What does your kilts weigh in at ?

[Peter Lowe]

May I respectfully suggest that we try for some answers to the original post. I weighed my kilts with a device for weighing baggage before flying.

My results were - 9 yard 13 oz kilt = 1.9 Kilos and an 8 yard 18 oz kilt = 2.2 kilos.

Anyone else weighed their kilt(s)?

Peter

[Nathan]

what I mean is the ones on E bay sold as dress or casual kilts around the £35 to £50 mark new and they are light and not wool . you can of course get dress kilts that are wool and better quality then the ones on the bay. but they are not heavy weight kilts over 2kg as I understand.

Peter is absolutely right about getting back to weighing kilts, but since it was the OP who made the comment, a word of caution.

I'd advise against using terminology gleaned from ebay ads to refer to Highland attire. Many of the vendors don't know what they are selling and others don't care. The descriptions are, more often than not, inaccurate or in some cases, misleading. The budget, mass produced, machine sewn, synthetic kilts in that price range from Pakistan are in no way suitable for formal dress. That doesn't mean an online vendor won't say they are to make a quick sale.

The proper kilt for "dress" events is a worsted wool, 8 yard, hand sewn kilt usually in the 13 - 16 oz range. Some go heavier but it is not advisable to go lighter.

Now back to the scales!

[Terry1948]

Peter is absolutely right about getting back to weighing kilts, but since it was the OP who made the comment, a word of caution.

I'd advise against using terminology gleaned from ebay ads to refer to Highland attire. Many of the vendors don't know what they are selling and others don't care. The descriptions are, more often than not, inaccurate or in some cases, misleading. The budget, mass produced, machine sewn, synthetic kilts in that price range from Pakistan are in no way suitable for formal dress. That doesn't mean an online vendor won't say they are to make a quick sale.

The proper kilt for "dress" events is a worsted wool, 8 yard, hand sewn kilt usually in the 13 - 16 oz range. Some go heavier but it is not advisable to go lighter.

Now back to the scales!

I weighed my kilt, and it came out to 4.2 pounds. That is dry weight. It is a dress kilt -- I wore it for my wedding, and the wedding was formal. I consider it a proper kilt for a "dress" event; it looks, hangs and swishes like a proper kilt. It is worsted merino wool, 8 yards, machine sewn, in 16 oz wool (Hudson Bay Tartan out of Fraser & Kirkbright Weaving Mills).

[Tobus]

Ok, I just weighed 3 of my heavier kilts.

My 8 yard 16 oz kilt of Lochcarron Strome is 51.7 oz, or 1465.7g.

My Tewksbury 8 yard 15 oz kilt of DC Dalgliesh tartan is 57.0 oz, or 1615.9g.

My MOD QOH kilt (8 yards) is 54.7 oz, or 1550.7g.

I was surprised by these numbers.

*edited to correct my phone's auto-correct.

[The Wizard of BC]

I would like to offer a response to this quote

"the tartan is in deed 14oz 16 oz and 18 oz cloth but in the uk the over all weight is normaly on Kg so a heavy weight kily should be 2.25 to 2.50 KG a mid weight will be 1.50 to 1.75 KG and kilts under 1.50 are dress kilts and the 1kg and below are what we call party kilts . dress kilts and party kilts are normally not wool."

Kilt fabrics are listed by their weight in ounces per linear yard. This is true in the UK and all over the world.

Here on X Marks we use two ways of gauging fabric. One is a fabric yard, or how it is purchased from the weaver, and the other is a kilt yard, as it is cut to make a kilt.

We standardize a fabric yard as 54" to 60" wide by 36" long. Or if you will 1944 to 2160 square inches.

A length of 16oz kilt wool in this size should weigh 16oz.

To calculate the weight of the fabric in a kilt simply measure along the hem and find the total length of fabric used including the facings. Multiply the length along the hem by the total height of the kilt from hem up to waistband. Measure both of these in inches. Then multiply the length by the height to find the total square inches of fabric used in the kilt. divide this by 2160 and the result will be the fabric yards.

For example if along the hem of your kilt you find that the length is exactly 8 yards or 288 inches and the height of the kilt is 23 inches you have 3.06 fabric yards in your kilt.

If the kilt is made from 16oz fabric your kilt should weigh 49 ounces or 3.06 pounds.

This is an example of a full, traditional, 16oz wool kilt. 3.06 pounds is equal to 1.38kg.

So by the quote above this would be less than a 'real' kilt.

I'm sorry but that is simply not true.

The same kilt made from 13oz wool would weigh - 3.06 kilt yards X 13 ounces = 39.78 ounces or 2.48 pounds or 1.24kg. And this would be a 'real' kilt too.

In all my years in this business I have never heard the terms "dress" or "party" used to refer to kilts in the way the quote uses them.

If we speak from a documented historical aspect, the kilt was historically a 4 yard box-pleated kilt. The circa 1780-1800 kilts in The Scottish Tartans Museum are 4 yard box pleated kilts and no one can say or even imply that these are not 'real' kilts.
A 4 yard box pleated kilt 23 inches in height, like my other examples above, would weight only 1.53 pounds, or .69 kg,when made from 16oz wool.
Even if made from full 22 oz regimental fabric the above quote would mean these were only 'party' kilts. I'd like to hear someone tell that to the members of the Regiments who wore them.

[Terry1948]

Ok, I just weighed 3 of my heavier kilts.

My 8 yard 16 oz kilt of Lochcarron Stroke is 51.7 oz, or 1465.7g.

My Tewksbury 8 yard 15 oz kilt of DC Dalgliesh tartan is 57.0 oz, or 1615.9g.

My MOD QOH kilt (8 yards) is 54.7 oz, or 1550.7g.

I was surprised by these numbers.

Hmmm, I am thinking my scale must not be accurate, since my 4.2 lbs makes it so much heavier than yours. On the plus side, if the scale is wrong, maybe Idon't weigh as much as I thought so I don't need to lose as much! A good side to everything!

[MacKenzie]

I've seen machine sewn kilts here that I would wear to any event, regardless of the suggested tie color.

[Bob C]

I've seen machine sewn kilts here that I would wear to any event, regardless of the suggested tie color.

Exactly. It's ridiculous to assert that every stitch in a kilt must be put there by hand to make it a proper kilt.

[MacGumerait]

Hmm , which weighs more ... a pound of wool or a pound of PV ?

Sorry , just had to add a bit of levity .

[Downunder Kilt]

Pounds head