bargain basement

[biblemonkey]

Okay.1) The kilt must be MADE in Scotland... )[/I]

I disagree completely. By that thinking, a master kilt maker who is Scottish can move to America, start his business anew, use American wool from Scottish bred sheep, and he would be incapable of making REAL kilts. Other examples come to mind but are too many to list. I understand you were just playing devil's advocate but I have a Scottish friend who moved to the states years ago and he says that a lot of the restrictions, rules, and snobbery that we see concerning the wearing of kilts are only on "this side of the Atlantic". Maybe he wasn't talking about the location of manufacture but considering that there are very few things that are "locale specific" (most of them being liquor (scotch, cognac, bourbon as in your example) I don't really think it matters.
Saying a kilt made in America by a master of the art is not a kilt is like saying a child in Japan can't play "real baseball" because he's not playing in the country it was invented in. And from there you could say that men who don't have a direct line to Scotland through blood or have over a certain percentage of Scottish heritage would be unable to wear the kilt because they don't meet the requirements of being "Scottish" enough much the same way that Native Americans are not truly in that group if they cannot prove a certain percentage native blood.
I think it all comes down to quality of construction, (modern) traditional design such as proper pleating and the way it sits when fitted properly, and things of that nature. The material may be important and I don't like the idea of acrylic or cotton kilts but the reason wool was used was that it was widely available and it was sturdy and warm in the harsh climate. Having a heavyweight wool 8 yarder today seems like more of a bragging point than anything these days, though I must admit they do feel and move fantastically and I love mine. PV seems a good analogue for certain modern uses and there may be other materials that are just as good when a full tank would be too much. I do agree that in formal or clan gatherings, one should try to wear what I refer to as a “full and formal” kilt. Heavyweight wool, in your registered tartan, preferably 8 yard, etc. But the location of manufacture and other items like that are still immaterial in the grand scheme of things. As long as it is a reputable kilt maker with respect for the craft and not some dime a dozen kilt stamping skirt maker. You know the type I'm talking about.
The most important thing is that you wear a kilt properly, with pride, and for goodness sake, the pleats go in the back!

Thanks,
Hugh

P.S. I do have to admit that when I see a man wearing something with only a couple of pleats in the back and huge cargo pockets on the outside I think of it as a skirt. Just my opinion, though. And that same Scottish friend does refer to PV as "that crap" but my point about the reasons for wool in original kilts still holds.

[CMcG]

Though I don't have one I have seen good reviews for Stillwater Kilts "Thrifty". If you are just looking for a beater or around the house kilt then get one of those, toss on a kilt belt, and noone will notice that it's velcro instead of buckle. For an average of $30 for an acrylic kilt that's not too bad. Being light acrylic I just wouldn't use it for anything in high wind or near flames. Two definitions of "whoosh" come to mind.

Definitely low cost but the pleats aren't sewn down in the back... fine for some things, but sewn down pleats or an equally wide rear waistband were a requirement in my OP.

[NewEnglander]

CMcG-
I might have missed it in the past 4 pages, but what kilt did you finally end up going with?

[CMcG]

CMcG-
I might have missed it in the past 4 pages, but what kilt did you finally end up going with?

Well... it was actually more of a theoretical question. There are so many variables to be solved in a kilt purchase, I thought it would be interesting to severely limit them. And voila! an interesting discussion

My beater at the moment is a Sportkilt and it's great for what I need it for: lounging about the house in the summer or high intensity hiking. Light weight but takes a licking and keeps on getting laundered,

Also, I ended up winning a kilt from the Frugal Corner in a tartan design contest, so in several months (once the fabric gets woven) I'll be able to try one of their kilts. Now that's a rock bottom price one rarely finds: free! Granted I spent a zillion hours designing the winning tartan...

I think if I were to be in the market for a bargain basement kilt that strongly resembles a more "proper" kilt, I might try one of the poly/acetate ones from the Scotland Kilt Company.

[ScotClans.com]

move to America, start his business anew, use American wool from Scottish bred sheep,

Best of luck with that! As far as i'm aware pretty much all the wool produced in Scotland (with the exception of Harris Tweed) goes to making carpets etc as its not of a fine enough grade to be woven into yarn for garments - all the Scottish mills import their wool from Australia and New Zealand.

As for these £25 kilts - if someone is happy pretending to be Scottish wearing something made in a sweatshop in India that is little more than a fancy dress costume then thats fine - These cheap and nasty garments make Edinburgh's high street look like a tacky bazaar. Not only that but they are misrepresenting Scottish culture and ruining the industry.

A kilt probably doesn't have to be 100% Scottish from the grass the sheep ate to the person who takes your money but it would be nice is someone with a vague connection to Scotland actually touched it at some part in the chain

[CDNSushi]

deleted.