Where to begin?

[shamada]

Hi Y'all,

I try to buy a kilt. I have no blood related Scottish connection whatsoever, living in Japan. I got a new bagpipes. I need a proper attire to play them. Can I just pick and choose whatever I like? Are there any rules to wear them? What or why Pakistani making a cheap imitation? Is it O.K to wear those cheap **** kilts for a starter? If I want a real deal kilt, what to look for, where to start? I can afford $300 to $500 range kilt, but not so sure how to find most suitable to my body type or skin tone. I have millions of questions to ask to begin with. To be honest, I have no idea what to do. Any thoughts?

Sincerely,
shamada

[WillowEstate]

Hi shamada, that's a VERY big question! But don't worry, you'll get lots of suggestions.

Here are a couple of links to some Japanese tartans, part of a "Four Seasons" set:

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=5721

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=5901

You can get to the others from these pages.

Apparently the pink ones are supposed to honour Japanese Cherry Blossom but you may not find too many people here who like it.

If there are any kiltmakers in Japan (I've no idea!), it would certainly be worth talking to them and get their opinions.

How easy it is to find a weaver who makes the Japanese tartans, I don't know - I can't imagine there would be a huge market for them but who knows?

While I'm sure you will aspire to a full quality woollen kilt, they are a bit expensive but worth it but you might want to start off with a cheaper one, perhaps made of polyviscose (PV). Several of the kiltmakers here offer kilts in that material and all are "properly built". You really don't need to go to Pakistan! Some of the Scottish retailers offer PV kilts in a basic range of tartans at very reasonably prices - they are excellent first kilts to "practice" in - there is a small learning curve to get used to managing an 8 yard kilt!

As to which tartan you can wear, it would be bad manners to wear a tartan with an association with a specific family or group without permission of whoever leads the group. But there are many generic tartans that can provide whatever colour mix you like, always safe to choose one of those.

To decide what style fits your body shape, I would recommend you get in contact with a kiltmaker and discuss it with photographs, etc. Very important, ask the kiltmaker how to measure yourself - they all have their own preferred methods, don't use one kiltmaker's measurements with a different kiltmaker - even if buying "off the rack". much better to ask than be disappointed.

As for getting the whole outfit right, or at least getting the guidelines to do your own think, take a look at some of the pipers here, OC Richard springs to mind as a very stylish example.

Good luck with your journey into the wonderful world of kilt wearing!

[CDNSushi]

Having lived over a decade in Japan, I can safely say there are no local kiltmakers or kilt shops. And if they are, they would be either quite new, or running a side business that's not well publicized or advertised. In addition, if you wanted any of the tartans associated with Japan or anything like that, I can pretty much guarantee it would be a custom weave, and therefore quite expensive.

Nevertheless, it's super-easy to get any kilt shipped to Japan from all the major, global kiltmakers out there. All they need are your accurate measurements.

As far as tartan goes, many of Japanese people who I know, would choose universal tartans. There are many, many universal tartans to choose from. If you ever plan to join the Tokyo Pipe Band, their tartan is the Royal Stewart. Personally, I would recommend something not-too-expensive to start with, maybe from Stillwater Kilts (yes, they absolutely do ship to Japan), or any of the shops that offer polyviscose kilts.

[room2ndfloor]

Any male body type looks good in a well-fitted kilt.

You already know what colors suit your skin tone ---- when you wear those colors in a shirt, right next to your face, people tell you that you look good. Not that the shirt is a nice color, but that you look good in it. Now just browse the tartans for one that has the colors you wear well. Since the kilt is not right next to your face, you can readily wear a more vivid tone in a tartan kilt than you would do in a shirt.

I think some of the kilt-makers offer small sample squares. That's a good way to see the true colors.

[shamada]

Thanks for good advises. I have another question. Is heavy kilt like 16oz. for winter time and lighter one for summer time or does weight matter with the change of seasons?

[shamada]

Does anyone know the reputation of this company I found on ebay. They seem to be reasonable and relatively new to ebay selling. I like to know what you think about those products. Are they legit for beginner kilt head like me? Thank you.

http://www.ebay.com/usr/tartansandbagpipes

[James Hood]

Personal thought is to employ one of the businesses on this forum. They are known and respected.

When "getting into kilts," 'have purchased one each of Stillwater's Thrifty, Economy and Standard kilts and a Pakistani utility-kilt, total less than $250 US and they have "taught" much about construction, weight, amounts of fabric, practice wearing and caring for...a self-study "kilt-school class".

In this opinion, using inexpensive kilt or kilts to develop one's education and becoming comfortable with wearing, then going for one or more good ones has worked well.

Best of fortune!

[shamada]

To me, the choice would be between Royal Stewart or Honour of Scotland. Both seems to be a safe bet for a beginner non Scottish bagpipe player like me to wear a kilt. Is it O.K for me to wear one of those or any other suggestions? Thanks.

[MacLowlife]

I think Royal Stewart is an excellent choice for a first kilt. I think many people wear the same weight kilt year-round. I think the seller you spotted will probably give you a decent value for your money, but if you spend just a little more with one of the advertisers here ( like Stillwater ) I think you will get an even better value for your money. In the end it comes down to price generally being an indicator of quality and the question of how much quality you can afford.

There seem to be two major schools of thought- one is to buy one good kilt- the very best you can afford. The other is to buy and wear several kilts. If you subscribe to the second school, it may not matter if your first kilt is a "Learning Experience" (i.e., a disappointment) but if you are counting on having just one kilt, it is probably best to save your money and invest in a slightly more expensive one to begin with.

There is nothing wrong with a cheap "party kilt" as long as you recognize that it is not going to wear or look like a better grade one. It would be nice if we could all afford $1000 custom tailored kilts, but we can't. Somewhere between those two extremes is a kilt that balances price and quality as they align with your budget. So, your job is to decide how often and where you are going to wear your kilt, then decide where on the scale you want to be. THEN save until you can get that kilt. Or buy the cheap one and recognize that it is coming out of your savings for a better one.

[pbutts]

Thanks for good advises. I have another question. Is heavy kilt like 16oz. for winter time and lighter one for summer time or does weight matter with the change of seasons?

My experience is 16 oz fabric really isn't a problem in the summer (80-90 ' Fahrenheit isn't unusual around here) and it sure looks better than the lightweight fabric.

By the way, that eBay vendor maybe one of those mentioned here for stealing photos from other legitimate vendors. Many of the vendors that advertise here can meet the price range you are looking for.