Kilts, The Wise Financial Choice

[kiltedpride]

Is my $200 suit only a "pretend suit"?
Adam

Well a £100 suit here would not last more than a year's wear. However a suit tends to follow the same construction whether it is £100 or £700 so I am not sure that one can classify the cheaper one as a pretend suit - there is not a vast amount of difference. The comparison I suggest with respect does not work.
A traditional kilt uses 8 yards 100% worsted Scottish wool in medium or heavy weight 12-16oz and hand sewn. The sixteen/seventeen ounce material is sometimes known as strome or kilt-weight. Worsted fabric is a relatively hard material that looks good, holds the pleats very well, and wrinkles very little. The kilt is not meant to be worn like jeans, down around the waist near the hips. The top of the waistband should be at your navel; military-cut kilts rise high enough to come to the wearer's bottom rib - this guarantees the correct hang and swing of the pleats.
The other garments which one might classify as pretend kilts are vastly different in construction and material. Some are soft, lightweight poly/viscose fabric and are machine washable. They are not usually made of finest wosted or with weight or amount of cloth and often hang from the hips - they are different beasts. But as mentioned time and time before we would rather have a guy start off in one of these than not at all.

[arrogcow]

Well a £100 suit here would not last more than a year's wear.

Well one problem seems to be that all the good tailors in Scottland are making kilts and nothing else if a $200 suit only lasts a year (I have two, one over ten and one nearly 10 - granted in the last 4 I've worn a kilt most of the time I would have worn a suit in the past.

Adam

[kiltedpride]

Well one problem seems to be that all the good tailors in Scottland are making kilts and nothing else if a $200 suit only lasts a year (I have two, one over ten and one nearly 10 - granted in the last 4 I've worn a kilt most of the time I would have worn a suit in the past.

Adam

I was bowing out but I can't let this one go - I assumed for the purpose of my illustration that the wearer would be wearing the suit for the office and might be wearing same 1 -3 times a week. In my humble view (and I know this from experience) that a £100 suit looks extemely sad after a years wear. It also after a couple of years tends to go out of fashion. Unlike a trad. kilt that will last a lifetime and not go out of fashion.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

I was bowing out but I can't let this one go...

You can't bow out now, you have been sucked into the vortex that is Xmarks!

RJI

[kiltedpride]

You can't bow out now, you have been sucked into the vortex that is Xmarks!

RJI

Yes - it must me your charm and your powers of suction (or seduction)

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Yes - it must me your charm and your powers of suction (or seduction)

STOP! Don't do that when I am taking a drink! Not only is it bad for the monitor, but it is a waste of a good adult beverage!

Leathercubby, welcome back. Hope you enjoyed your trip. I would love to visit some time in the next few years.

[GMan]

STOP! Don't do that when I am taking a drink! Not only is it bad for the monitor, but it is a waste of a good adult beverage!

Leathercubby, welcome back. Hope you enjoyed your trip. I would love to visit some time in the next few years.

How many times have I heard something to the effect that not while I was drinking, now my monitor is all messed up.

I am now resolved not to drink anything while reading these posts!

We now return to your regularly scheduled thread!

[kiltedpride]

Well one problem seems to be that all the good tailors in Scottland are making kilts and nothing else if a $200 suit only lasts a year (I have two, one over ten and one nearly 10 - granted in the last 4 I've worn a kilt most of the time I would have worn a suit in the past.

Adam

Another thought - I think £100 suits are massed produced by machine whereas a kilt is handmade. And just by way of further observation I have noticed that the time taken to have a trad. kilt made up is taking longer and longer (not just from my regular kilt shop but seems to be universal in Scotland). My kilt shop says it is the Mills that are servicing the increased requirements of local demand and also increased orders from the large US highland games. Anyway it is now somewhere between 2-8 weeks minimum and can be even longer - a couple of years ago I could get a kilt made up in a month.

[leathercubby]

Wow, take a break for a trip to Scotland and I miss one of the best threads that I have ever seen on here. I would have to second Kiltedpride's views. A proper heavy weight tartan kilt is the way to go. I started out with one and now am happier than ever that I did not try to cheap out and buy a knock off. I am not even going to approach Utilikilts and their virtues (although the defense that getting a guy into a kilt, if even a UK is better than nothing has its merits).

Walking down the Royal Mile and Prince's Street, I looked at the cheap kilts. I don't like to wear a $600 garment to the pubs or for just working around the house. Like the reference to blue jeans earlier, I would not buy a cheap pair of new jeans for that either. I would wear a more expensive pari that are older and starting to wear. I even looked at the Breacan by Kinloch Anderson (just guessing, but with a royal warrant, they probably know what they are doing and are a fine kilt maker) and decided that I didnt want to pay nearly $300 for a garment that was kilt-like. I have decided that my current kilt will suffice for a couple of years and then I can get a new, hand made, kilt for formal wear and Scottish Country Dancing. I will then have my first kilt for wearing, with decreased concern, to pubs or hiking or whatever. I do intend on doing that anyway and if I have to purchase a new kilt for formal wear, so be it. At least I am wearing my kilt.

Scots are probably more accepting of the price of a kilt than Americans. The exchange rate inflates the price for us (even though we dont have to pay VAT). They pay the equivalent of $75 to fill their cars. Visiting family and friends, and seeing how actual Scots live, it seems to me that they pay for quality. In the US, we pay for quantity. We pay less for most items, but we buy more of them, and replace them more frequently. That is why we have big box stores and Walmart. Really, a disposable society.

Grat thread guys!
Eric

[kiltedpride]

Wow, take a break for a trip to Scotland and I miss one of the best threads that I have ever seen on here. I would have to second Kiltedpride's views. Grat thread guys!
Eric

Well you would have seen a more interesting on earlier today had it not been censored (the subject matter touched on Queen Victoria's husband alleged PA ). You have a more controlled board here. For more liberal threads (but also including Scottish history and culture ) with over 3000 positngs over 80 topics the Sporran Clan may be he answer to those guys who like guys in kilts (Hell can I even mention that ?)
Glad you enjoyed your trip to Scotland - do come back again.