My first kilted outing

[Gilvray]

Top job buddy.....

As the Big Yin himself says...

One more of US and one less of THEM!

[English Bloke]

You shouldn't need to wash it yet, you've only worn it twice!

This has been covered in a few other threads but to save you searching...

If you have a 'Heritage of Scotland' Poly-viscose Kilt, wash it in a machine on a warm, NOT hot temp. Use normal washing powder but NOT conditioner. It will soften the kilt up alot which you might not like. Spin dry it and hang it stretched full length on a line to dry (outside if it's nice weather, inside over the bath if it's the Aberdeenshire norm) You need alot of pegs by the way, wet Kilts are heavy. When it's dry you'll need to sharpen up the pleats a bit.

To press it: Best to do this on the floor on an old Blanket (unless you have laminate flooring) The pleats should still be fairly intact even after washing but you can sharpen them up with a hot steam iron (cotton setting) and pressing cloth. You must use a pressing cloth though or the Kilt will either go very shiny or you'll burn iron-shaped holes in it. I'm sure you know being in the ATC but a pressing cloth is half an old pillow case which you run under a tap and squeeze out so it's wet but not dripping.

Arrange your pleats so they are flat and following the original pleat crease. Lay the pressing cloth on top of the pleats being careful not to move them and press down hard with the iron for a few seconds at a time. You can shoot steam through it as well but as I said before, not if you've got a laminate floor. If you are going to move the iron about on top of the pressing cloth don't disturb the pleats underneath, ideally you just wan't firm downward pressure all over the Kilt. Keep re-wetting your pressing cloth as you go across the kilt so it is always wet.

You can 'baste' the pleats before you start (tack them in place with thread) but for me thats too much like hard work.

When you've done and you want to hang it up, don't use the 'skirt loops' on the Kilt, it will pull the top edge unevenly. Get three skirt hangers (free if you ask for them at ASDA/Sainsbury's clothes counters) and space them out along the top edge of the open kilt Left, middle and right, then fold the kilt aprons over each other as you would when wearing it. Twist the three hanger hooks in the same direction and hang the Kilt up.

Job Done!!

Hope this helps.

[sathor]

Get three skirt hangers (free if you ask for them at ASDA/Sainsbury's clothes counters) and space them out along the top edge of the open kilt Left, middle and right, then fold the kilt aprons over each other as you would when wearing it. Twist the three hanger hooks in the same direction and hang the Kilt up.

You know, that makes sense, I should try that next time I hang mine. Another way to get those hangers is to buy special clips that go on normal plastic hangers, and 'convert' them. I had to do that when I rebuilt my closet. Just make sure that the hangers have a little vertical bar on them, so the pegs don't go sliding around.

[Jordan]

You shouldn't need to wash it yet, you've only worn it twice!

Hope this helps.

It's not that it's dirty just that I'm back at work again tommorow for my 4 day stint. And I plan on wearing my kilt when I'm back home I just wasn't sure if the washing instructions were any different from what I've read elsewhere about washing a tank. Thanks that was great that you took the time to type it all up for me, and since it's comimg up to winter I predict fine weather up here

Jordan

[Snesgamer]

Awesome! My first time out was pretty harrowing for me as well. I live in a not-so-friendly neighborhood, so I was thinking i was just asking to be jumped - but it ended up turning out fine.

My one statement would be - find me man who doesn't know what a kilt is in Scotland, and you've found me the most uneducated man in the world. Someone making fun of a kilt in Scotland would be the cultural equivalent of being made fun of for speaking Spanish in Spain or Mexico. It's just obviously ridiculous.