Quote Originally Posted by Phil View Post
I do think you have hit a very pertinent nail on the head there, Mipi, in that my early recollection of kilts is much the same. There were many home workers who would run you up a kilt and then there were bespoke tailors for jackets etc. and who would probably also send out their kilt orders to one of these home workers. And I have to say that a kilt was not an impulse purchase as a result but a substantial investment to be treated and worn accordingly. Perhaps this is the reason that many nowadays, accustomed to cheap imported and mass-produced clothing, find it difficult to understand the attitude of those whose experience is from earlier times. I am sure that we all would treat any expensive craftsman-made possession such as a Swiss watch or a Rolls-Royce car with more care and reverence than some cheap, throwaway item.



A bit of a deviation from the subject of this post but to say that the Tartan Army mocks the kilt is treading on very dangerous ground. The individuals that I know in the Tartan Army were strangers to kilts and kilt-wearing before they joined and would never have worn one otherwise. While their choice of ensembles may sometimes push the envelope of good taste, there can be no doubt as to their sincerity and love of things Scottish. We can only hope that maturity and experience will lead to a better understanding of the traditions of highland dress.
I absolutely agree with you Phil. You would no more wear a bespoke suit every day, so why would you do the same with a bespoke traditional eight yard knife pleated kilt. Although I have three (one made for me, and two I inherited that were made for my father, one of which is of a quality and weight you would be hard pressed to find at an affordable price today) I only wear any of them as frequently as occasions allow, given they are of immense value to me, and would represent a major outlay of my limited budget to replace. As to your last paragraph, you conveyed what I have long thought very diplomatically.