Your perfect summer kilt outfit?

[PiperPadre]

For the extreme heat in the Midwest I've got an extremely lightweight linen/wool mis kilt jacket and waistcoat. I wore it in solo pipe competition last summer at the Chicago Highland Games in 98/38 degrees without any discomfort. I've only once managed successfully to upload pics here. Can't remember how to do it now, however. I'm a bit of a technological Luddite.

[FossilHunter]

Honestly, I just don’t wear a kilt if it’s too hot. Kilts and their associated tweed or barathea jackets evolved in the much cooler, wetter, climate of the Highlands so I think it’s reasonable to save them for that kind weather, rather than trying to adapt the garment for climates it’s unsuitable for.

Of course this limits someone like myself, living in Southern California, to winter and early spring but I see no reason to wear a kilt when it’s 96F like it was last weekend. Better to stick to cotton shorts.

I remember a thread a while back where someone was wearing tights under their kilt because they lived somewhere like Montana and it got so bitterly cold that they risked damaging the skin of their legs in a kilt. I just have to wonder why it’s so important to go to such an extreme to wear the wrong clothing for the climate?

Even the Scottish regiments eventually moved on from wearing kilts in combat for just the reasons I’ve mentioned (trench and chemical warfare in WWI demonstrated many drawbacks of the kilt in battle). They kept it for dress uniforms and that seems to be a happy medium.

[Jock Scot]

Honestly, I just don’t wear a kilt if it’s too hot. Kilts and their associated tweed or barathea jackets evolved in the much cooler, wetter, climate of the Highlands so I think it’s reasonable to save them for that kind weather, rather than trying to adapt the garment for climates it’s unsuitable for.

Of course this limits someone like myself, living in Southern California, to winter and early spring but I see no reason to wear a kilt when it’s 96F like it was last weekend. Better to stick to cotton shorts.

I remember a thread a while back where someone was wearing tights under their kilt because they lived somewhere like Montana and it got so bitterly cold that they risked damaging the skin of their legs in a kilt. I just have to wonder why it’s so important to go to such an extreme to wear the wrong clothing for the climate?

Even the Scottish regiments eventually moved on from wearing kilts in combat for just the reasons I’ve mentioned (trench and chemical warfare in WWI demonstrated many drawbacks of the kilt in battle). They kept it for dress uniforms and that seems to be a happy medium.

A fair observation in my book.
Well done laddie.

[spr0k3t]

A fair observation in my book.
Well done laddie.

Indeed. I remember wearing a kilt in the early September times to a local outdoor event. It was with a 5yrd 13oz wool coupled with a rolled up linen tattersall. It was roughly 30C degrees out and unbearable (Pitsains McGee). Moving forward, I cut my kilt time to a top of 25C unless said event is indoors and well cooled. I have a lot of respect/regret for those pipe bands who play in full uniform into the extreme warning temps. I know in SoCal they dropped the uniform requirement for temps tipping above the 90s... but still, yikes.

[Couper]

From warm spring days to hot summery weather I opt for a lightweight kilt, usually one of my SportKilt numbers. I like the casual SportKilt because of the lighter weight fabric and they have POCKETS. For going out to dinner on those warm evenings I may don a USA Kilts Casual kilt because their PV fabric just looks a bit classier. I miss the pockets but still do not use one of my sporrans - I simply clip my car key with a small carabiner to one of the belt loops and carry my leather phone case in one hand (similar, I suppose, to a small clutch purse).

If Rocky offered optional pockets in his casual kilts I would likely not buy any other brand.

[CBH]

From warm spring days to hot summery weather I opt for a lightweight kilt, usually one of my SportKilt numbers. I like the casual SportKilt because of the lighter weight fabric and they have POCKETS. For going out to dinner on those warm evenings I may don a USA Kilts Casual kilt because their PV fabric just looks a bit classier. I miss the pockets but still do not use one of my sporrans - I simply clip my car key with a small carabiner to one of the belt loops and carry my leather phone case in one hand (similar, I suppose, to a small clutch purse).

If Rocky offered optional pockets in his casual kilts I would likely not buy any other brand.

Another pocket fan !!

I totally agree with your sentiment. I have a USAKilts 5 yd wool kilt. I just got my first 8 yard wool kilt, and it is very noticeably heavier. Heavy is good for making it feel solid and luxurious, but it does get exhausting.

We can't be the only 2 people who've asked them for pockets. Wish they'd reconsider..........

Interesting technique to avoid the sporran. i don't like them either, but so far I had resorted to jacket pockets, or sometimes I can get just my key and a credit card in a shirt pocket. Thankfully my other kilts have pockets.

[OC Richard]

I know in SoCal they dropped the uniform requirement for temps tipping above the 90s.

Thanks I hadn't heard that.

Is that a WUSPBA thing or a particular Games?

I know a few years before COVID at the Pleasanton Games it hit 114f (46c) and the judges told all the Pipe Bands that they were waiving the uniform requirement. For around 20 years now it's been standard worldwide for bands to wear neckties and waistcoats with their kilts (jackets were simply too hot for much of the world).

I missed Pleasanton that year. All the photos and videos I've seen show the bands wearing kilts (thought they'd been specifically told they didn't have to) but neckties and waistcoats were replaced, by some bands, with golf shirts and t-shirts.

There's an interesting quirk which distinguishes the RSPBA dress rules and the rules of the North American PBA's I've seen: the American rules require Highland Dress while the Scottish rules only require "matching dress".

So no dispensation would be required in Scotland for a band to show up in Bermuda shorts and t-shirts, as long as they all matched. It's not uncommon to see bands compete in trousers there, while they would require a dispensation here or get DQ'd.

[OC Richard]

This was news in the Pipe Band world, a Grade One band announcing that going forward they're going to compete in polo shirts

https://www.pipesdrums.com/article/7...k-polo-shirts/

[spr0k3t]

Thanks I hadn't heard that.

Is that a WUSPBA thing or a particular Games?

I know a few years before COVID at the Pleasanton Games it hit 114f (46c) and the judges told all the Pipe Bands that they were waiving the uniform requirement. For around 20 years now it's been standard worldwide for bands to wear neckties and waistcoats with their kilts (jackets were simply too hot for much of the world).

This sounds like the information I read about... but I missed the specific detail of the temps when throwing out the dart. So, thanks for clarifying this.

[Canadian Vet]

It got very hot at the Maxville games last year. We all kept our kilts but the hot hose and the rest of the Scottish rig disappeared. Fancy shoes were replaced by Birkenstocks.
The Scots are a practical people, after all.