I need some advice...

[cdarwin]

As has already been mentioned there are plenty of 'universal' and fashion tartans and you are free to get a kilt made in non-tartan material. There are many styles of kilts as well; traditional, contemporary, with pockets and such. There are different styles of pleating to consider.

As for vendors, some have been mentioned already, but I'll highlight a few that I am most familiar with. Rocky of USA Kilts in PA has a great range of products to accommodate your budget. Josh and Gabe of Sky Highland Outfitters in CA are a bit smaller company that offers similar products at a slightly lower price. Both of those vendors offer worsted wool and P/V kilts from the top mills in the UK. Their selection of 'casual' P/V kilts make a great first kilt for a low price. All of these kilts are made to your measurements and will take at the very least 3-4 weeks to make. Steve of Freedom Kilts in Canada provides a wide range of great quality products with a focus on more contemporary kilts with options for pockets and non-tartan fabrics. Matt Newsome also offers an exceptional range of custom kilts. I also own a 'heavyweight' from Stillwater Kilts which is a decent, inexpensive wool kilt machine made in Afghanistan. I advise against Sport Kilt.

I urge you to read through the articles available on Matt's personal site as well as the many great posts in the Member Written Articles section of this forum.

[tripleblessed]

While I am no expert on anything, I have read and heard a bit. I have read in supposedly scholarly works that the Celts lived in a mountainous area where mountains met the Steppes. One writer suggested that the meeting of the Celtic goldsmiths and silversmiths and the Scythian domesticators of the horse was one of history's happier serendipities. The Celts spread out in all directions, driven by population pressure, so that from the Steppes to Africa, Europe, and North America, Celtic soldiers and sailors, in keeping with the selfless generosity of their people and their professions, generously shared their DNA with the local populations. Therefore, it is entirely possible you have as much Celtic blood as some others here. Also, while the Scots have refined the kilt to its current state, it was not the only country where kilts were worn, and both tartan and kilted or kilt-like garments predate Scotland.

You like it, wear it in the best of health, with no requirement of authorization.

[Spartan Tartan]

Check out the Scottish Register of Tartans. Google it. You can use the search function to find pretty much any tartan you might like. I'd imagine if there is a Russian tartan, you could find it there.

[Spartan Tartan]

I just checked. I found a Russian Scottish district tartan. Best of luck in your quest! There are definitely a lot of helpful people here.

[McElmurry]

I just checked. I found a Russian Scottish district tartan. Best of luck in your quest! There are definitely a lot of helpful people here.

Link to said tartan:

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=3619

And said tartan:



Quote from above link"

Commissioned by the Russian Consul General in Edinburgh and gifted to the Russian people by the Scottish Tartans Authority. The Russo-Scottish tartan is based on two of Russia's most iconic figures - the poet and dissident Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (1814-1841) and Field Marshall and Prince of the Russian Empire Michael Barclay de Tolly (1757-1818) both of whom were descendants of Scots. The red on green is taken directly from the Barclay tartan and the white on blue celebrates the cross of St Andrew - the patron saint of both Russia and Scotland. The gold and the number of white lines - three - are taken from the Lermontov tartan, the very first Russian family tartan ever designed. The red white and blue are from the Russian flag and the gold and black are from the State Arms of Russia. The two Russo-Scottish dynasties were further connected in 1841 when a Doctor Ivan Barclay of Piatigorsk signed the death certificate of Mikhail Lermontov who was tragically killed in a duel.

And Welcome from California

[First Prize Winner]

Thank you all so much. I think I found the Tartan I want for my first purchase. Thank you in particular Spartan Tartan for referring me to a website where I can find any Tartans I might want for future purchases as well. (bookmarks site)

[fluter]

from South Carolina, and well done to the rabble. I like the Russian Scottish tartan, but it'll have to be custom woven (see your kiltmaker).

As the tartan register entry points out, the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia is Andrew. So anything referring to St. Andrew would build on a nice connection.

There's an article by our own Sketraw on historical connections between the two nations. It's not a huge surprise, but I didn't know the (Russian) Imperial Navy had 30 flag officers of Scots origin. I only knew about Павел Джонз (Pavel Jones, John Paul Jones to us in the US). All those connections make a good story you can tell the curious, but you still needn't be Scottish to be comfortable.

Closer to home, there is a Maryland tartan; but no indication that it's been made official by the Legislature. US St Andrews, and Rocky's American Heritage are excellent IMO.

Caledonia, which Matt mentioned, is older than some of the clan tartans and has a similar flavor.

For kilts and accessories, just click on the ads on these pages. Our advertisers are an awesome bunch.

[First Prize Winner]

Thank you for the advice. After speaking to some Kilted people first hand I got a mixture of advice. One advised I get a cheap acrylic Kilt as my first purchase for the sake of getting used to wearing it, sitting in it properly, and not having to worry so much about tearing it and such. He also said that when it comes to a Tartan, you should pick something closer to home, like the national tartan for the U.S, or even Maryland as you suggested just now. Your advice was very helpful thank you, although St. Andrew doesn't help me personally since I am Jewish. I was actually referred to a Jewish tartan and it's actually the one I am considering at this point. I can't get closer to home then the religion I was born into can I?

[First Prize Winner]

http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=5637

I hope I tagged this image right, but this is the Jewish tartan I have been looking at. I really like it, quite a lot, and what's more it represents something that I am very close to.

[O'Callaghan]

I understand that if you are Jewish you are automatically entitled to wear the Gordon tartan. Just a thought. You may find that it is more readily available and cheaper.

I forgot to add on the slavic angle that there is a Serbian band called Orthodox Celts that play mainly traditional Irish music. They have a lot of videos on YouTube and are quite good. Nothing to do with choosing a tartan, but well worth a listen.