Are there any kilt makers in the UK which stand above others in quality?

[SF Jeff]

I went to Wm Glenn & Son in SF (very nice shop, by the way, just off Union Square), and purchased my very first personally selected kilt.

When I used to work downtown in the city, I would sometimes take a long lunch and walk the few blocks to the store and hang out there. Got to know the owner/manager Paul (still have his business card with his cell number written on the back). I also got my first kilt there, although I didn't buy it in store, but at his stall at the local highland games. The whisky shop in the back is subletted if I remember correctly.

[jsrnephdoc]

The whisky shop in the back is subletted if I remember correctly.

Meaning that it's cooperatively operated, or that it's now completely in someone else's hands, perhaps even doing something else?

I must admit that my palette is VERY unsophisticated, not up to the task of calling up 4 syllable adjectives to describe wine, whisky, OR coffee tasting notes (I'm guessing the generative AI bots will do a MUCH better—and perhaps hilarious—job of that than I ever could).

Perhaps my curiosity genes were more active when I began trolling the USA Kilts website a few years ago, but I really didn't LEARN a lot at Wm Glen, although I liked the kilt I ordered there. Do YOU know where they're made? In Scotland? In Wm Glen's basement or shop somewhere else in the US?

[OC Richard]

What (asymmetrical?) tartan? Is it Cathy's work?

Yes by Cathy Hope, and yes Hunting Stewart is asymmetrical.

Well actually Hunting Stewart has a symmetrical ground, but the yellow and red lines are laid upon it asymmetrically, so that each yellow or red line only appears, in effect, in every other repeat of the sett.

With the super-dark Modern Colours military HS kilts the yellow and red lines are superimposed over a near-black ground, so the front apron is centred to the yellow line.

But in Ancient Colours and Weathered Colours the three different ground-colours are clearly seen, so you're confronted with the choices

1) using the yellow or red line as the centre-line and having the whole ground be off-centre, or

2) using a feature of the ground as the centre-line and having the yellow and red lines off-centre.

I chose #2, I wanted the ground to be centred, so as you see there's a broad grey stripe coming down each side of the sporran.

Had I chosen #1 these broad grey stripes would be off-centre, but the yellow line would be centred. There's no correct answer!

Nice bonnet, by the way.

Thanks! I'd been wanting a Robert Mackie Balmoral in their traditional Fawn colour for decades. I finally bought one, and only a year later they shut down their traditional bonnet division.

[OC Richard]

Is it pretty easy to get an accurate jacket measurement by yourself with the help of another person? Or is it something you would recommend getting done in person?

I've been wearing kilt jackets for nearly 50 years and what I've found is that giving measurements almost never results in a jacket that fits the way you want your jacket to fit.

In August I went into every kilt shop I could find in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and a side-trip to Kilmarnock.

In shop after shop I saw the same jackets from House of Edgar and St Kilda/Gaelic Themes. I have a jacket I got on Ebay with a Lochcarron label. I also have a Geoffrey Tailor jacket.


All these jackets fit the same. In fact they look as if they're made by the same people, though various places state or imply that they make their own jackets in-house.

What I've found is by far the best way to get a jacket to fit is to try on jackets and find the right size. Then I can purchase a jacket from any of the legit UK firms and I know it will fit.

I've found that the least successful way is to send somebody measurements. I've had places do crazy things like add 8 inches to the waist, to send me a Long when I didn't order a Long, and other goofy things. And you can't return these mutant jackets because they're bespoke.

But yes, if you happen to be able to order a jacket in person and they have an experienced person who does the measuring then you'll probably be fine.

[North40]

I've been wearing kilt jackets for nearly 50 years and what I've found is that giving measurements almost never results in a jacket that fits the way you want your jacket to fit.

Figures.

I had done some lurking and saw some of your posts mentioning the blunder that happened when you bought a jacket through St. Kilda. Kind of got spooked by that and have been trying to find shops that would allow an in-person measuring and order for a day jacket in a choice tweed outside of the normal color palettes. I haven't had much luck, though.

Are there any UK firms that you came across during your travel that you would recommend? Your mention of Geoffrey Tailor is the first time I've heard of it.

[jsrnephdoc]

Figures.

I had done some lurking and saw some of your posts mentioning the blunder that happened when you bought a jacket through St. Kilda. Kind of got spooked by that and have been trying to find shops that would allow an in-person measuring and order for a day jacket in a choice tweed outside of the normal color palettes. I haven't had much luck, though.

