How Did You Select Your First Kilt?

[OC Richard]

Saw three in a charity shop last week...

It must be nice, that!

Because here in the USA you can scour charity shops for decades and never find a man's kilt.

(You have to look for them in the women's skirts section, which gets you strange looks...)

[ShaunMaxwell]

My first kilt was a 5-yard Locharron Maxwell (ancient colors) pleated to the sett. I purchased it from Heritage of Scotland in 2007 (before I joined this forum). I tend to wear my 8-yard Maxwell (modern colors) or 4-yard box pleat Maxwell hunting more frequently, but still wear this one on occasion. Oddly, it seems to have "shrunk" a bit while hanging in my closet, but I can still squeeze into it... barely!

[Nomad]

3-4 inches is a lot to take in. I am sure it can be done but I was told it will then mean the pleats coming round to the front which might look a bit odd. I thought of that too but you can't just take a piece out of the pleated area to compensate without disrupting the sett matching.

As discussed on previous threads this is dependant upon your size and the kilt size. I have found that taking it in from 44 ish to 39 on the waist, hip size hasn't changed and this is okay (not worth faffing around with pleats). If you/the kilt are considerably smaller than my sizes then I guess taking it in will have more of an impact which may mean you have to adjust the pleats.

There are real experts on this forum, they do it professionally, that would offer better advice than I can on maximum adjustments that are feasible. All of the professionals are very helpful so don't be shy about asking, (if you can't find the historic threads discussing this matter).

i should say that whilst the front of the kilt remains the same, it does have some impact on the rear, most noticeable sporran loop position, but it could have a noticeable effect on the pleat pattern dependant upon the tartan - in general this tends to be less attention catching than one would expect.

[NUist]

How did I select my first kilt, you ask? I opened a gift wrapped box on my birthday and inside were 8? swatches of my family's tartan representing the two color variations and various ancient, hunter, modern, etc styles. My wife and daughters had wanted to buy me a kilt but wanted me to make the final choice of tartan so they had phoned a kilt maker to arrange everything and he sent the swatches. I spent the next week or two?) going back and forth between all the options and finally settled on one. Measurements were made, communicated to our kilt maker, and the deed was done! It was the best present ever.

[Ivor]

I haven’t got that far yet and, as a Welshman, I don’t feel I have a particular association to any tartan although I know there are Welsh ones but with a Scottish wife Inthink that may be the way to go as I believe it is acceptable to take your wife’s tartan. Early days yet but it gives me somewhere to start.

[OC Richard]

I opened a gift wrapped box on my birthday and inside were 8? swatches of my family's tartan...My wife and daughters had wanted to buy me a kilt but wanted me to make the final choice...

Now that must be the coolest story on this thread! What an awesome wife and awesome daughters you have.

[Guthrumironhead]

My first sewn kilt was in Guthrie weathered and I made it myself. More a feilidh beg than a modern kilt, but it did the job. At that time, '98 or '99, Celtic Croft was called Shetland Piper(please correct me if I'm wrong) and had the Guthrie tartan fabric in ancient and weathered colors in their homespun line. My first modern tank was in Guthrie modern from J. Higgins.

[NUist]

Now that must be the coolest story on this thread! What an awesome wife and awesome daughters you have.

Thanks - I think so too!

[Taiter]

My first was Wallace Modern Red at the LI Scottish Games. Wallace is the family clan, and it was something I have thought about doing for a while. Took some time to gather the remaining items, but kept at it. It was an off the hanger and not fitted, so at times I felt a little uncomfortable wearing it, thinking it was too long or I was wearing it too high, but overall it worked. I just received 2 kilts that I went to USA Kilts to get measured and am wearing one today to work. People are asking what the occasion is and I either say "Its a day that ends in Y" or "Because its Thursday". I purchased another Wallace and the USAF (Retired) both in PV. So far so good, and just have to get use to the different cut from the other one. There is a lot of good advice from some very well informed individuals and wish you the best in what ever your choice is.

[Baeau]

The original plan was to be kilted at our daughter's wedding. As I am not a fan of wearing suits, this had been long running, serious commentary. She finally committed to the idea, by telling me, "Okies". The exact words from her text message. So, I rented my kit from Celtic Croft. & Did the Keep the Kilt option. Wool blend kilt, Johnstone tartan. Half of the family has links to Scotland & North Ireland. The Johnstone, via my Grandmother's side. She was around forever (died in her sleep, on her 106th birthday!). Teacher in a one room schoolhouse in Oklahoma (at 16 or 17). Later a chocolate candy dipper, business owner, accountant for the small family farm/ranch, sharp investor, et cetera. It seemed like a good way to keep her in the memory.

Anyway, daughter decided that my black suit was a better choice. She feared comments from her c-workers. Bleedin' techies. I went to the rehearsal dinner kilted. The UK contingent (groom's family) thought it was quite normal, & gave me a standing ovation. The group of Japanese businessmen, at the next table, all stood up & bowed. Just what an introvert needs. The soon to be in-laws, tried to get #2 to change her mind, to no avail. Wedding time was 99 degrees @ 5:00 pm (2 months before, & about 15 miles from the 2017 Pleasanton Gathering & Games, 115 degree meltdown). I would have been more comfortable kilted.
Twaddle ends.

Steve