How Did You Select Your First Kilt?

**lschwartz** · 27th September 18, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Baeau

The original plan was to be kilted at our daughter's wedding. As I am not a fan of wearing suits, this had been long running, serious commentary. She finally committed to the idea, by telling me, "Okies". The exact words from her text message. So, I rented my kit from Celtic Croft. & Did the Keep the Kilt option. Wool blend kilt, Johnstone tartan. Half of the family has links to Scotland & North Ireland. The Johnstone, via my Grandmother's side. She was around forever (died in her sleep, on her 106th birthday!). Teacher in a one room schoolhouse in Oklahoma (at 16 or 17). Later a chocolate candy dipper, business owner, accountant for the small family farm/ranch, sharp investor, et cetera. It seemed like a good way to keep her in the memory.

Anyway, daughter decided that my black suit was a better choice. She feared comments from her c-workers. Bleedin' techies. I went to the rehearsal dinner kilted. The UK contingent (groom's family) thought it was quite normal, & gave me a standing ovation. The group of Japanese businessmen, at the next table, all sttod up & bowed. Just what an introvert needs. The soon to be in-laws, tried to get #2 to change her mind, to no avail. Wedding time was 99 degrees @ 5:00 pm (2 months before, & about 15 miles from the 2017 Pleasanton Gathering & Games, 115 degree meltdown). I would have been more comfortable kilted.
Twaddle ends.

Steve

A bride has so many people telling her what she should do for HER wedding, I am sure that she appreciated her Daddy not pushing back and going with HER wishes. After all, it is supposed to be the brides big day, not the mother of the bride's, not the future mother-in-law's, or anyone else's. Ya' done good. Besides, you rocked it at the rehearsal dinner and impressed the future in-laws.

Larry

**Baeau** · 27th September 18, 01:32 PM

Larry.....Ta!

#2 was one of the two important people at the event. I joked that I was nothing more than a vase, & she was the bouquet. When my wife & I were married, we had little (read:none) control over any plans. The In-Laws took over. From the guest list, to the Church......nada, zip, et cetera. Sad lesson learned, but the memory kept us from 'sticking our oars in the water'. Thankfully, the Groom's family agreed it was 'the kids' day.

I now return this thread to it's upright position, & original subject....."How Did You Select Your First Kilt?"

**41Gunn** · 6th October 18, 04:35 PM

Imagine your self in the kilt..brighter colors ain't so easy to wear unless you have the confidence of an ox. But do find a connection to the tartan and you will wear it anywhere, and often. My first kilt was an isle of skye and I love it, but not what the masses expect.. So I feel self conscious in it.

Then just suck it up and enjoy the compliments

**ThistleDown** · 6th October 18, 09:47 PM

How did I...? I didn't. My parents gifted me with one when I was three (or so I am told). That would have been in my Clan tartan, of course. At school I wore the school tartan, but somewhere around seven or eight I was again fitted with one in my Clan tartan. That one passed to a friend's son, my nephew, the friend's son's son, and hangs back in my armoire waiting for another generation

. Now, because I wear a kilt so often, I have more than one. Several are in variations of my own Clan tartan, one was a superb gift from the late Mackintosh and woven by the renowned Jamie Scarlett, and a few I have simply because I either liked them (the Lochaber is one of those, and the Maple Leaf another) or needed them for gardening, working in my woodshop, or simply wearing (I've a couple of Freedom pv kilts I really like for that). I suggest you go for the Black Watch, but if you choose it read up hugely on the Regiment and it's history so you can fend off (or bore to tears) those who ask you the inevitable questions: why the kilt and why the tartan?

**Allan Thomson** · 7th October 18, 01:46 AM

Originally Posted by lschwartz

A bride has so many people telling her what she should do for HER wedding, I am sure that she appreciated her Daddy not pushing back and going with HER wishes. After all, it is supposed to be the brides big day, not the mother of the bride's, not the future mother-in-law's, or anyone else's. Ya' done good. Besides, you rocked it at the rehearsal dinner and impressed the future in-laws.

