I like to look nice, but I've inherited frugalness and the old "make-do" attitude from my hillbilly roots.
My first two kilts were sewn by my Grandmother. We had nothing to go on except for a few photos. We had never seen a kilt in person. The first kilt was made from plaid wool (not an actual tartan) bought at an ordinary fabric shop. The second was made from actual tartan bought from Scotland, and it seemed so outrageously expensive to me at $15 a yard!
My first tweed Day jacket, and my first pipers' doublet, were made by myself, modified from jackets I bought at a thrift store (charity shop).
My first actual Scottish jacket was a Prince Charlie I bought used for a few dollars at a Highland Games. It was laying in the dirt, with a big dirt footprint on the back. I also bought a sealskin Evening sporran from the same guy. I can't remember now, but the both of them were probably around $50, a lot of money to me at the time. Then I bought a pair of old MacKenzie full hose for $15 from some guy selling old British Army stuff.
Here I am in my early 20s, homemade kilt, and vintage hose, sporran, and jacket
The doublet I made from a Navy Blue Blazer I got for $5 at a thrift store, and that same homemade kilt.
Even now my Ghillies, my jackets, and a couple of my sporrans were used things got fairly cheaply off Ebay. Due to my size it's very hard to find things that fit me, and kilts in my size are extremely rare used, so my kilts are the one thing I've had to buy new and at full price.
But yes indeed X Marks exposes us to all sorts of nice-looking things! And then we want them!
That happened when a number of XMarkers were picking up vintage MOD Culloden cantles and having Artificer make new pouches for them: I joined the party, and I'm glad I did.
Last edited by OC Richard; 31st October 15 at 06:22 AM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
Originally Posted by GrainReaper
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