Wrinkled pleats

[xena]

I wholeheartedly agree with Wildrover. Wool kilts are amazingly durable:

Click here to see the recommendations of a friend of mine.

Of course, all this does NOT apply to non-wool kilts.

And for what it's worth, he has some good stories of what he's done in a kilt, and how they've held up.

[Zardoz]

Sportkilts are supposed to be a "polyester viscose blend" fabric, I always thought the ones I got a few years back were a poly cotton fabric, but they might have changed.

As far as keeping the pleats smooth; The issue with the SK, even with the sewn down pleat model, is the elastic waistband, it bunches up the back of the kilt and hanging it up etc. likely won't really sort them out. On the other hand, I think getting into basting and going to the drycleaner may be a little overboard for a kilt with 10 or 11 pleats in it. I would just stretch the thing out to smooth out the waistband area and clamp it down long enough to smooth out and press the pleats with a medium steam iron.

(and consider a Stillwater Thrifty or USA Casual the next time)

[wildrover]

I wholeheartedly agree with Wildrover. Wool kilts are amazingly durable:

Click here to see the recommendations of a friend of mine.

Of course, all this does NOT apply to non-wool kilts.

And for what it's worth, he has some good stories of what he's done in a kilt, and how they've held up.

Huh...as a matter of fact, that friend of yours made my kilt, and was the inspiration for stupid tricks like this one:

(don't look too close )


I started at the top, and went downhill at a fairly good clip. the kilt is under my butt, and being held in place by a firm grip...gloves are covering the non-family-oriented bits, btw, as the necessities of balance and a solid covering over my rear end required grabbing the kilt like that.

I'm happy to report no snow rash, no kilt damage (I was watching for talus under the snow), the kilt dried out on the way down (not that it picked up much snow or meltwater in the first place), sat scrunched in a drybag with my filthy socks for the better part of the next 12 hours, was tossed in a heap in the corner overnight because I didn't get home until after midnight, sat there until the following afternoon when I picked it up and tossed it over a chair to finish drying, then finally rolled it up and stuck it back in the cedar chest.

The following weekend (last weekend), I pulled it out, kilted up, and went to the Irish Festival on Saturday, drank a bunch of booze and danced to the rock & roll, and Sunday morning got dressed in ghillie brogues and a dress shirt, and turned in some damn good piping results for a Grade 4 guy like myself.

I have yet to wash it, and it shows absolutely no signs of needing to be ironed. What wrinkles do appear from sitting on a car seat, are generally shaken out simply by walking around for a bit...they're temporary wrinkles, if my butt were hot enough to press wool, I'd be in the hospital.

That picture was at about 17 miles in to the 20 miles I put on the kilt that weekend, by the way.

So...my advice...the best way care for your pleats is to get a wool kilt in the first place, and take it from there.

[ThinBlueLine]

Zardoz,

I have a Stillwater Thrift-Kilt which I love dearly and I will probably buy more from them. I bought this particular Sport Kilt simply because they had the Law Enforcement tartan by Linda Clifford which I can not find anywhere else (aside from wool). Next on my list will be the Law Enforcement one from USA Kilts now that they carry it in the Casual line.
In general I am trying to get a decent sample set from a handful of kilt makers before I start settling on a particular favorite. I hope that made sense.