how hardy are kilts?

[Hachiman]

Hey Hey!

The thought occurred to me today as I lamented the demise of yet another expensive denim bifurcated garment - just how hard-wearing are kilts? Now, I realise that it does depend on which material the kilt is made from, so perhaps if I limit my question to woollen or PV/wool blends (as they're the type of kilt I'm most likely to purchase - I like the traditional look).

Do woollen kilts 'pill' with constant wear? How long will they last in general?
These are the sort of questions I'd like to find an answer to.

cheers

Hachiman

[Andrewson]

My oldest kilt was made for me by Thomas Gordon in 1990 and has been worn regularly ever since - with increasing frequency. It has been dry cleaned. Its a 16oz trad wool 8yd.

The wool shows absolutely no signs of pilling - or of wear (the pleats are still sharp) - but the leather straps are a bit more floppy than they were when new.

I think that well made trad kilts are virtually indestructible!

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

So far, for me, extremely well wearing. I have not had any problems with pilling on a wool or wool blend kilt, but the SWK standards (acrylic, I believe) do tend to have that problem. No trouble really, just shave it every 3-4 wearings.

[MacWage]

There are various types of wool as well. The common wool is "fuzzy" and will pill in some areas, such as behind the sporran straps in front. The worsted wool, however, feels more like tough canvas (somewhat anyways) and will not pill (unless you do something VERY BIZZARE to it). As I am learning how to make kilts, I am using cheaper wool ($10-$20/yard), so as to same money for now and to make decent "knock arounds" as I improve my skills, then I will shift to regular worsted, which costs $50-$100/yard, but is far better for long term kilts.

Of I was just buying a kilt from someone, I would HIGHLY recommend a good weight worsted, it is well worth the money. When you consider that it will outlast the "cheap kilts" by a long, long time (short of any garment destroying incidents like chains and moths), it is really not that much more expensive over a decade or more. A Cheap kilt is an expensive disposable kilt, while a well made worsted will last and last and last, and be handed down generation to generation, as long as it is kept moth free.

(I am not including the well made kilts of USA Kilts and similar entities in cheap kilts, for they are much better made and of a much better material than what most consider "cheap kilts." While the nice "mid range" PV kilts will last years and years of constant use, they still are likely not as ultimaely durable as a 16oz worsted one. Rocky may wish to correct me on this if I am mistaken. He makes an excellent product and it is on my "wishlist" of "things to buy." I absolutely do not want to bash him- just to make sure that ya'll DO NOT include his work and those of similat quality as a "cheap kilt," which they certainly are NOT.)

Grand Killer of Moths,

[RockyR]

I've only been wearing kilts for 3 years, so I can't speak to a hundred years of wear, but I will say this:

Worsted wool will last a LONG friggin time. None of my 5 yard wools or Premiers have worn out in the timne
Wool blends, felted wool, etc... can't say from personal experience
Cotton Poly blends pill.
Acrylic pills.
PV does not pill... also, it's lasted very well for the last 3 years I've been wearing them.

Keep this in mind... a bifurcated garment that is tight will wear quicker. Think about the knees on jeans... when you kneel down, they not only touch the ground, but they are "stretched" (not that they're "stretchy", but they're pulled taut) by the motion of bending your knee and leeping the cuff and waistband at the same point. Kilts (and consequently shorts that stop above the knee) last much longer since they're not bound to your body at the top AND bottom... just the top.

[davedove]

Keep this in mind... a bifurcated garment that is tight will wear quicker. Think about the knees on jeans... when you kneel down, they not only touch the ground, but they are "stretched" (not that they're "stretchy", but they're pulled taut) by the motion of bending your knee and leeping the cuff and waistband at the same point. Kilts (and consequently shorts that stop above the knee) last much longer since they're not bound to your body at the top AND bottom... just the top.

Any jeans I had would tend to wear in two places: The knees and the crotch. Now since a kilt has neither, I expect mine to last a LONG time, barring anything drastic happening to them.

[Kilted KT]

I've heard of kilts lasting a good long time...I think it was Hamish who said he still has one that was made in the 1970's.

As for work-type kilts, I would save some money and get a canvas or duck cloth modern kilt. They are far better suited to being beat to death than a traditional tank, and they cost a lot less.

[jjoseph]

I have to concur w/ big Dave, KiltedKT and Rocky:

1. If you want longterm wear, get a canvas kilt. My UK's can take serious punishment and don't have the "knee" problem that jeans do.

2. My wools look new, but I only ever dryclean them.

3, I handwash and hangdry my PV and Acrylic kilts -- the acrylic pills a great deal over time.


I would add that your choice of sporran strap makes a big difference:

Chain causes RAPID wear.
Leather less so -- but noticiable.
Nylon has not cause any appreciable wear to show, and black nylon web is suitable for all but the dressiest occasions.

[Big Dave]

It only makes sense that kilts will outlast pants (leg prisons), there is nothing on a kilt that will rub together and wearout, not including sporrans and their straps (chains, etc.). I've worn my UK a couple times a week for little over a year now and the only wear is some colour fadding and some pilling on the apron from my old sporran, and I work on everything while kilted.

[MacWage]

. . and I work on everything while kilted.

What about cars (Danger of "flashing" unsuspecting folks in public)?

I've been known to go that on occasion, but not when regimental.