Quote Originally Posted by The Kilted Chef
Hamish,
How do you like the Breacans? I've looked at them before, but have a problem with the washability. I currently list StillwaterKilts as my favorite off-the-peg due to the fact that I can wash and wear. I don't like to wear the "good wool" when mucking about in daily activity. The dry cleaning of wool seems to be my put-off. Other than that, how do you like the fit? The "wearability" of the Breacan? I guess I would like an in-the-field review from someone who wears the Breacan before I put my hard earned $ on the line. Thanks!

Larry
Hi Larry,

Well, I do like my Breacans but, because of the lightweight wool fabric that KA uses, I somewhat restrict the wearing of them to our summer months. They are great for walking, hiking, etc. and, indeed, general wear.

Beware though: you simply must NOT wash these garments - dry clean only! Wool cannot be washed successfully, and especially if it is pleated. So, just don't try it! Another advantage of dry cleaning is that the garment is returned to you with beautifully sharply pressed pleats. The Hoffmann presses that the cleaning companies use are far superior to any hand-ironing that one does at home.

Not having worn anything but kilts for five years (15th of next month will be my 5th Anniversary!), I too would not dream of wearing a decent, woollen kilt for 'mucky' jobs about the house .... that's what the excellent Utilikilts were made for!

As for the fit of the Breacan: well, they come 'off the peg' in set sizes and lengths, so chances are they are not going to fit as well as a tailor-made 8 yard kilt, but I've had no problems with them in that respect.

Just remember, Larry, that you get only what you pay for in this life. If you want a lightweight woollen 4 yard kilt, instead of a heavier weight 8 yard kilt than you will not do much better than opting for a Breacan from Kinloch Anderson.