First Kilt Advice

[Macca]

So, I'm about to buy my first kilt, and I thought it would be a good idea to seek some expert opinions - kilt details and pitfalls, including those of the online ordering saga! Here's a small essay, but I really want to get it right:

First, what I have in mind: 8-yard 13oz MacDonald of Clanranald (undecided on muted or modern, hence mill) with knife pleat to white stripe. I chose the 13oz for being a compromise between being slightly less heavyweight in the scorching Australian climate, yet still maintaining most of the swish/swagger of a full tank. My ancestry directed me to this tartan.

Second, what are any other modifications/variations (or objections to the above) that a novice kiltbuyer may not be aware of? For example, I came across "Apron Fringe" in my online endeavours.

Third, what are some of the traps that can be fallen into when ordering online, for the first time or anything at all? It would be great to know about anything that is considered 'cringeworthy' or visually unappealing, such as the contempt I know several members have for white hose!

Fourth and finally, what websites/tailors have you bought from previously, and how was your satisfaction with them? What price-ranges should I be avoiding for lack of quality/overpricing according to my first point?

Any other remarks that you think appropriate (or not!) would also be greatly appreciated and will avoid me (or a later reader) being poorly-kilted!

Cheers lads,

Macca

PS. I can't seem to locate the kiltstore.net link supposedly at the ribbon at the top of XMTS pages... any ideas?

[Steve Ashton]

kiltstore,net is a sub site of ScotWeb which you can find on the top row, fourth from the left.

[Macca]

kiltstore,net is a sub site of ScotWeb which you can find on the top row, fourth from the left.

Steve

Thanks for the hint, but I've got 'Home | Forum | Gallery' on royal blue, and 'User CP | FAQ | Forum Rules | Meet the Staff | ...' below that on navy :L

[Gingerpose]

this may help - if your page doesn't look like this with the advertiser banner it could be an issue with your browser.

[Macca]

this may help - if your page doesn't look like this with the advertiser banner it could be an issue with your browser.

Yes, I tried XMTS on Chrome and the ribbon of ads appeared. Investigated a bit more now that I knew what to look for, and my ad blocker addon in Firefox had blocked even the ads I wanted!

Cheers,

Macca

[Jock Scot]

G'day to you sir and welcome from a wild and wet Inverness-shire. I am sure that you have read many of the threads here that contain much fine advice and no doubt others will chip in with more, before long! All I can say is this:-

Do your research , think about it, do more research, think some more and then buy the best kilt that you can afford and if you can't afford it just now, then wait until you can. You will end up with a kilt that will last you for years-------just don't put on/loose any weight----------so take your time deciding.

[cessna152towser]

Further down from the royal blue and navy bands you should see a block of ten adverts, two rows of five. Clicking on the ad should link you to the advertiser.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I have an article on my web site, "Advise for First Time Kilt Wearers," which may prove helpful to you.

http://www.albanach.org/advice.html

[Jimmy of Perth]

Macca

My 2 cents:
Depending on where you are in this fine, hot country and how often you want to wear the kilt through summer I wonder if 8 yards of 13oz wool won't be a tad hot?

Unless other from the land down-under can shed more light, maybe a 'test' hire of a similar weight kilt would be worthwhile.

[piperdbh]

Something to keep in mind is that a kilt does not have to be high-yardage. There are 4-, 5- and 6-yard kilt which are all perfectly viable options.

About the fringe: some kilts have a fringe on the right edge of the front apron. My understanding is that a kiltmaker sews on an extra piece of fabric and pulls out the vertical threads, leaving the horizontal ones to make a fringe. It's purely optional to have the fringe or to not have it. My current 3 kilts have no fringe; my next one will have it.

Have you tried searching ebay and like sites for already-made kilts? Sometimes you can find just what you're looking for, at a reduced price compared to a bespoke kilt.