Larry

I always though that it's a bit OTT for the Bride (and it's not just her day) to be so proscriptive about what everyone is wearing. I get the concept of setting a dress code (for example at mine it was something Tartan hoping many would wear the kilt - a friend wore a manx tartan waistcoat & bow tie as he wasn't of Celtic descent and it made no difference that he had trousers rather than a kilt and I appreciated that he'd made the effort to attend) but actually banning someone from wearing something is a bit too far especially if it's based on a fear that "co workers" 'might' make a comment (why on earth invite anyone to your wedding if you know they aren't going to treat your family with respect, surely family comes first?)...

At the end of the day in the real world you wearing the kilt isn't going to make that big a difference to her wedding - she should have more important things on her mind and if her enjoyment of the big day is going to be spoiled by possibly a few comments by guests who don't know how to behave appropriately with respect to their hosts then it does make one wonder whether they are making the right decisions as regards their wedding or at least their guest list?

**Iowish** · 4th January 19, 01:03 PM

I didn't have a kilt when I went to my first highland games at Stone Mountain, Georgia. I was shopping at the vendors when I saw some kilts for sale at another vendor about 20 yards away. Keeping my eyes on the first kilt on the rack, I walked over there. All the way over, I kept thinking to myself, "It can't be. It can't be." When I got to it, I closed my eyes and picked up the tag. It was! It was the tartan of my clan and in ancient colors which I prefer. Then I closed my eyes before I looked at the size tag. It was a men's kilt, so I had to translate the size. Certainly seemed like it would fit. I took it off the hanger and tried it on over my shorts. Bingo! I looked at the price tag. $125.00 (USD) for a pre-owned Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmaker kilt. I am pleased as punch with my kilt! The year I got that kilt was the last year that Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmaker came over to USA highland games.

**Pleater** · 4th January 19, 05:57 PM

I had two kilts imposed upon me when I was about 5 or 6 years old, proper leather straps and a 'blanket' pin - from the wear on the straps they were quite old, and they were too big, so they were sewn onto a bodice to stop them falling off - they were to go to school in.

How I envied the frocks the other girls wore when school started, but by the start of the second term, when there was snow on the ground and they were shivering I was a lot happier and a lot warmer too in my home made jumpers and long socks along with the kilts.

The kilts eventually fitted properly when I was a couple of years older - but I have no idea where they ended up.

Anne the Pleater

**gsmacleod** · 5th January 19, 06:18 AM

My first was a heavyweight MacLeod of Harris that I purchased for my wedding. I had always wanted a kilt and wasn't fond of the Loud MacLeod so Harris it was. I love the kilt and beyond my wedding day, I've started wearing it in place of a suit on occasion.

Since then, I picked up an acrylic Loud MacLeod for my son (5) and decided to get one for myself as a "beater."

Shane

**John_Carrick** · 5th January 19, 06:24 AM

I paid a lightning trip to Edinburgh in 1986. I'd never been to Scotland before and wanted to get a kilt and I was about 24.
I went to all the kilt shops but did not realise you had to get them made to your measurements. They all had a few made kilts available and luckily Hector Russell had a nice one in Modern Gordon, which although universal is also my correct tartan. I still have it although for some reason it shrank and had to be made bigger about 10 years ago.
John

**Karl R** · 12th January 19, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by Bluethunder90

I am a fan of Laphroaig single malt, and I know that the Laphroaig distillery is on the Isle of Islay in Argyll Scotland. I guess my question is, is being a fan of that particular single malt a good enough reason or an appropriate reason to buy a kilt of the Argyll tartan.

It sounds like a superb reason to get a kilt in the Friends of Laphroaig tartan. There doesn't seem to be a kilt, but you could probably contact Laphroaig Distillery, find out where they get their tartan scarves made, and work your way up the supply chain.

If I can comfortably explain a reason for wearing a particular tartan, that's an appropriate enough reason for me.

My first kilt is a universal/fashion tartan that my wife bought for me. She knew I had some Scottish ancestry (less than she does), and she knew I would like the way the kilt looked. Since then, I have discovered (by talking to one of the family genealogists) that I have more Irish ancestry than I realized. Therefore, I have ordered an Irish Heritage kilt from USA Kilts as my second kilt ... and I like the way it looks.