Knockabout kilt

[Steelkilt]

Good evening, I'm looking for advice on a yard work/knockabout kilt. I prefer the look and feel of wool, but I'm concerned about the maintenance and cleaning. I have several UTkilts (weathered black watch being my favorite) that would fit the bill, and not break the bank.

The other option is an acrylic material (I've been looking at USAkilts). The problem I'm having is that
1. The cost of acrylic is nearly that of a beater wool kilt (from UT), and I like the one's I already have
2. I don't see a tartan that is appealing (and either universal or clan specific) that I would wear to fit this purpose.

Is wearing a "beater" wool kilt a reasonable idea, or am I just asking for problems?

[bodhran4me]

I don't believe USAKilts carries acrylic kilts. They are either PV from Marton Mills or wool from Uk mills.

Many retailers use the term PV to describe acrylic and other materials but they are different fabrics with different characteristics. The Marton Mills PV is generally regarded as THE alternative to wool for use in kilts.

Is your idea of a knockabout kilt for gardening? pubbing? hanging out on the front porch? Intended use will help determine which material and style is most suitable.

Cheers!

[kingandrew]

Stillwater offers their "economy" line of wool kilts. These are wool, but not very expensive and not designed with all the traditional bells and whistles. If you want a wool kilt to knock around in, they might be a reasonable alternative.

Tartans are limited, usually Black Watch and Black Stewart. But those are certainly nice universal tartans that look attractive.

Andrew

[Steelkilt]

Bodhran4me: Thank you for the correction, I meant PV. The main purpose is everything from lawn work to running around town. I have a tank on the way (Dutch Friendship tartan purchased from Riverkilt and modified by the original tailor, Kathy Lare) that will be set aside for less strenuous activities. The real question is, will wool stand up to the rigors of yard work, or should I consider the PV option? If PV, any suggestions on a muted universal tartan sililar to weathered Black Watch that USAkilts offers in PV?

KingAndrew: I’ve looked at the Stillwater offerings, and the limited tartans keeps putting me off. The only one Stillwater has that I’ve put in my cart (3 or 4 times now!) is the Weathered Mackenzie in the Standard kilt (acrylic). I’m concerened that the acrylic will be a loose weave similar to the UTkilts (I have one that I really don’t like).

[Steve Ashton]

OK, you say that the reason you have passed on the Stillwater is that you can't find the Tartan you want.
You say the same about the Poly/Rayon offered by USA Kilts.

Perhaps you could say what tartan you are looking for to narrow things down a little.

I also notice that you have not mentioned any specific design parameters that you consider important.
Is machine wasability important to you?
Are you perhaps looking at the synthetics for their machine washability or is price the more important factor?

How about manufacturing considerations? Are you looking for the internal construction elements of an Iconic kilt or are you looking for the less structured construction of the casual or pub styles?

Can you be just a bit more specific about what you want to do in your kilt?
For example a kilt for yard work would lend me to point you towards a different kilt than one for "around town". (Which is a pretty vague description of what the activity is. )

We may be able to help better if we had more specifics of what you are looking for.

[Steelkilt]

OK, you say that the reason you have passed on the Stillwater is that you can't find the Tartan you want.
You say the same about the Poly/Rayon offered by USA Kilts.

Perhaps you could say what tartan you are looking for to narrow things down a little.

I like the muted colors of the weathered Black Watch, so something that is in that vein would be ideal.

I also notice that you have not mentioned any specific design parameters that you consider important.
Is machine wasability important to you?
Are you perhaps looking at the synthetics for their machine washability or is price the more important factor?

Machine washable would be nice, and while the price is certainly a factor, I'm more concerned about buying the right one the first time (to avoid buying twice).

How about manufacturing considerations? Are you looking for the internal construction elements of an Iconic kilt or are you looking for the less structured construction of the casual or pub styles?

I'd like something that will stand up to rigorous use, and my understanding of th PV material is that it doesn't need internal elements to preserve the fabric the way wool does- is this correct?

Can you be just a bit more specific about what you want to do in your kilt?
For example a kilt for yard work would lend me to point you towards a different kilt than one for "around town". (Which is a pretty vague description of what the activity is. )

Let's focus on a yard work kilt, with activities such as mowing, edging, tree trimming, weeding gardens, etc...

We may be able to help better if we had more specifics of what you are looking for.

Thank you in advance!

[Katia]

I would think wool might develop pulls and wear from too much rough work.

