Disappointed

[NancyMan]

I can hear you're pretty choked Dave, but don't dispair. I too purchased a SportKilt and initially was disappointed. Like your wife though, I could see it was fixable. I ordered a medium and was sent a large, so I got extra wrap on the under apron, which was probably a good thing. But I did have to move loads of velcro so that the thing would stay on me and too, I had to move a couple of belt loops. It only has about half the pleats that my Stillwaters do, but they hang pretty well. I may go so far as to sew the edges of the pleats so I can forego ironing it after a wash. Isn't that first pleat on the left side of the apron a honkin one? Mine is 10 inches from edge to edge with 8 inches hidden under the apron. I'm sure there's a reason for this- probably to prevent restricting my leg movement when I'm practicing ballet moves. In your case it won't bind when you're chasing down a wounded deer. ;-) Now mine is made from a poly blend while yours is, as you say, canvas. (Officially cotton duck- the same material that UK workmans are made of.) There's been at least one thread on this forum discussing ways to soften it up, so you might do a search for that information. The saddle bag on my commuter bicycle is made of this stuff. It's survived about 12 years of daily abuse and could probably survive atmospheric re-entry. Count your blessings, this just may be a contemporary kilt that can last a few generations. You (or your dear wife) will just have to whip it into shape. My experience is that nearly all of my kilts have needed some kind of tweaking.

Best of luck buddy,
Vincent

[RockyR]

After reading this (and related) threads, as a COMSUMER, I ask myself, "why would I buy something that I have to fix myself"? If a product is $20 cheaper than another, but takes a couple hours of "fixing" to get it how I want it, should I just buy the better product and have it fit correctly the first time? What is my time (invested in "fixing" someone else's mistakes) worth? $5 / hour? $50 / hour?

[Kilted Stuart]

RockyR hit it on the nose there. It's not how much you pay, it's the product you pay for. I am willing to pay a lot more to get everything I want. It's cheaper and more comfortable in the end.
Like with alot of things, you get what you pay for. I just save a little longer and get exactly what I want.

Kilted Stuart

[michael steinrok]

i THOUGHT THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE SPORTKILTWAS TO COMPETE IN THEM AS THEY WERE CHEAP AND SHORT. THAT WAY GUYS AT THE GAMES WHO MIGHT NOT NORMALLY WEAR ONE COULD FIT IN. YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE CRAPPY TYES THEY LOAN YOU AT A FANCY RESTERAUNT.?BLOODY DISAPPOINTED THOUGH YEAH? SORRY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT

[bjcustard]

I have a couple SportKilts. I think what's getting overlooked in this conversation is what they ARE. They're not full blown kilts. I don't think Seamus has ever advocated them as full blown kilts. They're nice, lightweight, unbifurcated garments. Casual wear only, IMHO.

I've got a USA St Andrews (with all the trimmings - sewn down pleats, belt loops) that I knock around in on the 4th. I sent them Army digital camo material and had them make a "Boulder" out of it. I'm very pleased with both.

But I wouldn't wear one to my St Andrew's Society Burns dinner. I'd wear my tank. They are less "kilt-like" than the casual Stillwaters, yes. But they do fit their niche.

That being said, shoddy workmanship is never acceptable, at any price. Did you inquire with SK about returning it?

[Jerry]

I have three Sportkilts. One I paid for blackwatch tartan, one that came by mistake (before the one I paid for arrived) and another desert camo sportkilt that my son tried to sell and finally gave to me. I use all three of them for wearing around the house. The one that I got by mistake makes a nice wrap when I first get up in the morning, or after just getting out of the shower.

[GlassMan]

I have 4 SportKilts. I ordered 3 directly and got one off eBay. I bought my very first SportKilt immediately after my operation when I needed something unbifurcated in a big hurry since I couldn't wear pants because of the cast & stitches. I also didn't want to spend a huge amount of money without being certain I wanted to be kilted.

The others I purchased because it's just too darn hot to wear a tank outside in a DC summer. For their purpose the off the rack models are great. But you have to understand that they are not tanks and never will be.

Their boulder is a made-to-order kilt and for some reason I just don't think they are cut out for that kind of market.

[Kilted Stuart]

I understand the function of the sportkilt and it's target market, unless your competing in the heavys you can get great quality 4-6 yd kilts custom made for a little more in durable and washable weaved fabrics.
I would wait and get a lot more for a little more money.

Kilted Stuart

[NewKilt]

I have several SportKilts. All with belt loops, sewn down pleates and custom length. I bought them before I even knew about this website. If I had done a little more reseach and spent more time learning about kilt construction, I would have probably went a different route.

I am in the process of replacing several of my SportKilts with Stillwaters of the same tartan. I'll keep a few of the SportKilts for really hot days. In general, I have been satisfied with the SportKilts that I purchased. But, that being said, I have noticed differences in quality from one kilt to another.

SportKilt has the potential of being a nice light-weight casual kilt, but they need to improve their consistency on quality. Your experience is simply unacceptable. That kind of workmanship should never get out the door.

If you are on a budget, as I am, I think the Stillwaters are a much better bargain as far as price/quality goes. Plus, I have found that I like the traditional styling with the kilt worn higher on the waist.

I'm sorry that your first SportKilt has been a disappointment. If you contacted them I'm sure they would exchange the one you recieved with one that was made correctly.

Darrell

[JayFilomena]

I made a huge mistake over Chistmas time in buying a new cilt. I put on the cilt, not so awesome. First off it velcro, that's different to get used to. The material feels weird, like canvas, so I thought that if I wash it, it will soften and hang better. I wore my new cilt all day and it didn't feel right, it hung funny?! So I thought I'll wash it, that'll fix it. When my wife got home I showed her the new cilt that was drying on the rack. She looked at it funny and said it didn't look right. Needless to say I'll never be buying a cilt through SportKilt again. Besides that I have the best wife who will help me. Cheers.

My first kilt was a Utilikilt, and when I receivd my chocolate chip desert camo kilt from Sportkilt, I was dissappointed that it was not similiar. I also did not like the velcro or the way it hung. The material did feel weird and I wore it for several hours to see if I could get used to it. I took it to my mother to see if she could sew the pleats, and she said the same thing as...well someone else said it on the thread, why not just send it back and pay more for another kilt you would like. I called sportkilt, told them I really didnt like the kilt, and with no questions asked they refunded my money. I thought that was great customer service. I then turned around and bought an awesome Custom MARPAT kilt from Jeff at pittsburgh kilts, paid three times as much, and it is my favorite kilt. Go Jeff. Not only did he do a great job on it, but I sent it back to him for resizing, and for a small fee, he added pleats to it for my growing size. And like someone else said...if you want a cheap towl wrap type kilt for getting up in the morning, then sport kilt is the way to go...If you want a quality modern kilt to go out in, then Jeff is The Man. The White Kong of Kilt making.