The expense of kilts!

[frank_a]

What I have been trying to reconcile in my itty bitty brain is how on earth the famously stingy Scots ever got involved in clothing that is so darned expensive? Mind you, I understand we live in a different world today, and hobbies and addictions can cost whatever, but my word! This kilt stuff is expensive!

My dad's mother was a full blooded Scot (as was my mom's mother) and she was about as tight as they came. My dad pretty much took after her and was an accountant on top of it. My mother, God rest her soul, used to say my dad "Would not pay a nickel to see an earthquake." She had other quaint sayings about his stinginess, but that is how I was raised. Now I look at buying a kilt that costs twice as much as I would pay for a normal decent wool business suit! I guess those of us of Scot heritage have to unlearn this stinginess thing eh?

Maybe I'm the only one with this question?

I'm trying, honest...

Frank

[McElmurry]

One approach is to buy the very best kilt you can afford and wear it for all occasions. By the time your great-great-grandson is wearing it, it will seem like a bargain.

[cessna152towser]

Mind you, I understand we live in a different world today, and hobbies and addictions can cost whatever, but my word! This kilt stuff is expensive!

I am so glad I put together my kilt collection before the recession.

I guess those of us of Scot heritage have to unlearn this stinginess thing eh?

As a Scot I have had to relearn the stinginess thing. Money is too hard earned nowadays to spend on kilts. However now that I already have the kilts, accessories such as kilt hose wear out and need replacing so I can always justify continuing to spend money on new kilt hose.

[Richrail]

I love the PV kilt I purchased from buyakilt.com. Now I'm saving for one from USAkilts. I have found on this forum lots of info to buy as inexpensive as possible.
I purchased a Black cashmere sport coat from a thrift store and had it converted to a kilt jacket and found a black vest at an factory outlet store.

[frank_a]

Yes, but it will only be a bargain for him, the little thief!

Seriously, this is what I mean - buy the very best kilt I can afford?!? Basically, I can't afford a kilt, let alone the accessories that should go with it. It's not that I don't have the money, it's that I am SO reluctant to spend it, especially for clothes I will only wear on weekends or at home in the evening. And prices just seem to be so high. Don't get me wrong, this is not to say I am being critical of the quality work that goes into kilt wear. I just wonder how the stereotypically stingy Scots ever got enamored with such expensive clothing! It's bad enough buying suits for the office, but I wear them most every working day, take exceptional care of them and they last a long time.

Hmmmm.....

Frank

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Think about how the kilt evolved. The original kilt was a length of cloth -- nothing fancy, just something you could purchase at your local weaver's, made from wool (commonly available in the Highlands, nothing imported, mind you), whatever pattern he had on hand that suited your fancy. You wrap it around your waist, maybe have the missus put a few stitches in it to keep things in place, and you are off!

No arguments about it: a very economical garment.

Today, however, the kilt is very much in the realm of specialty wear. People who wear the kilt generally don't want to wear just any kilt. It has to be in a very particular tartan. So we are talking about cloth which is woven in very small batches for a rather limited market. Most of our clothing today is as cheap as it is because it is made from fabric woven in third-world countries by people being paid pennies-per-hour, in batches of thousands of meters at a time. You cannot do that with tartan. Even the cheap kilts sold on Ebay that are made from cloth woven in Pakistan or China are pretty expensive when you think about what you are getting for your money.

Furthermore the "standard" for a man's kilt today is to be made from eight yards of cloth, meaning lots of very tiny little pleats in the back, all of which need to be hand stitched, which means 20 plus hours of labor for a kilt maker to complete. Looked at with that in mind, it's a wonder kilts don't cost more than they do.

So, the long and short of it is that a kilt today is a different garment than a kilt 200 years ago, and our economy today is a different economy than it was 200 years ago.

[MizzouScotsman]

I look at it like this. As a person of Scottish heritage, I am always looking for the best bang for my buck. I utterly disdain paying for something that doesn't last. If you are buying a well made kilt and it is properly cared for during its life, you will have a garment that will last you for a lifetime and can be worn in more places than you can imagine.

As a Scot, that is what I am looking for in an item.

[frank_a]

I am so glad I put together my kilt collection before the recession. As a Scot I have had to relearn the stinginess thing. Money is too hard earned nowadays to spend on kilts. However now that I already have the kilts, accessories such as kilt hose wear out and need replacing so I can always justify continuing to spend money on new kilt hose.

I hear ya, but time travel hasn't come our way yet, so I'm stuck in the present. On top of that, retirement is just around the corner for me, so to speak, and I'm starting to be even stingier. Figure I need the practice!

I'm still seriously considering one of USA Kilts semi-trads for this year and maybe an 8 yard wool for next. I'm also wondering if I may be going a bit batty... Then I start looking at Argyle jackets - sheeesh!

Frank

[Pleater]

The original form of kilt, or even the cut down version, were just lengths of cloth which could be worn by different people, or even different generations, until they were worn out - and then they could be quilted together to make bed covers or curtains or the good bits salvaged for other garments or household items.

The garments worn today are a Victorian revival, tailored to individuals, and with the influence of Victorian extravagance on their use of fabric.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[frank_a]

I love the PV kilt I purchased from buyakilt.com. Now I'm saving for one from USAkilts. I have found on this forum lots of info to buy as inexpensive as possible.
I purchased a Black cashmere sport coat from a thrift store and had it converted to a kilt jacket and found a black vest at an factory outlet store.

I saw your post earlier and think that is a wonderful and elegant idea. Unfortunately I live and work in a rural area, and would have to venture to the big city (Albany NY) to search for such jewels. Then can I get the little woman to help me out with the sewing modifications? Hmmmm....

Frank