When you think about the cost, initially it looks scary but if you break it down it's not that bad considering outfits like that are custom made. If you bought a custom made suit for $1000 nobody would think that was terrible for custom work. The shoes are a wash, you certainly wouldn't wear payless shoes with a custom suit would you? So you have that expense with a suit.

It's all the shiny stuff that adds up in a full formal kilt outfit. Especially if like me you prefer real silver for the dress items. Also in most cases you don't need a dirk (I actually use it far a Haggis address) and you could pick less expensive shiny bits. So in the long run the outfit probably isn't worse than a good custom suit. Or it can be if you put a little effort in.

While it does compare favourably with a suit that doesn't mean it's cheap by any standard and I feel for anyone trying to put an outfit together in one shot. You don't want to buy cheap but you don't want to take a second mortgage either.

All that leads me back to where I started, that I don't want to stick a piece of plastic in my hose when my only choice is a "safety" sgian dubh. So I am still open to suggestions.