Men inTights, Wearing a kilt

[CDNSushi]

I have the guts to wear tights -- but I've never worn them with a kilt, nor would I really be inclined to... At least not in the traditional sense. If I were going for a particular, modern, urban street look, then sure. But it would also likely not involve any of my classic, tartan kilts.

Anyway, that said, there is a world of difference between $8 Walmart leggings and $80 Under Armours. The latter are designed for athletic use in cold conditions, whereas the former are simply just fashion. Gender labels aside, you won't get much protection from the women's wear equivalent. They're just not made for the task. For the record, yes, there most certainly ARE companies that make the male equivalent of women's tights or leggings, but it is a niche market. G. Lieberman has been making them for years. If you ever did go that route, you'd end up with something middle of the road (price-wise) but also in build quality. (Check out http://www.glieberman.com/a866-therm...ghts-with-fly/ if you're interested). I have never bought their product, but I'm certainly aware of their existence.

Now, in terms of LOOKS... My understanding was that good King George's pink tights/kilt combo was not very well received. That aside, IF I were to pair tights with a traditional kilt look, (with strong emphasis on the IF), it really would only be for warmth, I would probably choose an inexpensive pair of black, opaque, non-shiny tights ($8 Walmart special would likely be fine), and put regular kilt hose over top. So to the casual observer, you would see: top half of me, kilt, a band of black around the knee area, then thick, woolen hose, boots or shoes. But it would have to be darned cold for me to do that, as I find that even when I wear tights for weather (without a kilt), within an hour or two, I am so warm, I find myself looking for a bathroom stall where I can take them off!

[knotty]

How about fleece pants? They fit like tights.

[Liam]

My solution for the ultra cold "kilted" days - a 22 oz. kilt as Glen has suggested, long kilt hose - if necessary roll them up over your knees. Wear a long overcoat which covers your kilt and part way down your calves. I wear my "drover" coat to about - 10 deg C and a wool overcoat when it is colder. Much of your heat loss is at the top (especially those of us who are folically challenged) so wear a warm hat.

[JohntheBiker]

If you are not going to be outside for any length of time, warm boxers and warm hose should do the trick. If you insist on going snowshoeing in a kilt, then men's winter tights are probably recommended.

There is a Mel Brooks movie in here someplace.

[Liam]

Tights no not for me, that brings up images of George IV and his pink tights. I have worn boxer briefs under the kilt especially in the Canadian winters. Another thought though is a military kilt, 22 oz wool sure does help.

As Glen has said the 22 oz. military kilts really keep you warm.

[cable scot]

I can not speak as to how correct etc. this is, but my g-g-g-grandfather wore long underwear under his kilt and hose in the late 1800s here in Wisconsin. We are also known to have cold winters.

Isaac

I also have been known to wear thermals under my kilt when the weather dictates.

[Tobus]

The look of tights under a kilt would remind me of unfortunate scenes like when Snoop Dogg wore one with black leggings (or maybe just kilt hose pulled all the way up with no turnover).

OK, don't laugh guys. But consider pantyhose. And I'll begin with a disclaimer that I've never worn pantyhose (hey, it never gets that cold here in Texas). But my father, who was in the Rangers, told me that those guys did it all the time when it was REALLY cold. Pantyhose may be thin, but they hold warmth fairly well because they are skin-tight. Of course, those Rangers were wearing them under BDU trousers, but it could work with a kilt without any visual difference to casual observers.

Obviously, one would want to be careful what crowd one hangs out with when doing such. A man in a 'skirt' AND wearing pantyhose might just be too much for some people.

[ratspike]

I've worn tights and long underwear with my kilts, tartan and solid, and would happily do it again if the weather was that nasty. I have fancy cycling tights and knickers and they're great but yeah, not inexpensive. I also have some thick lycra blend tights that are soft and pretty warm and not lycra-shiny - about 6 bucks from the women's sock department. Your wife is a smart lady. The $6 tights look the same as my cycling tights and keep me warm the same. The only difference is the fit, and that's down to the difference between two panels of fabric vs six or eight panels, not because they're "women's" tights.

[knotty]

The look of tights under a kilt would remind me of unfortunate scenes like when Snoop Dogg wore one with black leggings (or maybe just kilt hose pulled all the way up with no turnover).

OK, don't laugh guys. But consider pantyhose. And I'll begin with a disclaimer that I've never worn pantyhose (hey, it never gets that cold here in Texas). But my father, who was in the Rangers, told me that those guys did it all the time when it was REALLY cold. Pantyhose may be thin, but they hold warmth fairly well because they are skin-tight. Of course, those Rangers were wearing them under BDU trousers, but it could work with a kilt without any visual difference to casual observers.

Obviously, one would want to be careful what crowd one hangs out with when doing such. A man in a 'skirt' AND wearing pantyhose might just be too much for some people.

I know many skiers wore panty hose before fleece & new age fabrics showed up.

[Matty Ross]

kilted.jpg
Two days wearing "tights" with a kilt has been an interesting experience. I appreciate the comments so far. Much of the choice of how to wear a kilt in cold weather really depends on what your doing. I drive a delivery truck. This means climbing in and out all day, in and out of stores and bushiness, bending and squatting. During the milder weather I wear kilts EVERY day. So these work clothes need to be affordable and I also prefer machine washable. I have two ultimate Sport Kilts. I normally wear Black Kilt Hose anyway. Wearing black leggings, most people never noticed, from the front you can only see 3 inches of knees. Just to make it interesting I asked several of my regular customers what they thought of my wardrobe choices. The response was totally positive.
For those who have gotten to know me, know I pretty much march to the tune of my own pipes. I love wearing my kilts. Working in this part of the country in single digit temperatures isn't much fun. So when you can do it in a kilt and stay warm too, I think I'll go for the tights, The cheep ones.