An XMTS Game: Ranking quality of Kilt & Kit

[Dixiecat]

Very interesting replies. I'll play Jamie's game based on my own highland experience of highland dance if you don't mind since almost all of the items are used (except sporran).

item of the very finest quality (bespoke to your specifications)

The jacket. Absolutely, this. A low quality jacket can be spotted a mile away, an average jacket blends in, but a high quality well-fitted jacket is a stand-out.

item of very good quality.

Tartan hose. A highland dancer's hose is made from lace weight wool yarn and quality shows here.

item of good quality

The kilt. Why third? Because there are only a handful of tartan weavers, all of which do top quality fabrics. There is no second best for them. And an average kilt still swings the same as top quality one. I should know, I've made my own and don't rank myself very high in the kiltmakers rank, yet I've gotten many compliments on the kilt, both construction wise and swingedge factor when dancing. (either I'm better than I thought or people are just being nice to me -probably the latter)

item of average quality

dance slippers or ghillies. This one really hurts. Literally. I love my Hullachans. In fact, I may have to interchange with the kilt. It might cost more in the long run in physio fees if I don't.

item of low quality

Female dancers don't wear sporrans, in fact, just the four items above complete her. I suppose I could add in the dickie here though. As long as there's a strip of lace showing at the neckline, we're done.

[Mickey]

Read this earlier today and almost posted immediately, but have been thinking about it the rest of the day and night. Top to bottom for me:

Sporran - I agree that a top end sporran can be paired with a burlap bag on the hips and and the overall look is incredible.

Jacket/Vest - It's at least half if not two thirds of the body covering. Same as the sporran. Even with a subpar kilt, a nice jacket can complete the look. More so than a kilt, nothing looks worse on a guy than a cheap poly jacket. I can't tell the difference between a Brioni or a Meroni from Target. But I know what a bad jacket looks like.

Kilt - I have a beautiful Scottish made, old, wool kilt. Visually, I can barely detect the differences between that and my SWK wool and two of my HoS "PVs". At gatherings, from 5 feet away, I can't tell what material a kilt is, much less if it is machine or hand sewn. Perhaps if I had a Newsome, a Barb T or an Alan H kilt, this might change my mind. Even with a less than top notch kilt, a nice sporran and jacket make the overall look awesome.

Hose - My feet sweat so much that I wear regular socks under my hose to try and extend their life. I'd be scared to ever wear hand knitted custom hose. And comparatively, Lewis hose is cheap. Eat Ramen for two weeks and you can afford a new pair of hose.

Sgian - I have wonderful functional knives but for the "proper" look, I have a handfull of $5 cheapos that do the job wonderfully, and if I actually needed to use one, the steel holds a sufficient edge for a one time use.

[xman]

Was I aware of said custom sgian?! Is it Drac's work??! Pix please!!!!

ith:

Thanks for asking.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...m-sgian-70203/

[lukeyrobertson]

1. Yes, I think kilt. But that depends...
2. Jacket and waistcoat, ah, but that depends, too...
3. Sporran. Yes right in the middle.
4. Hose and Sgian
5. kilt pin

Now here's my thinking. Kilt--assuming THCD then yes. But, if I'm dressed otherwise, the kilt might come second to sporran or even footwear!

Jacket and waist coat. Actually, I wear the waistcoat more than the jacket and I think it sets everything off nicely for all manner of occasions except the really dressy affairs where jacket is necessary.

Sporran. I have a dress and a day sporran. I wear the day sporran most of the time. Literally it's listed right in the middle of importance. And that's where I wear it!

Hose and Sgian. I have a dress sqian. It's a Comrie sgian and I love it for when I want to add just a dash and sparkle of highland tradition. People do look for it and my son, thinks its the coolest thing. I'd list it before the hose, because this sqian is special and it will be passed on. I am probably going to get another one someday, staghorn possibly, and it too will go to one of my sons. Hose. Well not likely going to pass them along. A guy can go crazy with hose and I think that's good and fun. Wear hose with pizzazz.

