Tailor or seamstress to alter a Saxon coat to kilt coat

**Jock Scot** · 17th July 23, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by kilted2000

I honestly don't think jacket conversions are that bad. If you live in a climate where temperatures of 95F/35C are common then a converted lightweight jacket is really the only option. Also, if you want a kilt jacket but either you can't afford a new kilt jacket or ebay rarely if ever has your size, then a converted jacket might be an acceptible option. No, you don't need a jacket to wear a kilt, but sometimes you need or just want to. You can usually tell if a jacket was converted or not, but so what? If you can find a tailor who can do the work well enough, or if you do it yourself, and if you don't mind the pockets being low, why not? Is it ideal? No, if you can afford a new kilt jacket or can get one from eBay, then do that, but if you cannot a conversion, to me, is an acceptible option. Just my opinion.

Fair enough. A question was asked , assorted opinions have been offered, there is no obligation to agree with them.

**OC Richard** · 19th July 23, 03:55 AM

About men wearing ordinary non-Highland jackets with Highland Dress, it seems to have been much more common in Victorian times than it became in the 20th century.

I have a large collection of Victorian (and later) photos of men in Highland Dress and a goodly number show men wearing their ordinary jackets.

It worked better then due to the much higher button-stance of ordinary jackets then. Jackets tended to have quite short lapels and many jackets were designed to only be buttoned at the top button, the front panels of the jacket sweeping away in an inverted "V". This means that the long jackets often showed the sporran well, better than modern Saxon jackets which are designed to hang straight down.

**OC Richard** · 19th July 23, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by Doc MacBean

Thanks!!! This is so helpful and thorough!

...a linen coat and vest that had been converted. It seemed like a wonderful idea to have such a coat to wear during the hot days at summer games.

You're welcome!

Personally I don't wear any sort of jacket on hot days.

If a bit of dressiness is needed, a waistcoat serves, and is far cooler than a jacket.

BTW I suppose that if you have a kilt jacket made you can choose whatever fabric you want.

**Doc MacBean** · 21st July 23, 12:07 PM

This discussion has been so helpful! It really has sensitized me to now obvious shortcomings of many attempts to convert a Saxon coat. I now see that my coat converted long ago has many shortcomings you mentioned and did not actually follow J. Charles Thompson's recommendations as closely as I originally thought. It turns out he recognized some of the flaws you mention like position of the pockets and a moderately successful fix for that. He even mentions as was stated above that converting a coat with patch pockets is easier to do. I also appreciate the statement that using material other than wool is acceptable. My conversion was made of 100% silk. It also had the flaw of a single vent in back. Experience and help of others shared experience and insight is so helpful!! Again Thanks.

**Tomo** · 22nd July 23, 01:02 AM

I did consider a couple of conversions a while back - and even acquired a couple of suitable Harris tweed jackets for this purpose - but I started wearing the jackets as is (typically with jeans and shirt) and decided I would get more use of them that way - and given the short comings and cost of conversion - other than having a couple of tweeds I really liked, I decided I wasn't making much of a saving.

So I ended up buying 2 or 3 Argyll Jackets and Vests when they were on sale - the cheapest was only £50, the other two less than £200 (all brand new) so it's perhaps worth shopping around. I also found a kiltmaker, whose costs for tailoring (with me providing my own cloth) was £155 for a jacket and £45 for a waistcoat.