Goodness Gracious!

**TheOfficialBren** · 27th December 13, 01:29 AM

Okay. I think that I'm really settling into Highland Dress.

Increasingly I find myself reaching nearly exclusively for my heavyweight wool kilt in my family tartan. I rarely (read almost never) wear my universal tartan (Holyrood) kilt these days.

Just a personal observation.

Have any of you chaps found yourselves in the same boat?

**StevieR** · 27th December 13, 02:23 AM

Heavyweight wool is the only way forward, IMHO of course. I find it hangs better and I like the weightiness. No real worries of being overly hot in it in the UK either. Of course for you Bren, it might also be the irresistible lure of (probably) the best tartan in the world ;) - actually, in all seriousness, might not the fact it's your tartan be the main reason you choose it more often than not? Happy New Year, mate.

**Laird_M** · 27th December 13, 02:42 AM

For some of us we have no choice.
I got a 13oz MacLeod a couple if years ago, and then recently supplemented my wardrobe with an 18oz Scottish National - 'the same size', which even on the tightest setting is too big, I know I've lost some weight, so can only wear the macLeod...

**Grizzly** · 27th December 13, 03:05 AM

I have my sept tartan (Taylor) my clan tartan (Cameron) and the ubiquitous and universal IOS. All in 16oz wool. My nearly 9yd Cameron is my formal kilt, my 6yd Taylor would be my casual kilt and my IOS 6yd is my walking kilt, because it is MM Jura and is teflon coated which is exactly the reason why I choose MM over Lochcarron for this kilt.

Bren, I think you need a couple more kilts in different Robertson colourways in 16oz wool, then to coin an Americanism, you have all the bases loaded.

**OC Richard** · 27th December 13, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by Grizzly

I have my sept tartan (Taylor) my clan tartan (Cameron) and the ubiquitous and universal IOS. All in 16oz wool.

Very nice. I know a guy here named Taylor who has a Taylor kilt and it's gorgeous. I nearly always grab my 16oz IOS rather than my 13oz Drummond Of Perth (muted) because I prefer the heft of the heavier tartan.

Originally Posted by Grizzly

Bren, I think you need a couple more kilts in different Robertson colourways in 16oz wool, then to coin an Americanism, you have all the bases loaded.

Ha! Very clever there!

We Americans do use far more baseball metaphors than we realise. Especially in the business world, where a client can 'throw you a curve' by 'coming out of left field' with an unexpected proposal. They might be 'off base' and it could be 'a strike against them'. Or your company could decide to 'field' their proposal. Who knows? It could be a 'hit' or even a 'home run'.

And somebody's date can be described in quite specific detail through baseball metaphors... but that's for another time!

And we use plenty of poker metaphors too, once again in the business world... is it time for your client to 'ante up'? Are they 'all in'? You might be forced into a 'bum deal' because they 'hold all the cards' and the 'deck is stacked against you'.

And in this case I might go poker... I might say he is 'flush' with kilts, or has 'a full house'.

**ASinclair** · 27th December 13, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

.... We Americans do use far more baseball metaphors than we realise...

Well, Richard, you seem to have 'covered all the bases' quite nicely.

**OC Richard** · 27th December 13, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Laird_M

even on the tightest setting is too big

It's easy to move straps and buckles. I do it all the time with our band kilts. As long as it's only a couple inches one way or the other things will look fairly good.

The buckles on the wearer's right, on the small tabs, can easily be removed and moved back a couple inches and re-sewn. Be sure you sew through all layers so that they are anchored to the internal stabiliser. On the wearer's left, the strap which passes through the hole must be removed, moved back a couple inches, and be sewn on. Too much and you get an annoying flap of tartan inside your kilt on your lefthand side. It's not a huge project to fold this over and sew it, if having the extra fabric gets annoying. (I wouldn't cut the fabric, so that the kilt can be let out again at some later date.)

**Pleater** · 29th December 13, 06:58 AM

With all the storms we have been having recently a heavy kilt is essential. Having lost weight recently I have been wearing a kilt liner underneath, and a cape over the top whenever I have ventured out, once with a long plaid as well - that was the night our roof tiles came off.

With the weather becoming wilder, colder, hotter, wetter and just plain uncertain with added tornadoes, is seems that a wider range of kilt weights and accessories will become essential in the next decade.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Father Bill** · 29th December 13, 07:41 AM

I smile at your mention of the cape, Anne.

For the sort of weather we've had recently, I normally wear my sheepskin winter overcoat (although it won't button at the bottom over the sporran) or in the rain, my Inverness cape, but there are times when the best winter garb over the kilt is my priest's funeral cape - heavy moulton wool, ankle length, brown with beautiful frogs to hold it shut, and arm holes actually designed to hold the missal in front of me as I stand graveside.

Probably hardly traditional... but functional and attractive. My lodge brethren have referred to it at times as my "Harry Potter cape."

No photos available, but 'nuff said perhaps.