Wooly Bully
First, I like wool kilts. Two of my most frequently worn kilts are wool kilts. Another is a wool blend. Still others are poly/viscose. The point is, I am not anti-wool.
I am pro-truth.
Many people's opinions of what makes a kilt is based in pride of heritage and traditions. I understand and respect that. But a kilt that has lasted generations while only having been worn twice a year for the last 50 years is not a good test of a fabric's durability.
One of my poly/viscose kilts has been worn on the entire Appalachian Trail, over 2200 miles of extreme temps from snow in the mountains to some blistering, muggy, miserable days. At the end of the trail the pleats were still holding. Even I was surprised and offered him a new kilt for the old one. He won't give it back until he's walked 8000 miles in it!
I dare say a wool kilt would not have fared so well.
Some of the qualities of wool are better for kilts than poly/viscose but the reverse is also true.
Wool pros:
Warmer•better swish factor•more available tartans•can be pulled/stretched during the kiltmaking process in ways that poly/viscose can't.
Wool cons:
Varying degrees of itchiness•smell when wet•needs dry cleaning•needs frequent pressing.
Poly/viscose pros:
Machine wash and dry•cooler in summer•holds pleats better with much less effort•no itchiness•similar weight fabric is stiffer than wool, so it's harder for gusts to lift pleats.
Poly/viscose cons:
Less swish factor•less insulating than wool•fewer available tartans.
Leaving aside the traditional aspects of kilts, poly/viscose has to be seen as an equal or better fabric for kilts, especially in warmer climes, and for casual wear when frequent laundering may be needed.
For those who can't or won't leave tradition aside, wool will always be the only choice for kilts. Some traditions are worth keeping and wool kilts are a good tradition. No matter how popular kilts in other fabrics become, there is no choice for many; only wool.
I prefer to have a few choices with the fabrics of my kilts.
I am pro-truth.
Many people's opinions of what makes a kilt is based in pride of heritage and traditions. I understand and respect that. But a kilt that has lasted generations while only having been worn twice a year for the last 50 years is not a good test of a fabric's durability.
One of my poly/viscose kilts has been worn on the entire Appalachian Trail, over 2200 miles of extreme temps from snow in the mountains to some blistering, muggy, miserable days. At the end of the trail the pleats were still holding. Even I was surprised and offered him a new kilt for the old one. He won't give it back until he's walked 8000 miles in it!
I dare say a wool kilt would not have fared so well.
Some of the qualities of wool are better for kilts than poly/viscose but the reverse is also true.
Wool pros:
Warmer•better swish factor•more available tartans•can be pulled/stretched during the kiltmaking process in ways that poly/viscose can't.
Wool cons:
Varying degrees of itchiness•smell when wet•needs dry cleaning•needs frequent pressing.
Poly/viscose pros:
Machine wash and dry•cooler in summer•holds pleats better with much less effort•no itchiness•similar weight fabric is stiffer than wool, so it's harder for gusts to lift pleats.
Poly/viscose cons:
Less swish factor•less insulating than wool•fewer available tartans.
Leaving aside the traditional aspects of kilts, poly/viscose has to be seen as an equal or better fabric for kilts, especially in warmer climes, and for casual wear when frequent laundering may be needed.
For those who can't or won't leave tradition aside, wool will always be the only choice for kilts. Some traditions are worth keeping and wool kilts are a good tradition. No matter how popular kilts in other fabrics become, there is no choice for many; only wool.
I prefer to have a few choices with the fabrics of my kilts.
