Having just won a new Mocker Utilikilt on Ebay and, being the proud owner of a Casual Freedom Kilt, I thought it would be an interesting exercise to compare the two since, superficially at least, they have much in common.

Both are contemporary kilts made of black cotton/poly. They each have internal front and rear pockets. (The UK pockets are standard while those of the FK are optional.) Both are "hip riding" as opposed to hi-rise in design. Each fastens without traditional straps: the UK with 6 snaps, the FK with 5 buttons (and 3 dummies). This means that they are a non-adjustable, fixed size. Both have the pleats stitched down to the hips and both the inner and outer edges of the pleats are sewn down to the hem. And here the similarities end.

My waist is 31-32 inches. My UK is made from just under 4 yards of fabric- actually two pieces joined at the back inside of the central box pleat. There are 16 pleats in total- both sides folding toward the back and meeting in the middle at the box pleat. My FK is made from a single piece of fabric a little over 6 yards in length, having 22 pleats that lay back from the left all the way round to the right front just like a traditional kilt. Pleating on the FK is perfect. The UK pleats are more rebellious. They kick out or curl hear and there. The stitching on the FK is impeccable. While that on the UK is generally good, there are a few loose threads that will likely start to unravel and need fixing before long. Swing on the FK is moderate, on the UK minimal. The FK has a full double apron with 17 inches of overlap at the hem. The UK has its distinctive, narrow 7 inch apron with only 5 inches of overlap between the outer and inner aprons. (I flashed more than a little thigh today while sitting on a park bench in a mild wind.) The UK front pockets are a good inch deeper than those of the FK, just enough to make me bend a little and have to reach to get to their bottom. Otherwise they are almost identically constructed. The entrance to the FK front pockets is straight up and down- the UK slightly curved and on the bias. Oh what a difference in the hip pockets! The FK's are 5 ½ inches wide and 7 inches deep with a buttoned flap. A wallet tends to make a slight bulge over my butt. The UK's are 5 inches wide and eight inches deep. A wallet sits lower and causes no butt bulge- however, when I sit down, I sit right on top of the wallet- and that's a pain in the butt. On top of that, extracting the wallet from the pocket is extremely difficult. It's not the ½ inch difference in the opening, because my Dickies work pants are five inches. It's the material the pocket itself is constructed of. The front pockets are made of the same cotton poly as the kilt. The back pockets are a softer, straight cotton material which tends to wrap itself around the wallet so that when you try to extract it, the pocket wants to come with it. Very vexing when your in a lineup of impatient trousered folks. I'll have to reserve the back pockets on the UK for bus tickets and handkerchiefs only.

The biggest difference of all is that the UK is generic sized while the FK is custom tailored. This makes a huge difference both in appearance and comfort. Where the UK looks punky, the FK looks sleek and sophisticated. And though the UK isn't uncomfortable, the FK feels coddling in comparison. Of course the advantages of the FK come with a price. With all four pockets added it comes in at nearly double the price of the UK. But for my money, it is well worth it. Despite their similarities, these are distinctly different breeds of kilts. The FK is a beauty and a thoroughbred at that, while the UK is a more rude beast. (OK, maybe not so rude as its Denim, Workman and Survival brethren.) I'll reserve the FK for fine cultural events and the UK for circumstances where barbarian chic is in order.