Kind of a milestone. Irony is back in the day I was afraid to take a chance on them...The reviews were so consistently positive I figured they had to be fakes or shills. Finally ordered my first anyway. When it arrived I was really impressed with the craftsmanship. No easy thing. I grew up in cut and sew factories and my college minor was Clothing and Textiles and I worked in the clothing industry for many years as an adult.

Pretty easy to recognize quality.

So far I've owned 14 USA Kilt Casuals and 13 USA Kilt Semi-trads and 2 USA Kilts 5 yard woolen kilts. This order makes my 15th Casual.

Sized it to tide me over. I've lost 77lbs in the last couple years. Good for my health but it's made my kilt collection unwearable...even on the smallest kilt strap holes they are 4" too big now. So been selling them off.

Don't wanna buy more until my weight stabilizes - hopefully in another 20 pounds or so. Meantime I've been jonesing to wear a kilt so much figured why not order one...

This is an INTENSE addiction...

And, if you're new to kilting or to USA Kilts this isn't a shill review. They really are top quality. Worth the risk to buy one and see for yourself if you're in the market.

Choice for this Casual was Weathered Scott Green...my maternal grandmother's clan.

Did you see if USAK would have been able to size down your old kilts? I don't know how difficult it is or isn't, I'm just curious.

Glad you're getting back into the game!

It'd be a BIG size down...just doesn't seem doable. My hand sewn kiltmaker offered to do that. Told her I'd best wait until I'm done losing weight. Will encourage me not to gain it back. No clue how much is too much to size down...guess we'll see ere long.

Lost 77 pounds?!!
Holy crap on a cracker!
Congratulations my old friend!

Aye...friggin' miracle. Started out dragging my sorry morbidly obese self around the middle school track for one lap. Now, a couple years later can do 3-4 miles walking or hiking. It all started when the candy machine at work broke and they didn't fix it....realized how much I grazed there...

Congratulations on the loss, Barb Tewksbury said that a 10 inch resize could be done.

Congrats on the weight loss!

I had a question (which probably should be its own thread) and that is what would you say the differences are in a 5 yard traditional wool kilt and their 8 yard?

My kilts are in the middle ground, around 7 yards, which I prefer over 8.

But going down to 5 yards feels like a big leap for me.

I'm impressed with the quantity! Good on you for losing the weight and I wish you much health and happiness. To tide you over, why don't you get a bit of fabric (maybe that PV from Rocky) and make yourself an untailored "féileadh beag" -- half of the belted plaid/féileadh mór/féileadh an bhreacáin. That way, you'll have a kilt that'll fit you through the changes.

I have some 2 four-yard bits of PV for belted plaids and it's nice stuff.

Guluck,
Jonathan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Riverkilt

Kind of a milestone. Irony is back in the day I was afraid to take a chance on them...The reviews were so consistently positive I figured they had to be fakes or shills. Finally ordered my first anyway. When it arrived I was really impressed with the craftsmanship. No easy thing. I grew up in cut and sew factories and my college minor was Clothing and Textiles and I worked in the clothing industry for many years as an adult.

Pretty easy to recognize quality.

So far I've owned 14 USA Kilt Casuals and 13 USA Kilt Semi-trads and 2 USA Kilts 5 yard woolen kilts. This order makes my 15th Casual.

Sized it to tide me over. I've lost 77lbs in the last couple years. Good for my health but it's made my kilt collection unwearable...even on the smallest kilt strap holes they are 4" too big now. So been selling them off.

Don't wanna buy more until my weight stabilizes - hopefully in another 20 pounds or so. Meantime I've been jonesing to wear a kilt so much figured why not order one...

This is an INTENSE addiction...

And, if you're new to kilting or to USA Kilts this isn't a shill review. They really are top quality. Worth the risk to buy one and see for yourself if you're in the market.

Choice for this Casual was Weathered Scott Green...my maternal grandmother's clan.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by OC Richard

I had a question (which probably should be its own thread) and that is what would you say the differences are in a 5 yard traditional wool kilt and their 8 yard?

My kilts are in the middle ground, around 7 yards, which I prefer over 8. But going down to 5 yards feels like a big leap for me.

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The difference is the amount of cloth and the construction. Our 5 yarders aren't scalloped out on the inside since there's less cloth. They also don't include the horsehair canvas reinforcement, but they DO have a black cotton liner. It's probably our most popular kilt model, or potentially running neck and neck with our Casual.

That being said, if you wanted a "Top Stitched 5 Yarder" like we do our 8 yarders (with the internal 'guts' done the same way), we can do that for you as a one off. Price would be around the $400 - $440 mark, depending on measurements and cloth chosen.

I have two of USA Kilts' 5 yard wool kilts and one of their 8 yard and I'm overall very happy with all three kilts. The 5 yarders are much more balanced between the front and back which is something I've heard said about 4-yard box-pleated kilts as well (and can confirm since I'm the happy new owner of one). They don't have the pleats cut-out (no need to) in the rear, and while there's a liner on the inside, there isn't a need for the stabiliser, etc. I think they're fabulous but if I were to get another, I would stick with 16 oz wool. I have a 13 oz wool 5 yarder and I prefer the 16 oz wool 5 yarder. There's still nice swing and swish with both. If you'd like pictures, I'd be happy to take some and upload them.

Best,
Jonathan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OC Richard

Congrats on the weight loss!

I had a question (which probably should be its own thread) and that is what would you say the differences are in a 5 yard traditional wool kilt and their 8 yard?

My kilts are in the middle ground, around 7 yards, which I prefer over 8.

But going down to 5 yards feels like a big leap for me.

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