That's a hose of a different color

[Mike_Oettle]

Great job, T-Bone! It’s my favourite colour.
And if you find it too bright, it probably will fade.
Regards,
Mike

[T-Bone]

I rather like the colour they are

Do you know the thread blend in the hose? Higher % of non-natural materials (polyester, rayon, nylon, acetate, whatever) will typically mean the fabric won't hold the dye as well. Natural fabrics will hold dye, artificial typically won't.

How hot was your "hot" water? I don't recall the directions, but I think it's supposed to be boiling or just shy of. If you lowered the temp in deference to preventing shrinkage, it would also lower the efficiency of the dye.

I used simmering water and then carefully restretched the hose afterwards, with no ill effects to the size. Just gently stretch them bit by bit lengthwise, then again crosswise. I don't recall the blend, but the hose took a rich colour with that method.

I do not remember the blend, if any. I got these in 1997.

The water was about 50% hot tap water ~120F and 50% boiling water. There was steam coming off the top until I poured out the dye solution.



Thanks everyone for the compliments. I just might leave them the way they are and let nature take it's course on them.

T

[Sealark]

I wouldn't change them, I think they look great. Nice picture of your daughter, you have her smiling, she looks like loves them! Hopefully my assumption is correct and that is your daughter, I apologize if I'm wrong.

[NewGuise]

Keep the colour.

[Kilted Rogue]

I have a pair almost that same shade. but i bought mine that way, glad to see the dye job works, if i come across and white hose for a steal, i may have to pick them up

[westy1970]

I tried it today with yellow. I would say they a tad more orange than my Irish heritage allows. Next I go with RIT color remover and a dark blue. I like your color, though. Keep it!

[Mike in Dayton]

I have also dyed a sock or two. So far only with tan and light green. I now use the Rit Dye Fixative after completing the dye process. This helps to reduce the bleeding of the color on future washings. I got my bottle from Jo Ann Fabric along with the dye.

Mike

[Tobus]

I agree with the others who have said that they'd keep the color as-is. That's almost a perfect color to match the blues of most 'ancient' tartan hues.

I now use the Rit Dye Fixative after completing the dye process. This helps to reduce the bleeding of the color on future washings.

I am going to have to try that next time. I dyed the hose shown below (which were previously cream colored) with Rit dye, but after the first few washes, they had faded significantly to a light green. Part of that, I'm sure, is that they were high in artificial fiber content. But if the fixative helps, I'll give it a shot when I end up re-dyeing them!

Gentlemen - I'm new to wearing kilts and have noticed on the forum, as mentioned above, a bias against cream/white hose. Without trying to find any pertinent discussion thread on the topic, can you tell me why this is the case?

If you look at historical/traditional portraits and photos of kilted men, you will not see white or cream hose being worn at all. The argument usually made against cream hose is that they did not appear on the scene until just a few decades ago (not sure exactly when but it's safe to say that it was well within the last century) and was the result of kilt-hire shops trying to rent out the cheapest stuff they could. Rather than carry numerous colors of hose to rent out with their kilts, it was easier for them to go with a generic white or cream color that matches everything. And since most people who rent a kilt aren't savvy on what's proper, they just accepted that this was correct.

So the usual objection to cream hose is that it's not traditional, and it is a false fashion foisted on the public by businessmen looking to save a buck. And in doing so, those businessmen have clearly bamboozled the public into thinking that white/cream hose are correct... to the point that most people (Americans, anyway) expect to see cream hose over colored hose! And worse yet, books have been written which claim cream hose to be proper, and so people take it as gospel! I make no personal claim on the correctness of this argument; I'm simply explaining what you asked for. But I do think it's a very good argument against cream hose if it is accurate.

As for me personally, I started off like everyone else, not knowing what was traditional, and so my first pair of kilt hose were cream colored. But I only go with colored/patterned hose now (and I think it looks better anyway). However, I've seen some cream hose that were thick, knitted, good-looking hose, worn with a tweed 'kilt suit' that looked fantastic. What really looks bad, to my eye, is very thin, cheap ribbed cream hose, especially when it's worn too high.

To each his own, though! Certainly cream hose has a following amongst the general public. But you'll find that most traditionalists who know the history of the kilt will likely spurn cream hose.

[T-Bone]

No worries, Sealark, it is my daughter. She is the reason I cannot go regimental. She likes to hide under my pleats when I'm not looking.

Kilted Rogue...that is a great idea--finding inexpensive white hose and dyeing them whatever color you want. It usually is the white hose that are on sale at most places.

Tobus-thanks for the explanation. It makes sense.

T

[Whidbey78]

I have several pairs of khaki colored hose. I may give one a treatment of green dye and see what the result is. Not sure why, but dying hose neveer crossed my mind. Thanks for the idea!

The blue looks good. I think they will "break in" nicely color-wise.

As far as the cream hose thing goes, the previous post is what I have been told and have read elsewhere. Sometimes they do look good and seem to fit. I personally won't wear them simply because I can't keep white clothing white. If there is crud somewhere I'll be the one to brush against it, sit in it, have it fly through the air and hit me, or I simply generate it myself! I once ruined a white t-shirt in a museum, and the picture of me getting my first Good Conduct medal in my dress whites shows a big black smudge running up my leg and on my forearm!