My biggest concern, though, would be cleaning. If you're doing yard work in it, you're going to want to clean it often. For me that would mean I would want something I could throw in the washer with no fuss. Second consideration would be practicality; if you're just mowing the lawn and raking, a kilt would be fine. If you have to be up and down off the ground, bending over, possibly climbing up on things, trousers may be more comfortable.

[Steelkilt]

I would think wool might develop pulls and wear from too much rough work.

My biggest concern, though, would be cleaning. If you're doing yard work in it, you're going to want to clean it often. For me that would mean I would want something I could throw in the washer with no fuss. Second consideration would be practicality; if you're just mowing the lawn and raking, a kilt would be fine. If you have to be up and down off the ground, bending over, possibly climbing up on things, trousers may be more comfortable.

Thank you for your input- the wool standing up to wear is my biggest concern. As for trousers, in the summer here (Central Valley of CA) it is MUCH more comfortable to wear the kilt.

[tweedhead]

I would think wool might develop pulls and wear from too much rough work.

My biggest concern, though, would be cleaning. If you're doing yard work in it, you're going to want to clean it often. For me that would mean I would want something I could throw in the washer with no fuss. Second consideration would be practicality; if you're just mowing the lawn and raking, a kilt would be fine. If you have to be up and down off the ground, bending over, possibly climbing up on things, trousers may be more comfortable.

Weighing in on this, wool is a remarkable material and good quality wool is a lot tougher than folks may realize. I'm a gardener at a botanical garden and over the past few years I've become a big believer in wool workwear. Six months out of the year, I wear very heavy 28oz wool trousers and the only real problem with them is picking up burrs, tick trefoil, beggars ticks, etc. I've been switching between two pairs and most of the nap has been polished off where my thighs rub together but the fabric is as sturdy as ever.

I've also got an old Orvis tweed sportcoat, probably only 18oz weight, that I use in the autumn and on warm winter days and it's held up remarkable well through the rigors of rose gardening, tulip planting, tree pruning, cutting and dragging brush through the woods with handsaws and chainsaws. In the cold and wind I have a blanket-weight wool anorak (probably 24+oz) and a cotton canvas anorak to go overtop, and with long wool underwear I'm quite comfortable working in -30 Celsius windchill.

Wool has some self-cleaning properties; get some mud or dirt on it? Just let it dry and knock it out. Sweat through it? Air it out in the sunlight. The biggest risk from stains are grass, repeated soil and mud, 2-stroke fuel, motor oil, but I've had the same two pairs of wool work pants for two years now and they look just fine. Granted, the fabric looks like this:
210.jpg
so it doesn't show much on it. Plus most gardening stains in my experience are on your knees, and that isn't a problem with a kilt.

For taking care of it, just let it dry and air out regularly. It's not going to your daughter's wedding so it doesn't have to be dry cleaned and perfectly pressed, just taken care of like any other piece of wool clothing in the days before home washing machines. Wiping with a wet washcloth and airing it out to dry is sufficient 99% of the time. A full wash with soap is only needed if it gets really fouled by organic material or petrochemicals (compost, manure, rotten produce, gasoline, oil, whatever else) that really soak in. Hand washing in a basin or tub, lanolin soaps like eucalan, laying flat to dry in a sweater rack or the like, and airing out. For really bad stuff like being soaked with gasoline, wash with Dr Bronner's and let it dry before washing again with a lanolin soap. Also clean it well if you're storing it for more than a month for any reason (seasonal use, illness, moving house) and store it in an airtight bag or bin to protect it from moths because moths love dirty wool. Come springtime when it gets warm again I clean all my wool workwear and store it in rubbermaid bins until October/November. I suppose dry cleaning is an option before storage, but I'm allergic to dry cleaners (not the chemicals. Just giving them money)

As such I'm going to break with everyone else and say for the longest lasting piece of workwear you can get, go for the heaviest duty wool fabric you can like a regimental cloth thats 18oz+ in weight. Darker colours are preferable of course for hiding stains, but if it is truly a knockabout piece of clothing stains don't matter at all and go for whatever colours you prefer. For a cheap heavyweight wool beater, I'd say used military kilts are your best bet.

Granted all of this is based on my experience working in a continental climate, and I only wear wool when its cool to cold. In hot weather I switch to synthetics and linen. I wrote all this out before seeing your profile says California! I don't know how well you do with heavy wool out there, kilt notwithstanding.