It is a natural thing to bundle up when the weather gets colder. However, it may seem that bundling up isn’t a possibility for those who love wearing kilts every day.
It’s easy to wear utility kilts during spring and summer because it’s obviously so warm out. Weather during these seasons are perfect for letting your legs breathe, especially if you are going to a concert, music festival, or any festivities.
Once the temperature drops, you could opt to store your kilt, at least for a short time, and break out a regular pair of pants. This might make you feel a little down or even experience some sort of kilt withdrawal during the cold-weather months. However, we believe that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice style because of a little cold.
With that in mind, we want to dive right in and share some information why kilts can be winter-friendly. Regardless if you enjoy wearing this fabulous garment all the time or have to attend special outdoor events, we ensure that you can stay warm and comfortable the whole time.
Pants vs. Kilts: Which Works Better in the Winter?
With regular pants, it’s true that you can stay warm if you stand or stay still. Your body heat permeates into the fabric and creates a thin layer of hot air around your legs. However, once you start moving, this thin layer of hot permeated air immediately disappears because there is so little of it available.
In a kilt, that pocket of warm air stays inside no matter how much you walk or move. Reason being, there is a lot more room for the air to collect, and it doesn’t dissipate immediately.
Further, kilts are made from heavier fabric than most pants, making the air to not dissipate as efficiently. Furthermore, you normally tuck your shirt into a kilt, meaning that cold air can’t get in, unlike wearing t-shirts and pants.
The good news is you can actually wear utility kilts during the cold winter months, no matter how cold it gets. However, we are not saying you shouldn’t prepare yourself for cold temperatures while wearing your fabulous kilt. And we recommend the following for you to stay in your kilt and still be comfortably warm as you can be.
Opt for Thicker Material
By now, you know that kilts are such versatile pieces of clothing. Part of that versatility comes from the fact that they come in all shapes and sizes, and that you can adjust the thickness of your kilt as you see fit. Case in point, you also have summer and winter varieties for everyday use, ensuring that you don’t get too hot or too cold.
By wearing a thicker kilt, you’ll immediately notice that heat gets trapped inside much easier than a regular pair of pants. Wearing a kilt makes your legs nice and toasty all day long. Traditional wool, for instance, is a particularly useful insulation material; just make sure you wear sufficient undergarments to prevent itchiness from this course material.
Apart from choosing a thicker material, you should also look into longer versions as well. The less exposed skin, the warmer you’ll be.
Wear Knee-High Socks, Boots, and Kilt Hose
Knee-high socks are traditionally worn with kilts, not only will you honour the tradition by coming closer to how kilts are traditionally worn, but it’s also the perfect item to wear with your kilt during the winter months.
There may only be a tiny downside is that there will be a bit of skin exposure at the knees. You can remedy this by finishing your look with a floor-length coat to ensure you stay warm.
Additionally, pick socks that are as long and thick as possible. There are available over-the-knee socks online to avoid that small knee exposure.
For utility kilt wearers, boots are their best bet to keep warm. Like over-the-knee socks, there are boot styles that reach the knee or higher for maximum coverage. And with a floor-length coat, you complete the ensemble to keep your legs completely warm and guarded against icy temperatures.
While it may be already sufficient to wear knee-high socks to provide most of the warmth for your legs, you can take things further by getting a full-length kilt hose. They are similar to wearing long johns, and can help you feel even warmer when there is a significant temperature drop.
Layer Up
The benefit of layering up is that you can remove them as necessary. Once you are indoors, you’ll warm up quickly, so you can shed unnecessary clothing as needed.
A lot of heat can escape for your head when exposed to the elements. A traditional Scottish Tam O’ Shanter cap is the perfect accessory during the harshest parts of winter.
But, if you want something modern, any kind of hat will be ideal. This includes, beanies or baseball caps. But since you are already in a kilt, why not be bold and go all the way and wear some old-fashioned accessories as well.
There is no such thing as being ‘too cold’ when you opt to wear a kilt in winter. Chances are, you’ll be melting in your full utility kilt ensemble and might even ask for an icy cold brew to cool you down.
Conclusion
Keeping warm during winter months is a necessity for obvious reasons. But winter shouldn’t be a deterrent if you opt to wear a kilt during cold weather. And yes, we are totally biased when we say that wearing kilts every day, regardless of season is not only possible, but generally, acceptable.
Ultimately, whichever makes you feel comfortable is certainly more preferable, for us at Ozklits®, wearing a kilt is without question. It’s mainly up to you, given what we’ve presented above, to see how you fare.
If you haven’t tried a kilt yet, give one a go and pick among Ozkilts® Utility Kilt Range with free shipping. We assure you that you won’t have any regrets getting your kilted look on.
