Caledonia Kilts: Holyrood Modern kilt review

[furrycelt]

It is a good looking kilt. I will definitely look into this vendor. Your review is excellent and thorough, thanks for that.

I do want to know more about the cloth. What is the wool/poly blend like? How does it hang, swing, feel, etc.? Also, how should it be treated (washed/cleaned/dried)? Like wool? Or can you treat it like a PV kilt?

thanks,
-ian

[Alan H]

It is a good looking kilt. I will definitely look into this vendor. Your review is excellent and thorough, thanks for that.

I do want to know more about the cloth. What is the wool/poly blend like? How does it hang, swing, feel, etc.? Also, how should it be treated (washed/cleaned/dried)? Like wool? Or can you treat it like a PV kilt?

thanks,
-ian

I'm not terribly dsicriminating when it somes to subtleties in materials, but I'll write what I notice.

The general texture is rather like the polyester-viscose kilts I have from USA Kilts and Bear Kilts. It is much more "neat" and not as "fuzzy" as the acrylic of the Stillwaters. Locharron and Marton Mills both make polyester-wool blends, but this is not listed on either of their web sites so I don't know who the manufacturer of the cloth is. The colors are pretty true to the pictures I've seen of other Holyrood tartan samples. In general I'd say that this material is much like the stuff from Fraseer and Kirkbright, except that it's a bit lighter.

I am making a heavyweight wool kilt and this stuff is a tighter weave, though lighter cloth than that. In terms of care, I don't know.

I'll say this about the fit... The Stillwaters, though I like both of mine very much, tend to "pooch" out right below the waistband. If the 2006 models have the fells sewn down, then that may no longer be the case, but it's definitely the case with my 2005 solid black and Black Watch kilts. It's not a BAD thing, but there you go....makes me look a bit "hippy". This kilt is actually slimming in appearrance. Incredible. PLAID is "slimming"? Since when?

Davey wrote me that he'd joined Xmarks, perhaps he will write and give us all clues as to care of his kilts.

I made a few modifications to the apron yesterday (worked on the kilt for about 3 hours) and widened the apron about an inch or maybe a bit more. I re-shaped the right hand edge of the apron to conform more to Barbs instructions and re-sewed on the straps. This kilt is now, by far the nicest kilt I own and it fits perfectly.

TO DAVEY AT CALEDONIA KILTS: consider adding a bit more room at the hips to your kilts. Both BJ Custard and I notice that they're a little bit tight around the bum. Could you make your over-aprons about an inch, maybe an inch and a half wider? I ripped out the stitching on the right hand edge of the over-apron, ironed out the crease, refolded and re-stitched giving myself an extra inch, maybe an inch and a quarter there. This has made all the difference in the world.

[Mike S]

PLAID is "slimming"? Since when?

One quip, and I know you are aware of the difference Alan but some newbies might not be:
A PLAID is a garment you wear pinned to the shoulder.
TARTAN is the sett design material it, and kilts, are most often made of.
Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

[furrycelt]

One quip, and I know you are aware of the difference Alan but some newbies might not be:
A PLAID is a garment you wear pinned to the shoulder.
TARTAN is the sett design material it, and kilts, are most often made of.
Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

Alan wasn't completely wrong...
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/plaid

Function: noun
Etymology: Scottish Gaelic plaide
1 : a rectangular length of tartan worn over the left shoulder as part of the Scottish national costume
2 a : a twilled woolen fabric with a tartan pattern b : a fabric with a pattern of tartan or an imitation of tartan
3 a : TARTAN 1 b : a pattern of unevenly spaced repeated stripes crossing at right angles

"Plaid" has several correct definitions.

-ian

[furrycelt]

I'm not terribly dsicriminating when it somes to subtleties in materials, but I'll write what I notice.

Thanks for replying. You gave me an excellent idea of what to expect. I do hope Davey becomes active in our forum and answers my question about care.

-ian

[Alan H]

I I just used the term "plaid" 'this time as in if someone were referring to any checkered garment, not the more strict definition that we usually use here, in its historical context.

No worries!

[Mike S]

Ian,
That definition of Plaid is included in every dictionary listing only because of the widespread misuse of the word, not because it is correct, which it isn't strictly speaking.
As Alan explained, it was meant in a casual sense in the context of his post, but I wanted to point out to the less informed the error in using that word in most instances. Cheers.

[Pleater]

I am glad someone found the edge to the apron 'wrong' - it has been bothering me since seeing the photo, that the edge of the apron was on the straight and narrow.

I didn't want to be the first to mention it - me being here like five minutes and new to kilt making and making it up as I go anyway - but I inherited my attention to detail and noticing ways from more than one ancestor.

It is one of the 'it makes it a kilt' features, really.

It might not be in the dictionaries, but the term a plaid pattern or plaid fabric is in common usage - out of respect for the 'true' tartans and not wanting checks to get above themselves there was a need for a tartanish patterned fabric.

It might have a pedigree in that when tartans were being formalised there might have been many plaids (the noun) which were still around, in plaid (the adjective) patterns which had been declared not standard and so they were reduced to being pieces of non tartan fabric.

[Sherry]

Ian,
That definition of Plaid is included in every dictionary listing only because of the widespread misuse of the word, not because it is correct, which it isn't strictly speaking.
As Alan explained, it was meant in a casual sense in the context of his post, but I wanted to point out to the less informed the error in using that word in most instances. Cheers.

I don't consider the way Americans use the word as wrong. It is simply common usage in the US, not incorrect usage. It's just the way the word evolved having been moved an ocean away from its origin.

There are quite a few words that differ in usage on either side of The Pond, as I'm sure you've noticed. For instance, here, calico always refers to a cotton or poly/cotton fabric covered with a tiny print, most often wee rosebuds or other flowers. Americans have used it that way since pioneer times. But in Britain, calico refers to what we call muslin. Not wrong or right, but simply the way language develops over time & distance.

[Pleater]

We - in the UK - use muslin for a fine white cotton cloth, which is translucent, and calico for a slightly thicker, but still white cotton cloth. There is Chintz, which is a colour printed glazed cotton cloth - but there are so many different names for different qualities, there's that hippy favourite, cheesecloth, or sateen - a glossy cotton or wool cloth etc etc.

There were calico balls, where the ladies wore calico rather than richer materials - presumably it was like school uniform - suposed to stop the richer ones being insufferably over dressed.

Hmm - I've got loads of white linen somewhere - it was meant for painting on - but if I wash the size out and dye it -