kilt and hot weather. Weekend festival attire.

**matt.mackinnon** · 8th August 13, 05:53 AM

I am heading off to my local Highland games in Fergus later today and am wondering about proper attire. I have a couple ot kilts, and know that the kilt itself is not all that bad to wear. I'd have no problem with wearing a plain tshirt or short sleeve button shirt. My question comes to hose/garters. Is it just wrong to skip wearing them in the blazing hot sun? Now your hose gives you somewhere to put your Sgians Dubh, but i am willing to forgo that in the sake of staying cool. I don't know what is worse, a badly sweating dehydrated Scott or a wrongly dress one?

Any feedback is appreciated.

**JohntheBiker** · 8th August 13, 06:08 AM

You are bound to bump into folks in kilts and sandals. I wear hose, heat notwithstanding, and don't find it much of a bother. I'm planning to go on Saturday and it's only going to be 21C - not terribly hot.

**Geoff Withnell** · 8th August 13, 06:17 AM

Myself, unless it is VERY hot (+100F) or VERY casual, I wear these:

http://jas-townsend.com/product_info...roducts_id=238

**Godot** · 8th August 13, 06:20 AM

I wore long socks in the summer for years as a Boy Scout and didn't find them a bother. Granted, they were not heavy wool hose. I have a few pairs of rather thin cotton hose to wear in the heat (or any other time I don't want to risk ruining my nicer hose).

**Kiltboy** · 8th August 13, 06:25 AM

When it's hot (+95F), I wear my thin socks (cotton or blends, not the wool ones). Or for a quick casual look, low boots with the hose scrunched down.

**kiltedrennie** · 8th August 13, 06:29 AM

I'm all for the scrunched down sock look with combat boots if you're dressing casual to begin with. Be comfortable.

**fluter** · 8th August 13, 07:20 AM

If you forego the hose, don't neglect to put some sunscreen on your legs!

My legs below the knee say pasty-white most of the year, thanks to kilt hose. It's much like the "Boy Scout suntan" of yore, when we spent summer camp wearing t-shirt, shorts, and stockings. I, too, still have some of those olive-khaki stockings for summer wear.

**Father Bill** · 8th August 13, 07:24 AM

In my experience, wool isn't always overly hot; polyester, lycra... etc. are killers!

**kiltedrennie** · 8th August 13, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by fluter

If you forego the hose, don't neglect to put some sunscreen on your legs!

Ouch! I can just feel the kilt swishing across the sunburned backsides of my knees!

**creagdhubh** · 8th August 13, 08:13 AM

Check out my recent post titled, "2013 Dublin Irish Festival" in the "Show Your Pics" thread.

Whereas it was unseasonably cool this particular weekend (highs in the mid to upper 70's), it was still rather hot in the direct sunlight. My tweed jacket didn't last long; just enough time for a few photos, then I promptly took it off. I felt great all day, as there was also a nice breeze. I put my jacket back on once the sun went down, since it became so cool.

For very hot weather, I will seldom even wear Highland dress, but when I do, I usually wear the kilt, hose, shoes, flashes, sgian dubh, sporran, long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up (if need be), no tie and maybe a Balmoral bonnet. Then again, what I decide to wear in regards to Highland dress and warmer weather, typically depends on my mood at the time. I just want to feel comfortable, yet still look well turned out - that makes me feel good and is my modus operandi.

Cheers,