Seeking opinions ... UT Kilts Argyll jacket & waistcoat

[Karl R]

I'm strongly considering buying an Argyll jacket and waistcoat from UT Kilts (link here). The price is definitely right. I was wondering whether anyone had prior experience with their jackets? I asked, and the jacket & waistcoat are 100% wool.

I own one of their wool kilts, and I'd describe it as a good value for the price. Obviously, there's going to be a bit of "you get what you pay for." But within that truism, what are people's opinions?

[Mel1721L]

I'm strongly considering buying an Argyll jacket and waistcoat from UT Kilts (link here). The price is definitely right. I was wondering whether anyone had prior experience with their jackets? I asked, and the jacket & waistcoat are 100% wool.

I own one of their wool kilts, and I'd describe it as a good value for the price. Obviously, there's going to be a bit of "you get what you pay for." But within that truism, what are people's opinions?

Do you actually attend events where you would wear this kind of thing? Maybe a more casual jacket may be more useful if like me you are on a tight budget.

[revdpatience]

If price is your first concern, you might also look at or call J. Higgins for an ex-hire (previously rented) Argyll jacket and waistcoat.

Mine was only a few dollars more than the item you listed, and it was in stock -- no waiting for a special order.

[CollinMacD]

Sir with all due respect, the Utility Kilt is the blue jean of the kilt world. It would be like wearing Levis with a black tuxedo jacket. Again I do not tend to be disrespectful, but you asked. The T-shirt or polo is what I see most wearing with the UT Kilt. I truly suggest if you wish to wear a kilt to a dress affair, you purchase a dress kilt, 5 yard or 8 yard, recommend 8 year, 13 or 16 Ounce weight, and get the jacket for that. Many of the vendors sponsors for this page have great kilt/Jacket combinations that are very reasonable and is much more in line for dressing for an affair then rather throwing a stone at the games. I agree with revdpatience, you can get ex hire kilts and jackets for great prices, and you can even look on this forum to get good deals for kilts and jacket. You have options, so keep you UT Kilt for casual with t-shirts and polos, not for dressing it up with a formal jacket. Again like putting lipstick on a pig. Again please I am not being disrespectful, just trying to show you the difference. CHEERS.

[Tomo]

I'd go for it. It's a versatile jacket - easy to dress it up or down. I've paired it with a business shirt and plain tie for day wear at weddings, worn it with a wing-collar and bowtie for evening events (as an alternative to PC) and worn just the vest with an open neck shirt (and rolled sleeves) for a beach BBQ.
Dictionary

[TheGratefulNed]

CollinMacD - Don't confuse UTKilts the company with utility kilts in general. While utility kilts are their primary kilt product, they also have traditional kilts in both acrylic and wool. I bought one of their 8-9 yd. wool (feels like ~16 oz.) traditional kilts and am quite happy with it. While it's still an off-the-shelf product and not bespoke/fitted, it is a nice looking kilt and I fit right in with it and a black Argyll jacket/waistcoat (not purchased from UTKilts) at the (semi-)formal Burns Supper I attended this past weekend.

Karl - I can't speak to their Argyll specifically, but I've been quite happy with the utility kilt, the traditional wool kilt, and the formal sporran that I bought from them. They're clearly not high-end bespoke products, but they are definitely better than a lot of the really cheap vendors out there at only slightly higher cost. While I haven't had any issues with anything I've purchased, I have seen several other reviewers say that the company is happy and eager to work with customers if they're unsatisfied with their products or something is defective.

[Karl R]

Let me clear up some misconceptions before this thread goes further off track.

Sir with all due respect, the Utility Kilt is the blue jean of the kilt world.

I don't own a utility kilt. I have no current plans to own a utility kilt. I own a 5 yard, 100% heavyweight wool, traditional kilt. It's probably Pakastani made (and the difference is probably obvious to anyone who knows kilts well), but it's going to at least pass for being the equivalent of off-the-rack dress slacks.

If price is your first concern

Price alone isn't my biggest concern. Price compared to usage is. I have a view on value that differs from most people. I'm willing to spend more on things that get regular use, and less on things that are hardly ever used.

