FAQs

FAQs: A Quick Guide

FAQs stands for Frequently Asked Questions. It's a collection of questions and their corresponding answers that address common inquiries about a product, service, or topic.

Cotton Kilts

Wash it when it gets to be stinky or re-colored. It resembles washing your most loved jeans/pants, toss it in chilly water with some cleanser (no sanitizer). When it leaves the wash, you can give it a decent couple of shakes and hang it up to line dry. On the other hand, toss it in the dryer on a low temp in case you're eager. Your pleats are intended to hold up a seemingly endless amount of time. On the off chance that you like your pleats firmer, take your kilt to the laundry and request that they do a "Press Only" Your pleats will look like new.

What Is the Best Weight and Material for the Tartan?

There is a variety of different Tartan weights available, but when having a kilt made, there are only two medium and heavy weights that we believe work best. We do not use lightweight tartans, and that is because they do not swing or hand properly. Not only that, but they also do not tend to stay straight, crisp and sharp. Lightweight kilts tend to crease and wrinkle when they are sat in for short periods of time, and that is likely not the well put together look you are hoping for. Many kilt wearers are able to tell when a lightweight kilt is being worn by another for this reason. They are most commonly used in fashion kilts or non-traditional kilts, and that is not how we like to make them. Instead, we use tartan material that is woven into 10 and 15 ounce weights, because Cloud Kilt believes that this gives the perfect balance of pleat-crease retention, warmth, swing, durability and simplicity of wear.

How Do I Choose the Best Tartan for Me?

Choosing a tartan might seem confusing at first, but it can be fun and easy once you understand how to do it. Some people want to find a Tartan with colors representing their heritage, but some just prefer tartans because of their colors. That is up to you. The next thing you need to consider is the material you want to use. If you want a common, weighty wool or a medium weight wool, you can go from there. It is important to note that certain mills have only certain tartans in certain weights, so if you want a specific and special pattern, you might have to go with whatever sort of material in which it is made. In general, the path to take is choosing the ideal weight and then going from there.

 If the exact shade of the tartan is important to you, such as if you want to match it to another piece of clothing, it is good to find out which mill has manufactured the other garment to ensure that the same tartan is produced to match yours; sometimes, the "same" tartan from different mills can have slight variations, or even a large one. The reason for this is that colors and thread counts can often be defined in loose terms, just like wallpapers and paints. It is advisable that you order a swatch of the tartan or tartans for this reason before you have your kilt made.

Why Do Shades and Colors of Tartans Vary?

When you get a tartan, you might see that the actual Tartan Fabric looks different from what you saw on a computer screen or compared to a similar tartan at a weaving mill. This is a common thing and is turning into a strong marketing approach from weaving mills that want to build a loyal feel when it comes to their shades of colors in their tartans.

Tartans are made up of two main factors: thread count and colors. These are the foundations of tartans and is what controls the tartan after it is completed and registered. The weavers have to adhere to this set in order to ensure that the tartan being woven is authentic and remains constant. Without such commitment, some weavers will end up straying from the style that they were originally supposed to make due to someone's personal interpretation of the tartan. 

With other textile manufacturers such as a carpeting company, one batch might not be exactly identical to the other, but since we have reliable weavers that use technology to do their best to match it, the consistency of our tartans' fidelity is often great. That said, when looking at the actual kilt samples on a screen, there may be discrepancies because every screen is different.

The best advice we can give, no matter what your questions or concerns might be about kilts, is to shop with us and communicate with us during the entire process. We can help ensure that you find the right kilt accessories and kilts with the right fabric and tartan, made specifically to fit your body, guaranteed, or your money back.

How Many Tartans Are Available?

There are well over 4,000 Tartan designs registered in the world today. Even so, there are only around 500 different tartans that have ever been woven into reality. Many times, customers are made to believe they can pick any of those 4,000 tartans to be worn, but that is not exactly true. While they are technically available, it must usually be ordered in a large amount of tartan which means long wait times and higher costs. Choosing a tartan that is already woven is a better idea for that choice, but if you have your heart set on a different tartan, get in touch and we will help with the design process. We would love to work with you and find the best design possibilities for you.