Storing kilts

[gilmore]

This is a question for Hamish, Matt Newsome, Riverkilt and other who have many kilts.

How do you store them?

There are several ways reported: hanging them on longer-than-pants-hangers kilt hangers; rolling them into a tube with the pleats on the inside; laying them flat on a pile; etc.

What works best in your experience?

How do you keep them in a moth-proof environment?

Thanks

[RockyR]

If you have wool kilts, the opinion varies...

I hang mine in my closet (on 3 clip hangers) and have some bags of lavendar in there to keep any POTENTIAL moths away (we don't get too many moths here... *knocks on wood*).

If you only wear it once in a long while, we suggest taking an old pillow case and poking a hole thru the closed end. Hang the kilt inside it (like a cover) with a small bag of lavendar. The cloth (as opposed to plastic) allows the wool to "breathe" and air to circulate. The Lavendar bag smells nice (MUCH better than moth balls) and keeps moths away.

If you have a cedar closet, you can hang it in there, without the bag or lavendar.

If you have a cedar chest, you can lay it flat and gently fold it and put it in there. The only problem is that you'll probably have to steam the creases out when you want to wear it.

If you have NON WOOL kilts (acrylic, cotton, poly blends, PV... etc), you can just hang them in the closet.

[Warlock]

Thanks for posting that Rocky.

[wsk]

I have a small business that processes natural fibers for fiber artists and handspinners. The clothing moth is a common topic of conversation.

Clothing moths and their larvae (which do the actual damage) do not like light so a dark closet hung full of wool kilts is a perfect haunt - especially since kilts offer even darker hiding places under pleats. Clothing moths are attracted to the scent of the lanolins, body oils, suint, etc in wool. For this reason, lavender sachets, cedar, etc are used by some to mask the natural attractants. From my reading on the topic, the efficacy of the sachets has not yet been confirmed but it smells nice and can't hurt. Clean wool is not as attractive to a clothing moth as a freshly shorn fleece in a wool pack. Your sweat and body oils will also attract the moths to your kilts.

So, the recommendations that I can make are:

1. wear your wool kilts regularly;
2. keep the closet door open and periodically move your kilts around (see number 1) paying close attention to the areas under the pleats;
3. for longer term storage put them in a tightly sealed chest - doesn't have to be cedar (store only cleaned wool in the chest).

[Hamish]

Ok Gil, this is what I do.

Firstly ALL my kilts are hung. I did use the wooden bar clamp-style hangers but can no longer get the extra long ones. Instead, I found a source of extra strong metal clip hangers which are exactly the correct length - although these have ony two clips, one at each end, they are strong enough to take a full 8 yard, 16oz traditional without sagging. I fold the kilts more or less as if I were wearing them: all the pleats on one side, with the two aprons folded over each other on the other. I make sure all the straps and buckles are done up too.

Each kilt, on its hanger, is then placed inside a transparent polythene clothes bag. The hanger hook protrudes through a small hole in the centre of the sealed top seam, whilst the bottom end of the bag is cut off so that it is entirely open, thus allowing the kilt within to breathe.

My most expensive hand-sewn woollen kilts are then hung in a 5' wide closed wardrobe, with Lavender bags hung amongst them. All my other kilts: USA Kilts, Freedom Kilts, R-Kilts, Albanach.com kilt, Utilikilts, Union Kilts, Bear Kilts, Amerikilts, Kinloch Anderson Breacans, KiltStore kilts, Wales Tartan Centre kilt, NeoKilt, etc. are stored in the same poythene, open-ended bags but are hung on two 7' long, wheeled garment rails, and one 4' wheeled rail (all of which are now getting rather full!)

The polythene bags not only protect the kilts from dust, etc. but they also protect each kilt from its neighbour in that the pleats do not become caught on the kilt next to it. Most of the polythene bags are clear but my 'archived kilts (ie: those that I most certainly cannot get into any more) are hung in green, but still transparent, bags.

I already have a card-index system whereby every kilt is recorded with as much information as I can muster, but I am also thinking seriously about numbering each one to aid identification in the event of my sudden departure from this mortal coil. I have a photo CD for every kilt (one or two now require two disks!) and every new photo of a particular kilt is stored on its appropriate disk.

My day jackets, kilt-suit jackets, PC and doublets are stored in the same manner as the kilts and have their own wardrobe, which is now almost at bursting point.

More information there than you requested, Gil, but I thought you and others might be interested in how The Kollection is kept.

[Splash_4]

Hamish, would you be open to posting a photo of one of your arrangements?

[Hamish]

Hamish, would you be open to posting a photo of one of your arrangements?

I'll see what I can do, Splash.

Some while back I attempted a video-clip of the Kollection - several attempts even - but there was never enough light, or something, indoors. Added to which it is virtually impossible to get the three garment rails anywhere near the built-in wardrobes!!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I find that most people overthink things, but here is all I do.

I get a clamp skirt/pant hanger. I fold the kilt and fasten it, as if it were being worn (in other words, I close the aprons and buckle them together, or if I don't actually buckle them, the kilt is laying as if it were buckled). I think fold it in half again, with a verticle fold, with the pleats on the outside of the fold. I clamp the hanger on the top, and simply hang it like that in my closet.

Now, keep in mind that most of my kilts are 4 yard kilts (box pleated, of course!), and I have a 36" to 38" waist, so when folded in the above manner they fit in a single clamp hanger perfectly.

But the 8 yard kilts I have also work just as well in this manner. The only one that doesn't is a kilt I have from an extremely heavy Harris Tweed that I just simply don't fold in half, because there is no way the clamp would fasten down on 6 layers of the cloth. However, this is just the one kilt -- I have other Harris Tweed kilts that are a more standard thickness, and the usual method works well.

I don't seem to have a problem with moths where I live, and I wear all my kilts regularly enough that moth holes really don't seem to be a problem, so I don't take any extra precautions myself. Those that do worry about moths, though, please take precautions, and remember that cedar smells better than moth-balls! (Just remember to change the cedar out every year).

Aye,
Matt

[Robin]

Like many others...the wooden clamp "kilthangers"

I fold the kilt (like you wear it)...I use 35 cm kilthangers...long enough and strong enough....works perfect....no sagging pleats.

[ScottInNewHampshire]

I tried the standard wooden clamp but for some of the heavier kilt (eg., SWK Wool Ancient Lamont) I felt like the small clamp wasn't quite wide enough to keep the kilt from being pulled down on the outside edges. The solution was easy and relatively inexpensive. SWK sells a larger sized clamp type that supports almost the entire width of the kilt (stored as described above - as if it is being worn). I only ordered three but I am going to get some more. I find the UK is heavy enough to slip off the hangers with the two clips (it needs a clamp style).

Here's the LINK. I know they are $6.50 (+ shipping) but you paid a lot for that kilt, why not invest in a stury hanger for it too (especially the heavy wool ones)?

http://pro.channeladvisor.com/storef...9&aid=38502216

Agree with the cedar lined closet. I lined mine with cedar chip board from the Home Depot (about $20 per 4X8 foot sheet). Every Spring and Fall (when I change the clocks for day light saving), I take the clothes out, put them on the bed and run a sandpaper over the surface to reactivate the cedar-y smell. Was a great and easy solution to an expensive cedar closet.