What advantage does Lochcarron Tartan have over heavy cotton drill?

[MrProper]

Almost all of my jackets have a heavy cotton drill lining and I am very happy with it. Now I wonder if I should try something new.
Therefore: what advantage does Lochcarron tartan have over heavy cotton drill? What disadvantage?
Many Thanks.

 

[Monitor]

It's colorful.

 

[torfjord]

Advantage: what Monitor said.
Disadvantage: not as durable as cotton drill.

 

[MrProper]

Thanks for the answers.
So no real advantages like "warmer" or "cooler" or "more robust" or "much more comfortable to wear".
Then I stick to the plain colored cotton drill

 

[trainspotter]

I believe heavyweight tartan may be comparable in toughness to cotton drill, and I have heard its not too warm also. Aero offers 3 choices for tartan thickness/weight - light, medium and heavy
I have sampled only light, and its really comfortable and looks great, not really any warmer than cotton. I will always prefer tartan for aesthetic reasons

 

[Monitor]

Thanks for the answers.
So no real advantages like "warmer" or "cooler" or "more robust" or "much more comfortable to wear".
Then I stick to the plain colored cotton drill

No practical advantages, nope. There was some talk about how heavy-weight tartan is slightly warmer than cotton drill but having had both, I didn't notice any difference whatsoever.

It's nicer to look at and it gives the jacket that vintage vibe but that's about it.

 

[torfjord]

I prefer tartan but it’s just an aesthetic thing. Even though it’s less durable my bet is you have too many jackets in your rotation to ever notice the difference in durability.

 

[MrProper]

I have a few jackets but I always wear the same ones lol.
If I want it colorful, Aero would also have cotton tartan. Let's see.

 

[Vezio]

Hello,
I own an Aero Premier Half Belt in Medium Tartan.
I live in Napoli in Italy: at the end of April, beginning of May I can no longer wear this jacket, while I continue to wear a Schott Café Racer in cotton drill, which has a similar weight of skin.
That's my experience.

 

[lina]

Interesting. I would have thought that wool tartan was warmer than cotton drill. Even if not drastically so.

 

[Carlos840]

I have two bootleggers, one has the heaviest wool tartan (strome) and the other has cotton drill.
There is a noticeable difference in warmth when the weather is warm, i cannot wear the wool lined one if it is 20c, i get too warm. At that temperature i can still comfortably wear the cotton lined one.

When the weather is cool, the difference is less noticeable. The wool is warmer, but not to an extent that you can wear a Strom line jacket in freezing temperatures comfortably.
I would say if it is around 10c i would notice that the wool is slightly warmer than the cotton, but once you reach 0 you would be cold in both.
Wool is slightly warmer than cotton, but not as warm as quilting or alpaca.

My advice is always the same, if you only have one or two jackets, go for cotton drill you will get more wear from your jackets.
If you have many jackets, it's nice to have a couple wool lined ones, some days are too warm for quilting or alpaca but too cold for cotton...
I find that wool lining is nice for Autumn and Spring, but i also admit that they are the lining i wear the least day to day.

DO you have days where you get cold in cotton drill, but too warm in Sheepskin? Then get a wool lined one.

 

[MrProper]

Great explanation. Many thanks.

 

[ton312]

I k ow it’s not being asked but I’ve always been happy with corduroy as a winter weight liner. The wool tartans seem a bit fragile, particularly at the hem.

 

[MrProper]

Thank you. That's on the wish-list for a heavier jacket. The new one is bright and should rather serve as a fair-weather jacket. And I want to keep them cool rather than warm. But maybe the Type 3 with corduroy later lol

 

[Mad Mac]

Thank you. That's on the wish-list for a heavier jacket. The new one is bright and should rather serve as a fair-weather jacket. And I want to keep them cool rather than warm. But maybe the Type 3 with corduroy later lol

Bare in mind the tartan if it's made from good heavy duty wool will not only be warmer but will be water repellent with the natural lanolin contained within it's structure. If cotton gets wet it loses all it's heat providing elements, in Scotland on the hills they still say (C.K)cotton kills, when it gets wet it's useless as an insulator.

 

[MrProper]

That's true. That's why I have a lot of things made of merino wool, as it insulates very well even when wet.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Thanks for the answers.
So no real advantages like "warmer" or "cooler" or "more robust" or "much more comfortable to wear".
Then I stick to the plain colored cotton drill

Cotton drill is hard to beat for strength. I have a tartan lining in my helf-belt and it doen't seem warmer than cotton. I judge this by how it wears in warmer weather (20 degrees Celcius), not cold weather. I suspect (but I have no evidece) that wool may be cooler than cotton on account of it breathing better than the tightly woven cotton drill.

 

[El Marro]

Bare in mind the tartan if it's made from good heavy duty wool will not only be warmer but will be water repellent with the natural lanolin contained within it's structure. If cotton gets wet it loses all it's heat providing elements, in Scotland on the hills they still say (C.K)cotton kills, when it gets wet it's useless as an insulator.

That is a good point and perhaps the only real advantage of the tartan over cotton drill. I have the Strome (heavy) weight tartan in my Bootlegger and I do not find it to be particularly warm because it is a rather fine weave. If you were interested in a wool lining I would actually recommend Harris Tweed over the Lochcarron tartan.

This lining is quite warm and it adds an unmistakable touch of class.