Tailored Kilt

[Inchessi]

I am not the type of guy that gets pampered, I find it uncomfortable with one exception. My idea of luxury is more spartan than most. A long time ago I was in Hong Kong and had some suits made. Tea was served, prices discussed, and exact measurements were made. That was a well made suit, 40 lbs, and fifteen years ago. Every time I wore that suit, I found comfort in knowing that it was made only for me.

My kilt, witch I greatly enjoy, was pulled off a shelf or out of a box. Some one looked at the order and said that it will fit, ship it. If I didn't order it, it would have went to the next person in line. So, in order for a vicarious experiance, have you ever had a tailored kilt made just for you? Perfect measurements, polite conversation, surrounded by uncut cloth.

[Sir William]

....So, in order for a vicarious experiance, have you ever had a tailored kilt made just for you? Perfect measurements, polite conversation, surrounded by uncut cloth.

At least four times. I was measured for my first kilt (Gunn) in a Scottish shop in Alexandria, VA in 1982. My Government Sett and Elliot kilts by Geoffrey were ordered at games in CA in 1983 and VA in 2008 respectively and I was measured on the spot by their agent. I also ordered and was measured for a Rob Roy (film tartan) kilt in a shop in Edinbugh in 2006. I've self-measured for three kilts.

[Splash_4]

One of the hard things of having a kilt made is the wait for the fabric. Most kilt makers cannot stock a large amount because of the cost. When I was in India, I had two suits made and the tailor had walls and walls of fabric to choose from. For the kilt's I have have made, it is choose the tartan from a book, the kilt maker did the measurements, and then wait a few weeks for it to arrive. Not quite the same experience, but the back end feel is the same...

[KFCarter]

I've self-measured for my kilts, but I am currently enjoying the opportunity to have a tropical-weight kilt jacket created in the manner you describe.

The process has involved a comfortable chair at the back of a small men's clothiers in Savannah... lots of conversation accompanied by tunes from the owner's great collection of jazz vinyl and the soft "thrum" of a sewing machine in the back room, perusal of photographs and swatches of cloth, careful measurements and usually, before the session is over, a glass of wine or two. Eventually there will be a jacket... but in the meantime, what's the rush?!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

The short answer is "yes", and it is an experience not to be missed. Early on there were no "off the shelf" kilts; you either wore hand-me-downs or went to your kilt maker to be fitted. While I can appreciate that the "kilt-in-a-box" has made the kilt wearing experience more widely accessible due to its reduced cost, it seems to me that it has also made those kilts less "special"-- like a pair of trousers bought at Sears these kilts are merely a "garment", and are not treated with the same reverence? respect? that a fully tailored kilt receives from its owner.

[GMan]

I loved being fitted for a Kilt.

[long_hand]

I don't agree with that statement at all. I wear jeans, pants, shorts, etc. but I don't think their existence makes a nice tailored suit pant any less special. I don't see at all why it would be different for kilts. Some kilts are nicer and more special than others certainly. Some are ceremonial and/or military. I know I picked up the kilt as a nod of honour to my Celtic ancestry and discovered the comfort and style as an added bonus. In the end though they are still just articles of clothing that we choose to wear. Common or special, it all serves the same purpose. The difference is in why we wear them. My wedding ring is special to me, as is I'm sure all of ours who are married, but in the end it is still just a ring. The difference is in how we each treat our own rings. I wouldn't treat a tailor-made kilt in the same way I would a UK or an SWK, but that doesn't make it any less special. Any specific item's "specialness" is entirely resultant on the observer.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I think you have mis-read my posting. I am referring to the "kilt-in-the-box" as having the same status as a pair of off the shelf Sears chinos, not a tailor made kilt. I don't think these "off the shelf" garments take away from bespoke clothing-- on the contrary they enhance it. Those who are prepared to make the willing sacrifice to have the best-- be it a motorcar, a timepiece, or a bespoke kilt-- enjoy a degree of personal satisfaction, in knowing that what they have is uniquely theirs, something that the "off the peg" customer can't experience.

The fact that you wouldn't treat a tailor-made kilt in the same way you would treat a quasi-kilt supports my position that the bespoke kilt is special.

[dfmacliam]

I agree with MOR, my custom made clothing items are taken care of with a more attention to detail.. Items stored in cedar boxes, care in cleaning, wearing, ect. While my everyday beater clothes are basically wash and wear... I am in the industrial construction industry, and I am rough on boots and jeans... I spend good money on the boots, but only about $20.00 a pair on the jeans.

It's night and day... But again, they are clothes.. I worked hard to afford the nice things, and they will last a lifetime... I grew up not able to afford to buy the clothes I can afford now.... So I appreciate them even more..

[ziggy]

Well to a degree between a "kilt in a box" and a kilt made to your measurements is the difference between "a kilt" and "your kilt"