Warm weather wardrobe

[McMurdo]

I used to dress like this in warm weather:

The hose are from WBrewin & Sons and are thin so they are good for hotter weather, though they are a synthetic blend so there is some debate as to whether or not a thin wool set would be better. The shirt was just a short sleeve white shirt I had in my wardrobe. As for the flashes and belt I rarely wear those any longer in warmer weather. That was a few years ago, these days in the warmer weather I would most likely be seen wearing something like this:

Tattersall cotton shirt, wool hose no belt or flashes.

[Mel1721L]

Would like to know about that myself.

Sent you a pm.

[Pleater]

I have the luxury of making my own clothes, and in the warmer months I wear cotton or cotton blend kilts, with cotton tunic or tee shirt - as cotton is cool and I react badly to man made fibres in the heat, even something sewn with polyester thread can bring up a weal.

I make simple kilts, pleating the fabric onto a waistband without sewing a fell - that allows for more airflow.

Open necks, wide sleeves and easy airflow seem to be the key factors in keeping cool.

In cold wet weather, cotton is, of course a killer as it is colder than nothing at all.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Angela Kaye Bodine]

Mikilt .. I know its in middle of August now, fall is almost here..you have had alot of imput.. great advice too from everyone, Tee shirts, polo and button up short sleeve etc.. I have noticed that this August is odd cool at night/morning but warm in afternoon in New Jersey not sure how Chicago is..so a jacket or something u may need too.. Angie

[frank_a]

I hope to pick up a bespoke light wool waistcoat later this week that was made to wear alone (wool all around the back). I have 5 yards of lightweight blue worsted wool I will be delivering to my seamstress for a lightweight matching kilt jacket and waistcoat. Even where we live, I get too hot in my more formal kilt jackets, so am looking forward to some lighter stuff I can wear when it's warm. We'll see how it looks.

Frank

[James Hood]

Miserable kilt not-quite-wearing experience failure here in the pestilential swamp covered in concrete which is metro Chicago.

Was going to wear a perfect, lovely bespoke 4+ yard heavy wool kilt for an outdoor event in, "too bleeping hot and too bleeping humid" local weather and chickened out after getting kitted out and immediately achieving, "uncomfortable maximum perspiration level."

Oh, well.

Kudos to those of you who can do it in this sort of wretched clime.

[DyerStraits]

I go with my lighter weight synthetic material tartan kilts (some of which actually feel more like a sturdy cotton twill than anything woolen and are lighter-colored tartans like Weathered MacKenzie), short-sleeve polo and pilot/officer shirts and, for really cool and casual, sleeveless "muscle" shirts--all of which also work well with my cotton utility/cargo pocket kilts. I also have a few pairs of cotton-blend, lighter weight, thinner and more loosely woven kilt hose for warm weather. Keeping Kool Kilted can be done--you're certainly more "ventilated" than you would be in shorts!

[MNlad]

I'm now a big 5.11 Tactical Kilt fan after wearing one for several days in humid, mid-high 80 degree weather. Teamed with a Colombia mesh-vented fishing shirt, I was as comfortable as I have ever been while kilted under those conditions. It may not be traditional, but it sure beat the other kilts hanging in my closet.

[DyerStraits]

I hope to pick up a bespoke light wool waistcoat later this week that was made to wear alone (wool all around the back). I have 5 yards of lightweight blue worsted wool I will be delivering to my seamstress for a lightweight matching kilt jacket and waistcoat. Even where we live, I get too hot in my more formal kilt jackets, so am looking forward to some lighter stuff I can wear when it's warm. We'll see how it looks.

Frank

Tropical weight worsted wool is quite breathable and a very good choice for warm weather suits, coats and pants. Even better is hopsack. When I was a university student I had a navy blue hopsack blazer that I regularly wore to a summer legal internship job in brutally hot southern Mid-West US weather, and remember how comfortable I was. I wouldn't mind at all having a kilt jacket in hopsack--it's also durable, especially wrinkle-resistant, drapes well and is ideal for travel.

[MNlad]

Even better is hopsack.

Funny you should mention that. I just acquired a double-vent, half-lined hopsack sport coat from a local thrift store that's next on my schedule for conversion. It should be done about the time the first snowflakes appear. Well, next year.