Kilts are over rated!!!!

**Gryphon noir** · 12th November 07, 10:32 PM

Okay, how many windstorms do we ever get in Vancouver? Aside from last night?

I've never had any trouble wearing a 13oz. 8 yd. kilt, but you might consider a heavier weight material. But overrated? Never heard any complaints from the ladies!

**Kilted_John** · 13th November 07, 01:56 AM

In today's storm, I wore the 9-yard 18 ounce MacKenzie. Didn't blow up once. I've worn the same kit when we've had 70-80 mph gusts and I've had to go outside and grab a garbage can that ran away. Still no blowing up. My 13 oz. Lennox, maybe. The 16 oz. Armstrong, nah... Utilikilts, yup, BTDT, even in light breezes.

-J

**Raphael** · 13th November 07, 02:50 AM

for the record, I was wearing a 4 yard Bear Kilt and It wasn't known to do well in a wind storm.

**Pleater** · 13th November 07, 04:37 AM

Possible solution - sew in a length of elastic 4 to 6 inches up from the lower edge loose enough to give you free movement but enough to restrain the pleats. You only need to sew about an inch width on the inner part of each pleat. Depending on the amount of fabric in the kilt, you might or might not want to attach the under apron pleats.

If the kilt then has a tendency to balloon you could try weighting the hem.

I have sewn in a cotton tape at the hem of my lightest DPM kilt. It makes a big difference to the windspeed required to make it fly.

I have considered using the lightweight strips for the lower edge of net curtains. Although only available in white, if included in the hem of the kilt it would be invisible, and most of my lighter weight kilts are hemmed. It could also be hidden under a toning coloured tape if you want to keep the selvage.

I believe it is available in several weights, possibly three, so if you can find it it should do the job. I am not sure if a light weighting all along the hem or short strips of weighting within each pleat would be best. The swing of the kilt needs to be preserved, and I suspect strips of weight, or even small individual weights would be best, though just which part of the pleat to weight would need to be investigated.

**Dirk Skene** · 13th November 07, 08:29 AM

Don't give in

Go with the overvcoat.

**James MacMillan** · 13th November 07, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by Kiltman

Quite so; but you do have the option of wearing jeans—that's what it means to have a mature attitude to wearing a kilt.

You know this may be sort-of sadly true. I am a full time kilter, I wear the kilt everyday regardless of the weather.

But I haven't yet thrown away my favorite couple pair of well broken-in jeans, even though I haven't worn them in years. Those jeans are too much like part of the family to be just pitched. I don't wear them anymore, but I can't just throw them out either. I did donate several pairs of other pants, but those jeans?

The same is true for my Hawaiian shirts. But I finally ordered and have a solid black kilt, and I may experiment with that kilt and a hawaiian shirt? The jury is stil out.

**Colin** · 13th November 07, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Gryphon noir

Okay, how many windstorms do we ever get in Vancouver? Aside from last night?

I've never had any trouble wearing a 13oz. 8 yd. kilt, but you might consider a heavier weight material. But overrated? Never heard any complaints from the ladies!

Don't you remember last November and December? I recall at least 4-5 really good windstorms.

**Perldog007** · 13th November 07, 11:44 AM

I live on the eastern shore, and sometimes the wind does seem to contraindicate a kilt.

With my FK, the cargo pockets hold a couple bottles of water or other beverage and that keeps the kilt down. Any wind that blows the kilt up in that condition is liable to have a roof and two barns in it.

The sporran does keep the front of the kilt down for me, but there are times when I hear the wind howl and glumly put on a pair of grape smugglers. _sighs_