Seeking experienced advice on wearing and caring for the kilt

[Liam]

It occurred to me that getting into the car is likely to be tricky. It doesn't seem like you'd be able to (easily) avoid unfortunate creases... might be easier if the pleats all ran in the opposite direction!
But many of you seem to be saying that, generally, unintended creases will come out with hanging, which is good to know.

A technique I picked up a few years ago is to keep a scarf in the car. Just prior to sitting placing your bottom sideways on the seat use the scarf to hold the pleats in place. leaving the scarf in place swivel your legs in.

[kiltedtom]

Tenmiles,

First, welcome to the kilted world. I have not had mine quite a year now, but I love it, and I am looking forward to warmer weather to wear it more. I have had no problems with the pleats or anything else. The exception to that rule is that I need a larger sporran to keep all the stuff that is usually in my pockest on trousers. Other than that, I am fine.

As far as "she who must be obeyed," (personally, I thought that was a rather C rated film, but that is another story) I am not married. Nor have I ever been. But my mouther, now 81, still reminds me that regardless of how old I get, she is still my mother. (And that is supposed to imply that she still can tell me what to do.) I was amazed that the first time she saw me in the kilt, she made no comment. Of course, I had warned my parents that I was getting it. I did not want them having a stroke or cardiac arrest. They simply asked what the sporran was and said the kilt looked nice. So perhaps your missus will be just as surprising to you as my mother was to me.

Anyway, enjoy the kilt. I know you will love it.

Tom

[Standard]

I'll put in my 2 pence worth and say that wearing your new kilt out and about town will be a good thing, with a couple of caveats. First, I'd refrain from wearing it out to dinner just yet, no sense in risking a spill. Second I'd avoid walks in the woods, no sense in risking a snag on a briar or branch. That being said, wearing it out and about to the store, etc. will, as others have already said, get you used to how the kilt actually feels as you move about. You'll find that the kilt will settle some as you walk, sit down and get up from chairs, and just generally walk about. This will give you the chance to figure out where you like for your kilt to ride, and how tight your buckles and straps should be to keep it in that position. The wearing of your kilt will also give you plenty of practice putting on your kilt hose, garters, sporran, etc.
I'm not a daily kilt wearer as some here on the forum are, but my three kilts each get worn many times each year, and look as good now as ever. I did have one kilt dry-cleaned and pressed after several years of wearing it. A good hanging and airing out followed by a bit of steam pressing the pleats will have it looking as sharp as new in no time provided you haven't spilled or smudged anything on it.
You'll definitely feel more comfortable come wedding time with some "practice" wearing and moving in the kilt. Wear it with pride, and enjoy every minute of your time kilted up!

[RCAnderson]

I am one of the odd-balls that wears a 16oz wool kilt everyday. I have actually given away all of my pants and shorts, so I don't have anything else to wear other than a kilt. The only thing I don't wear a wool kilt for is washing the car, I use one of my PV kilts for that.

Since I wear my kilts daily I do clean mine only when they actually need it. I do steam mine everyday after wearing it to let the wrinkles fall out of it, then I allow it to dry thoroughly before I hang it back up.

By steaming it and letting it air out I do not have to clean them very often at all. So far I have only had to clean two of them once or twice. I use the bathtub method to clean them and it works very well. All of my kilts still look brand new even after wearing them every day. Often I will wear the same kilt two or three times in a week.

Good quality kilts are made to last, and are made to be worn. They aren't delicate and aren't only made to hang in a closet and be worn once in a while on special occasions like a Halloween costume. They are made to be worn just as you would any other article of clothing.

[WillowEstate]

I'll echo the thoughts of others here, if this is your first traditional kilt, you will need to practice managing the pleats, to avoid sitting on a heap of tartan. You need to get to the point at which "sweeping the pleats" is automatic, when sitting, etc.

Getting in a car will be a challenge initially. Putting one foot in first is the route to the aforementioned heap of tartan. Open the door wide, sit sideways on the seat, remembering to sweep the pleats, then swing both legs in together. This is a whole lot easier on leather or vinyl seats but a plastic bag can help on cloth seats. Be careful not to catch the seat back with any of your buckles.

I'd also say avoid eating out in it before the wedding, restaurant napkins are rarely gig enough to cover the whole kilt.

Getting some practice will also get you used to the reactions of the populace at large - you will get a lot of second takes!

[paddy]

Being married to a hot-blooded redhead myself, I think I can offer you some sound advise. I'm pretty sure it's *not* about the kilt itself getting dirty, or torn or whatever. It is about you waring "something special" for the wedding, something "virgin". For all us males, a nice kilt with all the assesoires is "special" enough, but I know from experience that some (or many?) woman see it differently - you should wear something that you have never worn before, so everybody will be surprised and awed at your experience. "Look at him in his brand new clothes, bought especially for this occasion, wow!".
My advise: this is a tough one. Maybe you can convince her that adding a new, unused jacket or sporran or such will make it "new" enough?

[Tenmiles]

Paddy, you raise an interesting point. While she hasn't appeared to imply quite such (as what you suggest), I also confess that I'm still a long way from mind-reading.

Just last night at the family gathering (aforementioned), when the topic of the kilt came up (as I still couldn't stop from gushing to everyone my excited news of the acquisition), the discussion briefly (!) came up again about "wearing before the wedding", and I tried to interject, nonchalantly, certain points already made here, such as the comparison to a fine business suit, gaining experience wearing it, and the age of other well-worn kilts which still look fabulous, but rather quickly swallowed my line of pursuit when I sensed that her opinion didn't appear to be even a little bit swayed toward entertaining these considerations.
I even ventured to ask "how often in the past decade have I come home from the office stained or spilled on?" knowing that the answer was 'none', but she delivered the look which a wise man recognizes as the end of the discussion.
I make no claim to be a wise man yet (though I trust I'm at least a little improved from when I was younger), so I'll probably engage the topic again at some point, but I have a sense, from experience, that this may still prove to be one of those cases where I'll just have to concede.
Though if it were stated in terms like Paddy mentions, I could at least choose to accept that reasoning, even if I didn't like it much. It's the insistence to "keep it nice" which is the challenging part to accept, given the consensus that it won't become any less nice with gentle wearing.

[tulloch]

I agree completely with Paddy. I think it is not just a point but very important that you treat this as something very special that will be endowed with some great associations and feel doubly good to you over the weeks and years. Wear it around the house a little and maybe go out to the car to see about care during entry and exit. But this is something that should be seen as very special to the day of your wedding. Not the same thing your friends have seen you wearing about yet.
As to the technical aspects of owning this garment I have to say that Barb's book has been really informative and I feel comfortable and competent about kilt care from what I learned there and here on xmarks.
For the most part, save it for that special event.
Become informed and better able to make decisions about care.
Enjoy.

[Father Bill]

Pretty obvious from comments in other threads that the Scots see it as Sunday best or higher. Practise, but keep that in mind.

[Dileasgubas]

I would have to agree that a bit of practice is worthwhile. There is a knack to feeling at home in a kilt, and that comes with experience. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that a kilt kind of moulds to fit the body in time, so both a new kilt wearer and a new kilt could benefit from a break-in period.