A slightly different view, here. (What, you were expecting me to go with the flow? For shame.)

For someone looking to try out the kilting life, I'd say go with a Stillwater. Jerry's a good guy, his customer service (particularly delivery times) is legendary, and the Thrifty and Economy kilts are just flat out hard to beat. Let's face it, guys, there are some guys out there who "won't get it." Whether due to their own nature, or due to their circumstances, going kilted won't work out for them. Jerry at SWK gives a good, cheap way to get your feet wet.

Regarding the SKs . . . oh my goodness, here I'm about to commit a heresy. I probably get more use out of my three SKs than I do from my other kilts combined. My three are a Hawaiian red lava print, a Hawaiian green floral print, and a Leatherneck tartan. The Leatherneck came with sewn-down pleats (i.e., the fell is sewn down). My wife sewed down the fell on the red lava print. They are lightweight and handy. While the thermometer does not top out quite so high here in Houston as it does in "Ron's neck of the woods," we are blessed/cursed with quite high humidity.

When I go out, I will occasionally wear the Leatherneck SK. In all honesty, it doesn't look bad. More frequently, I'll wear a 'more proper' kilt---Pittsburgh Kilts (RIP) desert digital, USAK Leatherneck (13 ounce, five yard), Matt Newsome 4 yard box pleat tweed. Funny thing is, though, when I get home, I switch over to that SportKilt Leatherneck. It's a beater, it's a thrasher, it's the one you can lounge in all day long and never worry about abusing the pleats.

Now, not to devalue Brother Ron's comments, but my preference in a USAK is actually for the Casual model, vice the semi-trad. Although any of them are light weight garments (with great hang, swish and swoon, I hasten to point out), I personally find the casual model to be better balanced. Compared to the semi-trad's eight yards (which, with a yard of overapron and a yard of underapron, leaves six yards on your rear), I prefer the five yards of cloth the casual packs.

Horses for courses, of course, and personal preference plays a role, and I'm never one to think that just because I like something means that everyone ought to, but that's where I come down.

The tragedy at present is that I'm without a USAK casual. I shrank down out of my original version, and since I'm still shrinking somewhat I don't want to order another.

While I didn't talk too much about the USAK casual in the foregoing, let me now correct that and say, "It's the bomb-diggity." Bear in mind that as a rule I prefer short yardage kilts, and that I live in Houston, TX, where heat and humidity numbers frequently run hand in hand in the 90s.

As mentioned above, one definite and distinct difference between SK and SWK on the one hand, and USAK on the other, is that the USAK is made to measure. It's made to fit you. In a world of "off the rack" everything, that's got to be a bonus.

When my weight stabilizes, I'll get me a couple of USAK casuals and consider myself set brother set.