Real deal or scam?

[OC Richard]

Purely about the quality of Highland Dress from Pakistan, it's a curious mix.

I've seen Pakistani-made black Barathea Argyll jackets and Prince Charlie coatees, and tweed Day Argylls, which were perfectly acceptable quality. (And I'm a Made In Scotland snob, some would say.)

I've also seen sporrans which were decent quality.

Where the Pakistani makers seem to fall down most, perhaps not surprisingly, is in kilting cloth and the kilts themselves.

I've yet to handle a Pakistani-made kilt (and I've handled hundreds of them) that could be mistaken for a moment for a UK-made kilt. The fabric itself has a completely different look and feel. It's nowhere close to kilting cloth. Hard to describe but it has a slinky waxy insubstantial feel so utterly unlike any UK woven wool I've handled.

The construction of Pakistani-made kilts is diametrically different from any kilt from any legitimate kilt maker. Pakistani kilts employ none of the traditional construction methods, but are machine-sewn without stabilisers etc etc.

So I would recommend that people who want to start a kilt outfit should begin with a quality kilt. Once you have that you have a wide range of ways to accessorise it, dress it up or dress it down.