks 100% like a "real kilt." In other words: the pleats will swing better, the apron will hang better, and you butt will look better.

Hope this was helpful.

[River]

I'm in a pretty similar boat as you man.

I wore a traditional 8-yard for weddings and such on a semi-regular basis for the past 20 years. I've worn a few utility kilts while hiking, but it never became a regular "daily" thing.

Over Shelter In Place this summer, I decided to buy a kilt for more everyday wear. I settled on Sport Kilt because I knew the name from attending Highland games as a kid, and because they offer pockets on their kilts which I figured was essential. I wore it around a bit, walking the dog and took it on a few hikes and was happy enough. And then I found the Kilts & Culture podcast/YouTube show from USA Kilts!

After watching the last two years worth of Kilts & Culture, I figured it was time I upgrade from the Sport Kilt. First I ordered a 5-Yard Wool, but that was delayed by the woolen mill. So to fill the void, I ordered a Casual Kilt. The 5-yard is still on order, but I've been wearing a Casual for a few weeks now and am very, very impressed.

The Casual Kilt puts the Sport Kilt to shame. The fabric is more substantial, drapes better, and pleats better. On top of that, the thing is built rock-solid: excellent sewing, sturdy velcro, and really great looking pleats! Whereas the Sport Kilt feels almost delicate (like a t-shirt), the Casual Kilt feels more like denim. In short, the Casual Kilt is more like a real kilt, and I feel better about wearing it because I know I look good. The worst part is that I spent significantly more on the Sport Kilt (in order to take advantage of their "custom features," which I don't miss at all.

Then, USA Kilts launched their big sale on 8-Yard last month, and I had to order yet one more to take advantage of that savings. In fact, the sale is still on! You can get a Made-In-Scotland 8-Yard Kilt right now for a bit less than USA Kilts typically charges for a 5-Yard Kilt. If you're at all interested in getting a traditional kilt, now's the time! My only advice would be to measure for it like a traditional kilt: 2 inches above the navel down to the cap of your knee (or mid-knee), and double-check those measurements.

My understanding is that the Semi-Traditional Kilt is built basically like their 5-Yard Wool Kilt, only made from Marton Mills PolyViscose, the same fabric as their Casual Kilt. This means it is machine washable, though you should only wash it on cold because of the scotchguard-like teflon coating. I wouldn't hesitate to order another Casual Kilt, but I think my next USA Kilts order will be for a Semi-Traditional kilt. For a bit more money, you get the same great every-day machine-washable fabric in a more fitted garment that looks 100% like a "real kilt." In other words: the pleats will swing better, the apron will hang better, and you butt will look better.

Hope this was helpful.

Wow, thank you for your response! I guess it would’ve been a bit less money spent if I went with the Casual over the Sport? Wacky.

Glad to hear USA Kilt’s Casual is built well. Probably just my current lack of knowledge on the matter, but I just assumed Kilts were light like the Sport Kilt. Glad to hear it’s more substantial, hopefully it’s also weightier! Does drape just mean how it feels when it falls between your legs when you’re sitting?

I love the swing of the pleats on kilts, so I would hope the Semi-traditional Kilt swings better than my Sport Kilt!! I haven’t considered the apron, does the apron hang really make a difference between kilts?

[bodhran4me]

Craigslist, ebay and etsy can be a good source if you are patient and careful. I got my 8 yd Maple Leaf made by Burnetts and Struth on Kijiji (Canadian Craigslist ) for about half of the new price. It took a year or two but it was worth the wait. There are also FB groups for selling kilts and accessories as well as the For Sale section here. It is important to ask questions such as if the seller knows the cloth type, mill and maker

[rlloyd]

I have both a few Semi-Traditionals and one Casual from USA Kilts in my collection. As far as versatility, I definitely recommend the Semi-Traditional. Having the complete appearance of a more traditional kilt, as others have so eloquently described, it makes it effortless to both dress up and dress down. The Casual isn't quite as versatile, at least to my eye, due to lacking the strap-and-buckle closure system (instead making use of hook-and-loop, or Velcro if you prefer) and the aesthetic it provides. I do like the convenience of how easy the Casual is to just toss on and go, and it's a very good option for more physical activities (also due to the different closure system). On the other hand, though, there have been times I've found myself thinking "gee, I wish my Isle of Skye were a Semi-Trad instead of Casual".

[MichiganKyle]

I can't speak for the "better" wool kilts, because I have a bit of a wool sensitivity/allergy. But I have several Sport Kilts and several USA Kilts casuals (new Celtic Nations one just arrived today, actually).

I would liken Sport Kilt fabric vs. USA Kilts fabric as being like going from polar fleece to nearly dress slacks. USA Kilts' MM P/V is stiffer and holds a pleat much better. I wear mine as daily clothing, so I end up washing them, and I would have to say the USA Kilts are easier to wash than the Sport Kilts due to the way the pleats are just pretty much permanently set no matter what you do to them. You can pull them out of the washer wet, hang them up, and the wrinkles fall out (I usually manually re-pleat mine because I think it works a little better, but it's probably more the placebo effect than anything).

Sport Kilt fabric tends to be very light and fluffy and is warmer but catches the wind quite badly. As warm as they are, I have not worn mine all summer, but it's about cold enough now to start adding them back into the rotation. USA Kilts fabric is not warm or cool, per se, and seems to be quite good in any kind of weather. Sport Kilts for me are more of a winter-only thing.

It "draping" better is not just falling between your legs when you sit down. Rather than layers sticking together, they slide past each other - it doesn't catch on itself so badly - so in general, it just does a better job of falling where it should all the way around. The front apron hangs better, it hangs better off your hips without fanning out into a strange large trapezoid shape, etc. The tartan doesn't really distort at all with my USA Kilts kilts whereas I'm constantly fussing with my Sport Kilts to try to get the tartan on the apron to hang straight.

Also, I should note: I do not have any USA Kilts semi-trads, so I can't speak to that. I've looked at them, and they are beautiful, but I've stuck with the casuals. Mainly because I've fallen in love with the velcro waistband. I've got buckles on all of my Sport Kilts, and I actually like just the velcro better. It's much more adjustable as my body gains and loses excess gravity. It's easier to put on and take off. And since I don't really have anything I go to where a kilt is appropriate and requires being dressed up, it looks good enough for my everyday-wear usage. And I don't worry so much about messing it up, since it's not quite as fancy. I may go with a semi-trad someday, but for now, I'm very happy with my casuals.