Tweed kilts

[M. A. C. Newsome]

There has been some discussion of tweed kilts on another old thread (revived after about a year!) on "Who Owns a Scottish Hand Sewn Yadda-yadda...."

Since that thread is old, and long, and not really about tweed kilts anyway, I thought I'd start a new one for this topic.

Just to get the ball rolling, here is some info. First, an article I wrote for the Scottish Banner about Harris tweed:
http://albanach.org/needfortweed.htm

Harris tweed is, of course, what many people think of when they think of Scottish tweeds. I'm absolutely in love with the stuff. Here is the web site for the Harris Tweed Authority.

As some know from other postings of mine, I do use Harris tweed in my own kilts. Info on ordering a Harris tweed kilt is here:
http://kilts.albanach.org/tweeds.html

I hope to add a wider range of Harris tweeds in the coming year. You'll note at the bottom of that page I also make kilts from the Ettrick tweeds woven by Lochcarron. I'll also make kilts from tweeds supplied by the customer if you have your own source.

We also offer all styles of kilt in Ettrick tweed through the Scottish Tartans Museum gift shop. They are priced the same as our medium weight tartan kilts. See http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/tweed.html

The museum also offers a line of kilts made from House of Edgar's "Glen Tilt" tweeds, which despite the name are really worsted twill weave cloth, but made in patterns to resemble the classic Scottish estate tweeds.
See: http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/glen_tilt.htm

Lest this post starts to sound like a commercial, there are other companies making tweed kilts. Most of your larger Highland Dress suppliers will, such as the kiltstore.com, Geoffrey (Tailor) aka 21st Cent. kilts, etc.

Doing a search for "tweed kilts" will yeild some interesting results. Here is one I found (I have not done business with this company but I have heard good reccomendations):

House of Bruar

I've been recently introduced to this web site, which is reviving an old Scottish Estate Tweed:
http://www.inveraraytweed.co.uk/

Lastly, here are a few pictures of kilts I have made to get the ball rolling (all Harris tweed).

[beloitpiper]

Yeah, those look awesome. I love the tartan waistcoast/tweed kilt look!!!

I'm also a big fan of Haris tweed. I have a few caps and jacket in Harris tweed. I'd like a tweed waistcoat, and (eventually) a tweed kilt (hopefully a whole suit!)

[Kid Cossack]

Matt, saw the question you'd posted at the end of the other, linked thread, and thought you had a grand idea. (I.e., another thread on tweed kilts.)

As some people here might recall, I do have a tweed kilt, and it's a Newsome. When it was time for me to try out the idea of the hand sewn box pleat, I decided to "double down" and also try out tweed. I placed my order with Matt Newsome and, in the fullness of time, received what was, I think, my first made-to-measure wool kilt.

I regretted neither the decision to go made-to-measure, nor the box pleat styling, nor the tweed. The only thing I do regret is that I didn't hold out for a heavier weight tweed. (That, too, was a conscious decision, and I can't say I regret it, but now, informed by that decision, I'd try and hold out for a heavier weight tweed anyway. So there.)

I like the look of tweed. To me, it says "day in the country" while retaining some polish and elegance. When I see tweed, I think "ghillie" and not, I will have you know, in the sense of the brogues. I've long liked solid color kilts, and a tweed manages to combine many of the virtues of a canvas or denim kilt with many of the virtues of the traditional worsted kilt. And as I think Matt has pointed out, there's not much that's more Scottish than tweed!

Matt listed vendors who produce tweed kilts. There's another, our very own USA Kilts, helmed by Rocky and Kelly. I don't have one of their tweed kilts yet, but just you look here: http://www.usakilts.com/solid_5yarder.php I do have one of their five yard worsted kilts, and think that one of their tweed kilts is going on the list.

As I suppose is the case with a preference for box pleats, some kilties could say I'm just being a rebel by liking tweed as much as, if not more than, tartan fabric. In both cases, I think that such a preference fits within the "accepted range" of proper kilting, with ample historical and practical reasons to justify it!

Tweed kilting!

