The great thing about wool is its ability to keep warm while soaked through. When I did WWI reenactments I always appreciated the thick wool uniforms whenever it rained - I got wet, but was never cold. The military Cameron kilt (and the Seaforth kilt) also has the added protection of the box pleats which tend to keep the wearer warmer than the knife pleats of the military Black Watch or the Gordon. If I ever get the financial ability to buy me a proper kilt for winter wear I'll probably go for the WPG Cameron or Seaforth. At $300+ I will have to save up my pennies though.
Why would the box pleat keep you warmer? :confused: I thought it was less material.
MrBill
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I know what you mean Bubba. Last year at the Mardi Gras celebration here it snowed like crazy, heavy wet snow and people kept asking me if i was cold. I was toasty wwarm and the kilt handled the snow and wind well.
There's a difference between the normal box pleat and the military box pleat. The military box pleat isn't really a box pleat at all. It's more like a knife pleat with the leading inch turned back on itself.
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Originally posted by GMan
It is funny how people get the idea that the Kilt is lacking in warmth.
Glen,
I've thought about this, and have a theory that it may be an association with women's skirts, because of their light weight material. I remember when I was in high school (girls had to wear dresses or skirts w/o nylons), and seeing the girls standing outside with their legs close together trying to same warm.
They may also associate it with what it would be like standing outside in the cold and wearing shorts.
Why would the box pleat keep you warmer? :confused: I thought it was less material.
MrBill
The construction of the box pleat tends to trap air in the pleat and the trapped air acts as a very efficient insulator, whereas with a knife pleat, the construction of the pleat actually forces air out of the pleat, removing any air insulation and making the fabric itself the only insulator. The amount of wool used becomes irrelevant if the kilt construction is less efficient, so a knife pleated kilt that uses more material should be colder than a box pleated kilt that uses less.
Originally Posted by Beery
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