Certain things could cause me to wear the Argyll jacket/vest less often (like a poor fit). Certain things could cause me to wear the jacket/vest more often (which ironically might include lower cost, since I'd be less concerned about messing them up).

That's one reason I'm not crazy about buying one of the "very reasonable" kilt packages that CollinMacD recommended. They generally seem to run $800-$1,200. If I wear an $800 kilt package 1-2 times per year, after 10 years, I'll have worn it 10-20 times. That's $40 to $80 per use. That's going to make it more expensive than anything in my closet by a wide margin. (I realize that clothing can last more than 10 years. I've had t-shirts last 20 years. But I wouldn't justify a clothing purchase based on that assumption.)

One member of the Rabble made a great point (by PM), that the particular Argyll jacket/vest I was looking at can't be returned. That's a valid point, since it means that I could spend that money on something I can't even wear once or twice. At that point, it could be more expensive than a higher price kit that gets far more use.

you might also look at or call J. Higgins for an ex-hire (previously rented) Argyll jacket and waistcoat.

What are the advantages of an ex-hire J Higgins over an equally inexpensive new Argyll? I'm genuinely curious.

What's J Higgins' return policy on an ex-hire jacket/vest? I don't always have the best luck with off-the-rack jackets.

I'm open to any other economical options for Argyll jackets too. I have looked at eBay, but they seem to have a very small selection at the moment, and none of it is my size.

Do you actually attend events where you would wear this kind of thing?

An Argyll jacket, yes. A Prince Charlie, probably not. (As Tomo said, the Argyll is versatile.) An Argyll vest would probably get used half of the time with the jacket, and half of the time by itself.

There were at least three occasions during the last year where I could have worn an Argyll jacket & vest (+kilt, of course), and it would have worked better than what I actually wore. That's probably higher than average for potential usage in a given year, but there will be at least one opportunity to wear it in any given year.

It would typically see use for "black-tie optional" or "cocktail attire" evening affairs. But there's an additional advantage if I ever happen to be invited to a "black tie" affair.... I'd barely have to buy anything extra.

Maybe a more casual jacket may be more useful if like me you are on a tight budget.

I currently have three blazers that I can wear (with slacks, not a kilt) for more casual affairs or business use. The advantage of the Argyll is that it fills a current void in my wardrobe. My waistline grew a couple inches since I got married, so I no longer fit into any of my suit pants.

I'm more sold on the purchase of an Argyll than the choice of UT Kilts as a vendor. The void in my wardrobe needs to be filled by something ... and that something is going to cost a certain amount of money, even if it's not a kilt jacket.

Tomo and TheGratefulNed,
Thanks for the information. That's helpful. (And TheGratefulNed is an awesome name.)

[FossilHunter]

An advantage to ex hire jackets is that they are usually of decent quality to begin with (a hire company wants items to look good and last multiple wearings). I recently purchased an ex hire argyll from claymore imports that was made by gaelic themes in Scotland. To find my size, they pulled a jacket out of circulation before it would have been retired so it was a little more expensive but I had an agreement via email that they would take it back if we had sizing issues.

No problems though. The jacket looks great and it saved me about $100 off the normal price for their jackets and the ex hire jackets that they list on their site are even cheaper if you are fortunate enough to find your size.

At the price listed, I am a little suspicious of where the UTK jackets are made. I didn't see it listed on the website so who knows? I have seen members have issues with fit on "made to measure" jackets bought on ebay from Pakistan. Now they (the UTK jackets) may very well be fine but if you can't return it you might be out of luck.

[Wareyin]

At the price listed, I am a little suspicious of where the UTK jackets are made. I didn't see it listed on the website so who knows? I have seen members have issues with fit on "made to measure" jackets bought on ebay from Pakistan. Now they (the UTK jackets) may very well be fine but if you can't return it you might be out of luck.

I did a "made to measure" Argyll from Pakistan when I was first learning how to wear the kilt. It hung on me like a sack. The arms were the right length, the chest the right circumference, but the arm widths would have fit my thighs with room to spare. The waist was also huge. I ended up going to a local place where I could actually try on a jacket to replace it, and I was much much happier with that result.

[Luke MacGillie]

Their 107 buck kilt jacket and vest can be found on Ebay for 89 bucks shipped most of the time.....