[RockyR]

Matt,

I think this is a great thread idea. I have 1 Charcoal tweed kilt (and jacket and vest), 1 "dusty blue" tweed kilt (and vest) and a olive green tweed with 2.5" dark gold squares on it on order (jacket / vest on order along with material for my kilt). The green and gold one will look like the one on HAMISH (above), but will be an olive color with gold SQUARES.

Here's a pic of the charcoal ensemble:



For anyone thinking of a tweed kilt from Matt or any vendor, I'd say go for it... ESPECIALLY if you already have a tartan. The tweeds allow you to wear a whole differrent range of shirts if you want (Stripes or print shirts... even TARTAN shirts) and are also versatile enough with a matching jacket / vest to REALLY look smart.

I do have a question though... (sort of on topic). Wasn't the Harris Tweed Corp bought by an English mill (there are PLENTY of other tweed suppliers out there, so not to worry about getting a tweed kilt from Matt)? I read in a few issues of Scotish Life that they were. In the last issue, they talked about how the mill (I forget the name off the top of my head) will be cutting selection down from 150+ tweeds a year to 4 or 5 MASS produced and marketed ones. Since this is VERY MUCH a "cottage industry" (most Harris Tweed is woven by families in their homes and MUST be woven on the Isles of Harris or Lewis to be called "Harris Tweed"), they were thinking of striking and holding up production. I was wondering what the status of this whole "situation" was (since Matt deals with Harris tweed much more than I, perhaps he could shed some light).

Should this discussion be on another thread or should we discuss it here? I don't want to "hi-jack". If the mods (or Matt, since it's his thread) want to move this and start a new thread, please feel free.

[Jock Scot]

Hello Rocky,I think you are quite correct in saying that the Harris Tweed lable has been taken over by an English company.I know not the details though.Please dont forget ,though, that there are other tweed mills in Scotland that produce a first class product that is equal to anything produced on the Isle of Harris.They just cannot use the well known Brand lable of Harris Tweed.J.S.

[Jock Scot]

Hello Rocky,I have just re-read your post and you have already said that there are other tweed mills in Scotland etc..Sorry.J.S.

[Arlen]

I have a 5 yard, 14 oz Tweed Kilt that I adore. It's comfortable, it looks good and it certainly made me want to get more Tweed Kilts.
While I bought mine at a local store and love it, I found almost identical ones for about the same price on Ebay from the dreaded gold brothers.
A friend bought one from there and it was about half the weight! So flyaway!
I guess there's Tweed and then there's Tweed.

Another bonus? My wife assures me that Tweed Kilts make a man look like 'A dashing country gentleman out for a ramble and a spot of shooting.'

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Rocky,

First, I apologize for not mentioning your line of tweed kilts in my original post. I fully intended to, but I was interrupted mid-post by one of my kids and when I returned to the computer to finish it slipped my mind.

About the Harris Tweed industry, I don't have a lot of the intimate details, but from what I do know the mill that had been supplying yarn to the weavers of Harris tweed was bought by an English company with plans to produce their own limited supply of tweed cloth from that yarn, leaving the many Harris Tweed weavers high and dry.

However, last I heard from Catherine Campbell (whom I order my Harris tweed from), another company had bought one of the yarn mills that was previously closed down with plans to reopen it and supply the Harris tweed weavers with yarns in the colors they were used to, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The Harris tweed range shown on my web site reflects the cloth that Catherine still had available from stock she had woven using the old yarns. Hopefully there will be some new patterns to add next year.

[Ian.MacAllan]

Harris tweed has long had a deserved reputation for being not only warm but nearly indestructible. I still have the last suit my father bought for me (in September, 1952), a brown herringbone, and the last overcoat I bought for myself (in September 1962), a grey herringbone. I wore the suit reasonably often until I became obese ten years ago; the only sign of wear on it is where my "thunder thighs" have worn the fabric thin. That of course is a problem peculiar to pants; it will just not happen with a kilt.

I still wear the overcoat whenever the weather permits, but that is not often here in Maryland. Since I left the Midwest I have never been able to wear the suit and the overcoat at the same time; they are just too warm for this climate.

.

[Don Patrick]

Matt,

I have some Harris tweed jackets. I think I might be interested in a matching kilt. Is there any issue in the matching of colors? How much of a difference is there in cost (using the last kilt I ordered from you as a reference). What weights are offered?