Ken

I think we are arguing degrees of expectation. You want to deal with a quality kiltmaker so you go out of your way to insure that they will handsew you kilt of the proper tartan, weight, and manufacturer of wool fabric, trusting that they will indeed handsew it themselves of that fabric in the correct pattern and size. That kiltmaker has the right to label their kilt as being handsewn by them and of what material etc. They can put all the information they want on their label, as long as it is true, but do they have to? If kiltmaker Cindy Lou MacWho normally works from his/her workshop in Glen Who and labels her kilts with her handsewn UK tartan made in Scotland by Cindy Lou MacWho labels, great, all the better for her and for you who buys your kilt from her. Maybe all those folks who do follow the traditions should brag about it and advertise POSITIVELY their attributes, educationg the public to the value of those attributes, and maybe the public will become more discerning along the way. Lord knows we all have on this forum from this kind of information sharing and open discourse, and that is why we are less likely to buy the "designed in Scotland" kilt without knowing more specific details about it that may be relevant to our needs. We have the right to ask the vendor for more information, and under those circumstances they should pony up the right answers or lose our business. But just exactly how much manufacture, content, and origin information is absolutely required on labelling for those kilts is a very slippery slope. MacDonalds (the restaurant chain, not the clan) publishes its nutritional data for all its food offerings, but is not required to stamp it on every Big Mac bun, each container of fries, and each Chicken Nugget. But it is (generally) supposed to be available in the store for the asking. Those who care will inquire and choose accordingly, those who don't won't. Same with the "designed in Scotland" label argument.

Caveat emptor rules---it is the consumer's responsibility, except for expected and legislated safety issues, to research his/her own purchases to the degree that he/she desires. The vendor only has minimal requirements of disclosure, as described by law, and is not bound to go further if they so choose. What you and I know about quality is that those quality vendors WILL go farther and give the information we want up front, BUT THEY DO SO VOLUNTARILY, and that is why discerning customers will choose to use them instead.

j