I have not had any kilt hose shrink for many years. In the good old pre-man made fibre days, all hose was 100% wool. It shrank slightly with every wash, and became more like felt with every wash - it was terrible. In my dance display days, I had several pairs of tartan hose especially knitted, at huge expense, and even they suffered in the same way.

Today, probably like Matt, I have maybe something like a dozen pairs of kilt hose continually on the 'go', with another dozen pairs still in their wrappers, awaiting their turn. They are all 80% wool and 20% nylon and bought from different kiltmaking establishments as I have travelled around. I have, on occasion, machine washed them on the 'Wool Cycle' but generally I hand wash and fresh-air dry them. To say that several pairs are up to three, maybe four, years old would not be an exaggeration - a fact I put down to the hand-washing.

Acrylic kilt hose I find far too bulky and 'ungiving' in that they have no stretch to facilitate the getting on and getting off. I've several pairs (mainly black) but very, very seldom wear them.