Wool clothing?

[fluter]

The smartwool stuff is fantastic, except, it's expensive. I have a hard time swallowing a $60 price tag for a t-shirt...

T.

'Tis the season to watch for end-of-season sales! Stop by your local retailers regularly: for instance, you want to be there the day they mark the 100% wool ski socks down to half price.

L.L.Bean Eddie Bauer et al have specials on their Web sites, retail stores, outlets. Some of the other Web sites mentioned are worth checking often.

[ccga3359]

Hemp?? Tell me more..

I really haven"t heard much about it. Other than the usual "hemp" stuff.

The smartwool stuff is fantastic, except, it's expensive. I have a hard time swallowing a $60 price tag for a t-shirt...

T.

For a hemp kilt or shirt go to RKilts. Robert is the only builder of hemp kilts and it's pretty impressive stuff. For more info on this hemp fabric check out Hemp Traders. It's unfortunate that hemp is not legal for growing in the States, in Canada we have some producers but not wide spread and may be by special licence.

[turpin]

Don't forget Steve Ashton at Freedom Kilts makes a couple of different styles of custom hemp shirts to be worn with a kilt.

[Ian.MacAllan]

In my experience military wool (except tropical worsted) tends to be warmer than you will want. I'd suggest that www.campmor.com is worth checking out. Granted they have a lot of warm stuff, and a lot made from man-made fibres, but they may still have something you'll find useful. Their prices are reasonable and until I ordered kilts from SWK Campmor held the record for prompt delivery: 34 hours.

.

[McFarkus]

Empire Canvas Works makes some great wool clothing including this shirt http://www.empirecanvasworks.com/woolblanketshirt.htm

[ozone]

I want to second the nomination for the brand: icebreaker
I just got a beanie hat from them and it was soft, thin, and warm whilst effectively temperature regulating. All the qualities one would want out of a wool garment. Of course, isnt this why we wear kilts as well (the wool ones at least)?

[Nigel]

My advice is to find a bamboo shirt retailer. They're shirts made of 50% bamboo, 50% cotton and better-feeling than hemp. They wick away sweat, cool you on hot days, and warm you on cold days. It's really amazing.

[fluter]

My advice is to find a bamboo shirt retailer. They're shirts made of 50% bamboo, 50% cotton and better-feeling than hemp.

The "bamboo" is a rayon/viscose fiber made from bamboo. I have a few pairs of over-the-calf dress socks which I wear without a cuff. So far, I quite like them.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Try Orvis also. They have lots of different wool stuff... I have a tweed hat from them I wear all year 'round.

[Woodsheal]

Not kilt-related, but an interesting article on the advantages of natural-fiber garments over synthetics in harsh environments, in this case Mt. Everest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5076634.stm