Dir. of Scottish Tartan Authority Criticizes Edinburgh Shops

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The original article from the Tartan Herald included a side bar clarifying that most Scottish kiltmakers had no issue with the fact that inexpensive, ready-made, off the peg kilts were being offered. And really not even with the fact that they were made in Pakistan. They admit that there is a place in the market for such an item -- for children, for those looking for a "costume peice" or simply for those who cannot afford a kilt otherwise.

Their criticism has more to do with the labelling of the product leading people with the impression that these are genuine Highland kilts. The labels, which the original article pictured (and which I've seen many times at Highland Games in the US) display the words "Scottish Highland Kilt, authentic woven tartan, designed in Scotland."

The problem is that all of this is technically true. Yes, the kilt is a Scottish Highland garment. Yes, the tartan cloth is really woven (doesn't say of what material). And yes, the kilt was "designed" in Scotland. But there is nothing there to say that it is actually woven from a cheap acrylic, or that this kilt was imported in from Pakistan.

In other words, those who purchase such items can easily be misled into thinking that this is the real Scottish deal. Those of us familiar with kilts can sit back and say, "Well, what do these people expect? A kilt for only twenty pounds? Cant' they tell from the material and construction that this must be a cheap import?"

Well, no. Most people are not familiar with authentic kilts up close and personal and have no experience with this. It is easy to imagine the visitor to Scotland seeing these "kilts" and assuming that this must be what all the fuss is about. And those who care about maintaining Scotland's reputation and traditions don't want these products associated with the skill and craftsmanship of Scotland's weavers and tailors.

That's really the crix of this issue.

I thought the article was a good one, and made some very valid points. I think if any Royal Mile merchants are offended by it, it might be because it hit a little close to home.

Matt

[davedove]

What Matt Says is right. It's not so much the selling of the cheap kilts. After all, it is a free market and everything has it's place. It's the misrepresentation that's the problem.

they're trying to deceive people into believing this is a kilt made in Scotland when in reality it most likely was made by some poorly paid woman or child in Pakistan. (Can you say sweat-shop?)

It doesn't even have to be sweat shop conditions. It could be a perfectly reasonable shop that pays the equivalent of 50 cents an hour, which while it seems slave wages to us, would actually be a phenomenal wage in Pakistan, where the minimum wage is about 25 cents an hour. We have to be careful about using the sweat shop label. While I'm sure they exist, for the most part it's just different standards of living that cause the cheaper labor.

[JerryMacP]

Whilst the newspaper reporter picked on a wee gift shop as an example, the company that the guy from the Tartans Authority was really talking about is well known to everyone in the trade in Scotland. And X Markers should really know all about them too.

They are the infamous Gold Brothers, an Asian family with no roots in Scottish heritage at all, but plenty of links to sweatshops overseas. They sell both from tat shops all over Scotland, and advertise heavily online. For example, key 'kilt' into google and their ad will probably be top of the small ads.

They operate under names like "Heritage of Scotland", "ScotlandShop Direct", "KiltsWorld.com", and their new 'luxury' brand "John Morrison" kilts. They also recently bought up the great old firm of McCalls in Edinburgh.

The reason they can afford to advertise so heavily is the ludicrously high margins they make from selling rubbish on the high street, and also selling forgeries as the real authentic thing. Almost every genuine producer in Scotland has suffered from their unscrupulous practices, whereby they get someone's copyright designs reproduced overseas for a fraction at the price, at rubbish quality. They sell these online even using the genuine producer's own photographs, and with forged labels in many cases. That's not just rumour, it's fact.

There have been countless complaints to Trading Standards, but they won't go near because they're afraid of being accused of racism. And before I'm accused of being racist myself, I'm not. I just hate the disgusting practices of these ruthless b*******s that are driving authentic producers to the wall. Cheap production overseas is one thing. Theft is another.

Here for example is an article from years ago when they first started to appear on the scene:
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1208732003

It's a really serious issue for the future of this industry, as it's destroying the industry so fast there will soon be little left in Scotland itself. If you know anyone who unwittingly has a link on their site to any of the above shops, please tell them! I've suffered from them in the past, but I'm saying no more than that!

[McClef]

I should also point out that such establishments as these are not just limited to the Royal Mile, they can also be found in the Princes/George St area.

[IEScotsman]

I'm the kind of kilt-owner that takes pride in the "Scottishness" of the item. The whole ensemble in fact. That's why I've never been a big fan of the casual leather, PV, denim, or whatever kilt. But there is a place for those and I appreciate it...may even buy one soon.

But as kilts become more and more popular, people will buy them for the look, not the authenticity. It's sad for the industry, but they may face a backlash if they attempt to restrict where and how people make their purchases.

[Monkey@Arms]

Whilst the newspaper reporter picked on a wee gift shop as an example, the company that the guy from the Tartans Authority was really talking about is well known to everyone in the trade in Scotland. And X Markers should really know all about them too.

