Questions about a first kilt

[JCheshire]

Hey all,

I'm coming down to the wire on a decision and would like some guidance: any recommendations for a first one? I'm pondering SWK in a heavyweight (not a huge tartan selection) or possibly going through Skye Highland Outfitters for about $100 more for a custom 8 yard Lindsay. Any suggestions / guidance would be very much appreciated.

Regards,
Jeff

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Always buy the best quality kilt you can afford. Always.

[MacMillan's son]

Although MOR may have understandably assumed this, I would first ask if you have ever worn a kilt before? And if so, and you are committed to it, then by all means follow MOR's advise and buy the best kilt you can afford. Of the two you listed, I believe that would be the one by Skye Highland Outfitters.

However, if you are brand new to kilting I might suggest that you either rent a kilt, or buy a lower cost kilt, to be sure you will like the experience as much as you hope, before making the potentially large investment.

That's my two cents. Welcome aboard!!

[Dale Seago]

Good advice from both, actually. My own First Time was performing a wedding for a former-Marine friend and occasional student, out under the redwoods. He wanted a "warrior flavor" to it -- all the groomsmen wore Cold Steel Recon Tantos he gave them, for example -- so I decided a kilt would be in order and borrowed one from a Buchanan student of mine for the occasion, which also featured the bride & groom sealing their vows by kissing the blade of my dirk while their rings were stacked on its point.

The moment I put that kilt on, I was hooked.

But I'm glad my first time was a NSA kind of thing (No Strings Attached). What if I'd plonked down several hundred bucks, only to find kilts just weren't really for me?

After that experience, though, I did go ahead and get the best wool tartan kilt (in my own ancestral sett) I could afford at the time.

[gpmeakin]

I did what both these gentlemen are saying. I rented the first time and then I had to own one.
Being of MacLachlan lineage and wanting that tartan I had no choice but to get the best.
Nobody makes the MacLachlan tartan in anything but wool.
At least they didn't back when I bought my kilt.
Now it seems you can by an inexpensive kilt for the same price as renting one. So why not try things out with an "economical" one and then once you've been hooked (which you will be) then go with the best you can afford.

[BoldHighlander]

...from the far nw corner of Washington state!

I started with a wool "budget" kilt (Black Watch), only because I couldn't afford the higher quality one. After I moved on, well, there was no looking back

[ForresterModern]

When I get into something new I decide whether performance factors will affect my ability to enjoy that new activity or interest. Where performance counts---flyfishing, photography, snowboarding---having quality gear to learn on may make the difference between enjoying your learning period and getting hooked on something new, or suffering through mediocre performance being worsened by poor learner's technique and not having as much fun as you could, thereby maybe not finding a new outlet for joy. Where performance is not as much a factor---do I like the way I look in a fedora? can I really learn to play the trumpet at my age? how would it feel wearing a kilt?-----renting the necessary gear or buying a less expensive version is probably a better way to go to test the waters of your personal likes and dislikes.

Once you have decided you enjoy something, however, I would always recommend buying the best quality gear you can afford, as I have come to realize that my time on this earth is short----too short to wear ill-fitting kilts, or wave cheap fly rods, or shoot fuzzy pictures, etc....

Oh, and welcome to xmarks from the highlands of Kentucky.

jeff

[Donnie]

Have you looked at USA Kilts?

[McFarkus]

from Chicago. The folks above have given you good advice.

[mookien]

MOR gave you excellent advice and MOR's son gave you even MOR excellent advice. :-)

Good luck on purchasing your first kilt. The Lindsay is a good-looking, bright tartan should you decide to order custom cloth. If you have any historical, cultural, or emotional ties to Lindsay, it will make your kilt that much more special to you.

My experience is only anecdotal, but I took a risk and went whole hog on my first kilt. It was an "8-yard" kilt made from a custom, heavy-weight (K1) tartan woven by Dalgliesh. Gaelic Themes made the kilt along with flashes, and a matching braided and knotted plaid. I ordered it through Scottish Treasures. Tricia there was very patient with my complete ignorance and with all my novice questions.

Naturally, I was a bit apprehensive about the return on my investment until the package arrived. I was taken aback by how beautiful the tartan, kilt and plaid were. It was love at first sight. The kilt fit me well, but it came with a high rise and it took me a while to figure out that I had to pull it up closer to my rib cage. It keeps my stomach and kidneys warm though in our snowy mountains. But of course that just means I'll have to buy another, cooler kilt for warmer weather. Sounds like a racket to me. ;-)