Kilt pin is last. I wear them. But I'm fussy about them and I only slightly cringe when I pierce the cloth. For me, once it's pinned. It stays there.

Great discussion thread guys!

[Panache]

FYI Everyone :a kilt pin wasn't on the list (a sgian dubh was)

ith:

Cheers

Jamie

[Zardoz]

One item may be of the very finest quality; I'd go with the sporran on this, the right one can be used for any level of dress, so get a good one.

One item will be of very good quality; Kilt, tartan of choice , made to measure.

One item will be of good quality ; Jacket and waistcoat. Although there may be differing quality out there, there's is very little difference in price from the various vendors, other than 'high' to 'really high' IMO.

One item will be of average quality; Sgian, get a decent looking one that goes with everything.

One item will be of low quality Hose, As these can be the least expensive, and therefore easy to replace, element, it's better place to skimp than the rest.

[lukeyrobertson]

No kilt pin on the list...? Right then. Oh well. It's still the last on my list. (:

[LaphroaigQCFan]

I'll go with the intended scenario: poor college student without kilt gear, sewing experience, or knitting experience.

Bespoke/Finest quality - Sporran. It can go with multiple kilts and my losing/gaining weight won't make it obsolete. Add to that an engraving of my fraternity's badge or coat-of-arms and it should go well with the kilt. Finest quality leather, metal, and craftsmanship should provide a superb looking and robust sporran hanging front and center.

Very good quality - 8yd kilt in my fraternity's registered tartan. Good quality and up are already made to measure. And in this scenario I wouldn't have known enough about kilt wearing to make the best use out of bespoke, getting to decide on all the intricacies to arrive at a most perfect kilt. Very good quality should still hold up very well.

Good quality - Jacket and waistcoat. The benefits from a very good or finest quality jacket might not be noticeable unless another person is close enough to inspect the jacket or feel the material or has a well-trained eye.

Average quality - Hose. As long as they fit and look good from a distance, they'll work. Up close, people don't usually stare down at your socks.

Low quality - Sgian dubh. Least apparent piece of the ensemble. Not always worn. Again, people aren't usually going to be staring down if they're up close. And if they are, it'll probably be because of the kilt, not the sgian dubh.

Surprised belt&buckle and shoes were left off the list.

[RAF]

1. Jacket + Waistcoat. I find I wear these items very often - daily in the cooler months. While I can usually wear an off the rack 38S or 40S jacket and a 38 vest - when well tailored from excellent quality material, these articles can and should last 20-30 years or more. (Especially in something like a Harris Tweed.) Also, these items can be altered if necessary. AND, they can be worn with things other than kilts (i.e. trousers perhaps? The waistcoat at least.)

2. Here I'm torn between Kilt and Sporran. I'll go with Kilt. After all we're talking highland attire, so it's kind of an important part of the equation! Although I find it very interesting the point made previously by other members re: the fact that even an "average" kilt constructed by a reputable kilt maker and made from "standard" cloth is still a good/better kilt than one from less reliable sources. Logical, but as the kilt is a semi-tailored garment, fit is still important, and why take chances?

3. Sporran. I hate cheap leather (i.e bonded) so this is as low as I'll go for the sporran. The sporran is arguably the most "used" part of the kit, going in and out of it several times a day, handling it - so being well made from sturdy materials is key.

4. Hose. While I do like (and prefer) good quality hose, in the grand scheme of things 1, 2 and 3 are more important to me. And besides, no matter the quality, hose have a built in life expectancy.

5. Sgian. This is a non-issue for me as I never wear one anyway.

[piperdown]

I'd list them in order of price... get the highest price item at the top of the scale and the lowest priced item at the bottom of the scale. As you grow older and can afford it, start replacing items from the bottom up.

Can't argue with this reasoning...