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

**Jock Scot** · 9th February 25, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Troglodyte

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** · 19th February 25, 05:05 PM

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** · 20th February 25, 10:57 AM

[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** · 20th February 25, 11:12 AM

[QUOTE=Jock Scot;1410403]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.