Casual and/or low cost kilt socks

[Nik]

Ok guys I'm working on getting into wearing my kilts from Damn Near Kilt 'Em more often as well my casual from USA kilt. Previously I've bought soccer socks, but have gotten mixed to poor results with them. They either don't hold up or can't handle my 16.5 inch calves.

I'd like to try and keep with the over the calf look, but if that isn't an option I'll bit the metaphorical bullet. So what advise or suggestions do you guys have for casual socks to wear with your kilts?

[ShaunMaxwell]

You might try the W. Brewin hose, which are inexpensive and come in a number of colors. They're available from any number of vendors, but you can see them here: https://www.amazon.com/W-Brewin-Mens.../dp/B07KGGH19J

How well they'll hold up to heavy use is something you'll have to determine. I'm not sure how they'd fit someone with larger calves... Unfortunately, it's not been an issue for my skinny legs!

I bought a few pair of these when I got my first kilt, then moved on to piper hose, then finally on to the House of Cheviot Lewis or Rannoch hose. I remember initially thinking, "Why would anyone pay that much for a pair of socks?" But by the time you've replaced the less expensive hose a few times, you'll begin to understand.

Good luck to you. I'll be curious to see what others suggest.

Cheers,

SM

[Tobus]

I'm assuming you've seen this thread?

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-review-96885/

Those appear to be fairly low-cost alternatives for kilt hose. I'm not sure what your standard is for "casual kilt socks", but if you're looking to wear full-height socks that resemble traditional kilt hose, these would be good contenders. Being cotton, synthetic, and otherwise non-wool, they should be fine for casual wear. Most of them appear to be in the $15-$25 range.

[KennethSime]

I have a couple pair of lower-end Hose of Cheviot Glencoe hose that are pretty nice for the money.

That said, I think the beta (climber's term: secret trick, or method of solving the problem) is to wear some lightweight running socks underneath your kilt hose - I like smartwool. This allows you to wear them quite a few times before washing, and extends the life of the hose foot quite a bit, making your $30-50 investment go that much further.

[MichiganKyle]

If you take a look at that thread Tobus posted, you might want to look at the ones from The Scottish Trading Company. My cotton hose just don't seem to wear. I'll wear holes in the acrylic ones, but the cotton ones wear like iron. However, the ones from USA Kilts are not very stretchy and may be difficult to don if you have large calves. But The Scottish Trading Company's, while I haven't worn them much because of the color, are knitted to size in a nearly identical pattern to the USA Kilts ones while being much stretchier but still mostly cotton.

(That said, my oatmeal USA Kilts hose are some of my favorites and I wear them quite often. It's just that there's almost no stretch to them - they're largely held up by the flashes - so they may not work for you if you have large calves.)

[kingandrew]

Much depends on the look you are going for.

As noted, USA Kilts certainly has some budget-conscious options. Sock Dreams (sockreams.com) often has good prices on various sorts of knee socks, some of which will work find for casual kilt wear. The selection is constantly changing and many times some colors are sold out, but it's definitely worth a look.

If you want affordable argyle socks, golfknickers.com has a great selection at a low price. However, they are very lightweight and won't last terribly long. You may still feel that they are a good value, given the price.

What Price Glory (onlinemilitaria.net) offers repro British army issue hose in khaki that are good, go with everything, and quite affordably priced. They are a good source of Scottish military style items in general (sporrans, uniform jackets, etc.)

As others have said, spending a few bucks more for real hose from Hose of Cheviot or other actual kilt sock vendors will actually be your best value over the longer haul.

Good luck and happy hunting,
Andrew

[KennethSime]

Much depends on the look you are going for.
What Price Glory (onlinemilitaria.net) offers repro British army issue hose in khaki that are good, go with everything, and quite affordably priced. They are a good source of Scottish military style items in general (sporrans, uniform jackets, etc.)

Andrew, do you know if these "Khaki" hose are more like a Tan-Brown, or more like an Olive Green? I've heard the term Khaki used to describe in the UK to what us Americans might call Olive Drab Green.

[KnittedReenactor]

One thing I hear fairly regularly from new kilters here and elsewhere is "my socks don't stay up". There is no real ability for ANY kilt hose to stay up on their own, especially if your moving about. You MUST have some securing method at the top of your calf muscle. Traditionally theses were knitted garter ties, leather buckled garter straps, or more modernly- elastic flashes.



Or are you meaning they are deteriorating? Everything does eventually, more so if you only have 1-2 pairs. The others have already mentioned some good places to get kilt hose. One other option is going the military route and using hose tops over regular socks. Hose tops are just kilt hose without the foot, cuff to ankle. If you wear boots, or add anklets, spats or puttees to shoes, the bottom of the hose tops would be invisible. The toe, ball and heel areas of your socks are put under the most wear and tear so changing the foot portion regularly makes sense, while the more expensive and prettier leg and cuff can last so much longer. Just google scottish hose tops, and you'll find a lot of places (even Amazon) sell plain, diced or argyle hose tops for as little as $25US.

[kingandrew]

Kenneth,

I actually have 2 pairs of military-style kilt socks from What Price Glory.

One pair is surplus Indian Army issue. These are medium thickness wool in a "suntan" light brown color.

The other pair is repro British military design. They look tan, but definitely have some green to them as well. I would not call them olive drab, but they are a little greener than the typical pair of US khaki pants. They are lighter weight than the Indian version, and quite comfortable for regular casual wear.

[KennethSime]

Kenneth,

I actually have 2 pairs of military-style kilt socks from What Price Glory.

One pair is surplus Indian Army issue. These are medium thickness wool in a "suntan" light brown color.

The other pair is repro British military design. They look tan, but definitely have some green to them as well. I would not call them olive drab, but they are a little greener than the typical pair of US khaki pants. They are lighter weight than the Indian version, and quite comfortable for regular casual wear.

Thanks Andrew, that helps a lot. Cheers!