Quote Originally Posted by North40 View Post
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.