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

**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.