Are there any UK firms that you came across during your travel that you would recommend? Your mention of Geoffrey Tailor is the first time I've heard of it.

Well, the mistake in my case was NOT St. Kilda's but rather Lochcarron's (substituting a different Robertson weathered tartan for the one I'd ordered), and St. Kilda's response was the best it could have been. They could have asked me to return the first kilt to them and they could have offered it for sale at some discounted price. Instead, they GIFTED me with it. I did have to wait a few months for what I really wanted, but that was also on Locharron, because they don't have all tartans in inventory all the time, and they have a programmed schedule for what they weave, when.

At the moment, I've been waiting several months for Lochcarron to do a weaving of a restricted tartan "The Nursing Tartan," designed by some Scottish National Health Service nurses in the colors of their national uniforms. I'm hoping to get permission for a kilt to be made from it. That has to happen through Gordon Nicolson Kiltmaker because the restrictions don't permit Lochcarron to supply the fabric to any other kiltmaker. Nicolson has an excellent reputation, of course. Houston Kiltmakers in Glasgow is also well regarded, and I think they do made-to-measure jackets as well, but I've not used them for anything.

USA Kilts has given me excellent service for everything I've ordered from them. Jackets from them are made in Scotland (quite possibly by Gaelic Themes.

[Tomo]

Not a personal endorsement but The Kilt Experience in the Sottish Borders offer made to measure, hand-sewn kilts and bespoke tweed waistcoats and jackets. I understand they largely source their kilting materials from Lochcarron and tweeds from the Lovat Mill - both of which are located in nearby Selkirk. They also do their own leather work and sporrans.

https://www.thekiltexperience.com/be...lt-outfitters/

[North40]

USA Kilts has given me excellent service for everything I've ordered from them. Jackets from them are made in Scotland (quite possibly by Gaelic Themes.

I believe they are made by Gaelic Themes? Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Not a personal endorsement but The Kilt Experience in the Sottish Borders offer made to measure, hand-sewn kilts and bespoke tweed waistcoats and jackets. I understand they largely source their kilting materials from Lochcarron and tweeds from the Lovat Mill - both of which are located in nearby Selkirk. They also do their own leather work and sporrans.

https://www.thekiltexperience.com/be...lt-outfitters/

I've come across this site before. It seemed promising. Although, the vague wording on who manufactures their jackets turned me away at first.

Our Scotland-based tailors can also work on custom designs which we would be pleased to discuss and create with you.

Does anyone know whether or not their tailors have physical establishments where you can get measured in-person? Or is it more in-line with how St. Kilda handles their jacket orders?

I sent them an e-mail earlier today asking about that, so it might be a moot point to ask here, but I thought I would anyways.

[jsrnephdoc]

I believe they are made by Gaelic Themes? Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.



I've come across this site before. It seemed promising. Although, the vague wording on who manufactures their jackets turned me away at first.


Does anyone know whether or not their tailors have physical establishments where you can get measured in-person? Or is it more in-line with how St. Kilda handles their jacket orders?

I sent them an e-mail earlier today asking about that, so it might be a moot point to ask here, but I thought I would anyways.

I'll be VERY interested to learn what you find out. They claim their jackets are made to measure, but don't really say they're different from standard "idealized" sizes. It's also curious that their location isn't specified beyond "Scottish Borders," although they DO say they make on site measurements for their kilts. And, I was pleased to see that the very first kilt they made was in one of my family's tartans.

A truly one-off jacket is a VERY expensive proposition and almost certainly would cost almost twice what a hand-sewn kilt would cost. I have no idea how much they charge for their kilts. Their website is well crafted, but many things are stated in rather vague terms, so were I to consider having them make me a kilt, I would do so only AFTER visiting their business and further assessing their operations myself. Interestingly, their "testimonials are all at least 5 years old.

[PiperScout]

Geoffrey Tailor & Kilt Maker is located on the Royal Mile / High Street in Edinburgh and has been in the kilt-making business for a few generations. They are more on the "bespoke" kilt end of pricing and quality, but you will not be disappointed.

I have one kilt made by them in 1989 that continues to wear beautifully, and visited the shop in June 2024 and purchased an Argyll jacket & waistcoat they measured and sent to me a month later.

https://geoffreykilts.co.uk/