* * *Snip * * *

Here for example is an article from years ago when they first started to appear on the scene:
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1208732003

It's a really serious issue for the future of this industry, as it's destroying the industry so fast there will soon be little left in Scotland itself. If you know anyone who unwittingly has a link on their site to any of the above shops, please tell them! I've suffered from them in the past, but I'm saying no more than that!

Thanks for the perspective and link to the newspaper article to back it up. I think we can all agree that goods should never be misrepresented.

Best regards,

Jake

[Mike1]

The problem lies in the fact that so many products in the Royal Mile 'touristy' shops are "Designed in Scotland", rather than being actually manufactured in Scotland. Tourism is big business in Scotland and it is a pity they cannot market Scottish-made products, because of all the tatty, imitation knock-offs.

[Tartan Hiker]

I have to admit that when I first walked the Royal Mile up to Edinburgh Castle I was a bit shocked at both the number and the gaudiness of many of the shops. As I became more and more unhappy my wife reminded me of what we refer to as the "Concrete TeePee" syndrome.

Basically, here in western NC, the Cherokee Indian reservation is a major tourist draw. All summer the stream of cars is greeted by members of the tribe, dressed in classic plains Indian garb complete with war chief's bonnets, standing in front of brightly painted concrete teepees.

The native Cherokee that occupied this land would have no idea what a teepee is used for and would probably have been apalled at full buckskins and eagle feather bonnets. They used very different styles of both housing and clothing. But when tourists arrive they expect to see the familiar icons of western movies, so the locals give them what they expect. To do otherwise would be financially unwise for businesses that depend on tourist dollars.

If you depend on tourist dollars you're crazy not to give the tourists what they expect and what they want. The proliferation of the "cheapy" items is a natural and predictable result. Cherokee, NC is full of these shops, but if you look hard you'll find the "real story" in a few shops, in museums, and in the people themselves. So it is in Edinburgh.

Just like my friends on the reservation, we have to respectfully understand the motivation,try to educate those who are interested, and try not to let it spoil our own enjoyment. I'm sure that, with some blatant exceptions as noted in previous posts, most of the income from these shops stays within the local economy.

Bill

[macwilkin]

We have the same thing here in the Ozarks, the ubiquitous "Hillbilly" image. You still see places that sell the tacky postcards with the "Hillbilly" family. Ozark folklorist Robert Gilmore described it this way:

I've always been more annoyed than amused by the hillbilly-postcard image of the Ozarker. You know the postcard I mean. The one tourists buy to send back to Iowa, demonstrating the stereotypical lazy mountaineer, lying in front of his falling-down shack, surrounded by a passel of grimy and lethargic young'ns. A slovenly wife slouches nearby, herself too slothful to shoo the scrawny hogs, dogs, and chickens from the rickety porch.

The Ozarks, of course, has a reputation as a laid-back place, pleasant and restful, and I suppose the hillbilly-postcard Ozarker is just a clever way of demonstrating how enjoyable and relax-lng is the life of a typical resident. The truth is, anyone who has ever tried to grow anything in the thin rocky soil of an Ozarks hillside (where our postcard-hillbilly apparently lives) knows that it's not easy. To grow enough corn to make the likker in the XXX jug by his side, our post-card-hillbilly would have to work, and work hard. Now what would that do to our image?

Bill, your post immediately reminded of our own version of the concrete tipi.

Regards,

Todd

[RockyR]

I thought the article was a good one, and made some very valid points. I think if any Royal Mile merchants are offended by it, it might be because it hit a little close to home.

Matt

I agree with everything that Matt said, especially his last statement. Also, the BIGGEST problem is NOT where the kilts are made or the material is woven, it's the fact that they're being passed off as "authentic Scottish Kilts".

Please note... WE (Kelly and I) make "casual kilts" from Poly Viscose (not wool) and sell them for around $110. While these aren't "real kilts" in some people's eyes, we don't CLAIM they are. We describe them (on the site and in person) for exactly what they are and don't try to pass them off as "traditional kilts". Truth in advertising is all we ask and expect. It's the deception that's the problem.

BTW... while this can never be proven or disproven (because it was my personal experience), I did my own little experiment when I was on the Royal Mile last January... take it for what it's worth:

I asked every shop attendant selling the "cheap kilts" if they were made in Scotland or if they were REAL kilts. Not only were the tags on the items misleading, but their answers were misleading (and / or outright lies). Out of the 6 shops I asked, only 1 eventually admitted (after several inquiries and digging) that he thought they MIGHT be made overseas. Most of the shops said "SURE they're real kilts" or "I THINK they were made here... do you want to try one on?" When asked why they weren't 300 GBP, they said that they didn't know and that their prices were just better. They would skirt the issue as best they could to make the sale and deceive me.