How to buy a kilt - the way it used to be done

[Troglodyte]

"I see it as them are knocking another nail into the coffin of Scottish culture and tradition."

I am not sure I would phrase it in this way. It is a simple fact of the world today that it is far easier, faster, and less expensive to buy weaving yarn that comes from Merino sheep from Australia or New Zealand, Washed/carded/combed in India, spun in Pakistan, dyed in Venezuela or Brazil and used in Tartan weaving mills.

Even back when England was a major wool producer, while most of the herds grazed on church land, much of the processing was done elsewhere. That is one of the ways the Low Countries got wealthy.

In Scotland the large Royal Land Grants had to raise sheep for export just to pay the taxes.

So perhaps another way of expressing it is that the current practices are the Scottish tradition.

I'm not with you here.

Anyone who buys an item of traditional Scottish Highland dress from a foreign producer is depriving the native Scottish artisan.

Whilst the buying customer will have his own ideas, and may have no qualms with buying a Pakistani sporran or a PV kilt from an American maker, none of this trade goes to Scotland and so this is the coffin-nail I mentioned.

Personally, I have no problem with people prefering to buy cheap foreign alternatives, but in doing so they must accept that they are buying what you might call fakes. I would much rather they buy the genuine item from a traditional Scottish maker, but each to their own.

What we cannot do is pretend that the foreign-made items are traditionally Scottish (no mater how well-made they are) or that they are preserving a dying Scottish culture. When it comes to these things, it is far better to make our choices based on value rather than price.

[Jock Scot]

I'm not with you here.

Anyone who buys an item of traditional Scottish Highland dress from a foreign producer is depriving the native Scottish artisan.

Whilst the buying customer will have his own ideas, and may have no qualms with buying a Pakistani sporran or a PV kilt from an American maker, none of this trade goes to Scotland and so this is the coffin-nail I mentioned.


................

Personally, I have no problem with people prefering to buy cheap foreign alternatives, but in doing so they must accept that they are buying what you might call fakes. I would much rather they buy the genuine item from a traditional Scottish maker, but each to their own.

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From where I am placed, I absolutely agree with you. I have never understood how buying goods from outwith Scotland and with no Scottish connection with its production helps Scotland one bit. To say otherwise is entirely insincere. Buy from anywhere in the world, other than Scotland or, perhaps the UK if you so choose, but please don't delude yourselves that you are buying the genuine article or supporting the "home country" or even more importantly, its artisans.

[OC Richard]

Buying a kilt in 1955:

Go into your local Highland Dress shop, get measured, choose tartan from swatch-book from a Scottish weaver.

When the fabric arrives at the shop a local kiltmaker sews it entirely by hand to your measurements.

Buying a kilt in 2025:

Go online to some site you know nothing about and order an "acrylic wool" kilt.

It's mass-produced in batches of hundreds, machine-sewn in a Sialkot factory to generic sizes.

(Sad, but the latter method is in the majority these days, and it isn't close.)

[Jock Scot]

[QUOTE=OC Richard;1410396]Buying a kilt in 1955:

Go into your local Highland Dress shop, get measured, choose tartan from swatch-book from a Scottish weaver.

When the fabric arrives at the shop a local kiltmaker sews it entirely by hand to your measurements.

That still happens today in a few shops. There are two that I know of within this County that will still make a kilt for a customer, -------at a price! I am pretty sure that my two kilts(same tartan, different sett size) will see me out. Phew!

[Father Bill]

[QUOTE=Jock Scot;1410403]

Buying a kilt in 1955:

Go into your local Highland Dress shop, get measured, choose tartan from swatch-book from a Scottish weaver.

When the fabric arrives at the shop a local kiltmaker sews it entirely by hand to your measurements.

That still happens today in a few shops. There are two that I know of within this County that will still make a kilt for a customer, -------at a price! I am pretty sure that my two kilts will see me out. Phew!

That's exactly what I did with Keltoi who used to be an advertiser here. I'm still happy and satisfied.