Recommendations for polyviscose kilt

[KennethSime]

(Most hand stitched kilt makers charge between $350.00usd and $450.00usd for their labor alone. That works out to right about minimum wage.)

Steve, thank for doing such a great job with your thorough explanation!

I wanted to reach out and comment that I always figured the $400 or so would afford the kilt maker something more like $100/hour, which is pretty much what a good skilled mechanic makes in my part of the world. My, how I was mistaken!

Just goes to show how much time and energy goes into a well-made kilt, and how dedicated our wonderful kilt makers are.

[Steve Ashton]

Purgy,

Most of us in the kilt business are pretty proud of the fabrics we make out kilts from. Many of us spent quite a bit of time and money developing relationships with the mills that weaver our fabrics.

Most of us will tell you proudly, right up front, the exact mill who wove our fabric, the actual fiber content, the weight and anything else our customers have questions about.

So, yes, contact the sellers. If they do not answer, or in some case may not even know, then move on and look for one who will tell you.


Some things to ask -

Where was the kilt made? Not where was the kilt designed but actually stitched.
By whom? The name of the person doing the stitching or the shop that person works in.
Is the kilt stitched by machine or by hand?
Is there full floating interfacing built into the kilt?
Is there stabilizer built into the kilt?
Where was the fabric woven? The country.
By what weaving mill?
What is the exact fiber content of the fabric?
What is the actual weight in oz per linear yard?
Is that weight at single or double-width?
Exactly how much fabric, in yards, will be in the kilt?

Any kiltmaker worth their money should be willing to give you this information about their product.


And if it will help to understand that a kilt is not just a pair of blue jeans without legs, may I offer two threads I did explaining a bit of what goes into a kilt and how to tell a quality product.

Perhaps these will also illustrate that making a kilt is not a 4 hour project.

Here is a thread about what was sold as a first quality traditional kilt.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=95523


And here is a thread about a kilt that was Scottish made, and again, sold as first quality.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=70205

[KennethSime]

What I can tell you from my experience in the USA is that I absolutely love my USA Kilts casual kilts, which are known to use actual honest-to-goodness P/V. I also have Sport Kilts which say they're made from P/V but are a completely different material which I suspect to be mislabelled acrylic.

You know, I thought from the similarity in tartans between the two companies the PV fabric would be the same, but more & more I think you're right. I'd love to hear if you get an answer out of Sport Kilt.

At any rate, I think the workmanship on the USA Kilts looks a whole lot better, especially comparing pictures of the USAK Semi-Trad model to my Sport Kilt Works model. Just can't compare those pleats!

[bodhran4me]

Hi

I have one 8 yd PV kilt from Kilt Society and a PV Casual from USAKilts. The material is totally different.

The USAKilt Casual has become my "to go" kilt, used while travelling or doing whatever. It is lightweight (about 650g, same as trousers), so good to pack in carry-on, but not so warm as a woollen kilt. Does not seem to get dirty at all.
The Kilt Society -kilt material is heavier and does not hang so well. The weight about equal to a woollen kilt, maybe a bit less. Seems to show signs of wear more than the Casual, but not much.

Would I by again?
USAkilt Casual, for sure, if the one I am using goes to the kilt heaven.
Kilt Society PV, maybe, but only in 5 yd version, if they have one at that time. Right now I did not see any on their page. Their 8 yarder is just too heavy for casual use. (Well. if you intend to sit on some cold rock there is a reasonable use for that excessive amount of material in the back... but for that I have a woollen 16+oz 8 yarder. )

I seem to recall the KS kilts didn't have the top of the pleats scalloped out which would add bulk and weight. Do you know if this is true in your case?

[Steve Ashton]

You know, I thought from the similarity in tartans between the two companies the PV fabric would be the same, but more & more I think you're right. I'd love to hear if you get an answer out of Sport Kilt.

At any rate, I think the workmanship on the USA Kilts looks a whole lot better, especially comparing pictures of the USAK Semi-Trad model to my Sport Kilt Works model. Just can't compare those pleats!

Sport Kilts fabrics while a poly blend, are not P/V.

[KennethSime]

Sport Kilts fabrics while a poly blend, are not P/V.

Thanks Steve! Good to know.

I'm pretty happy with mine for daily wear, but definitely doesn't hold a pleat anywhere near as well as wool.

Guess I'll have to try out a USA Kilts Casual or Semi-Trad soon!

[Steve Ashton]

Thanks Steve! Good to know.

I'm pretty happy with mine for daily wear, but definitely doesn't hold a pleat anywhere near as well as wool.

Guess I'll have to try out a USA Kilts Casual or Semi-Trad soon!

Marton Mills P/V, when pressed at the correct temperature, will have pleats that are virtually permanent. It is also amazingly wrinkle resistant and the teflon coating allows staining liquids like coffee to bead up and roll right off.

I use Marton Mills P/V for my rental kilts simply because it truly is a miracle fabric. It will take anything a drunken wedding reception can throw at it and come out looking great.

[Kylahullu]

I seem to recall the KS kilts didn't have the top of the pleats scalloped out which would add bulk and weight. Do you know if this is true in your case?

Exactly. Saves work and is acceptable in a budget kilt, I think.
I recall reading that someone, I think on this forum, did the cutting off the excess material and stitching the then required strengthening elements in afterwards.

[Steve Ashton]

What you have to remember is that there is a reason for why a kilt is built the way it is.

It is not just something that was invented in the last few years. The kilt has been developed over many years by many thousand, very talented, kilt makers.

The reason that the excess fabric is cut away on a hand stitched wool kilt is to keep the back thinner and prevent "pillow butt".

The reason for the stabilizer is to form a sort of belt inside the kilt for strength because the wool fabric used stretches and distorts over time.

The reason for the interfacing is to give body and shape to the garment not only when worn but after cleaning.

Very recently the lower end machine stitched kilt were developed to offer a less expensive alternative and for specific uses. For example a SportKilt was originally designed for Highland Games athletes. Tossing telephone poles can destroy a kilt in one event. And the athletes must participate in a kilt. So a cheap alternative was developed so a guy could still participate and if he destroys the kilt he can just buy another without breaking the bank.

The Utility style kilts were developed totally outside the traditions of kiltmaking and were an "Alternative" garment to jeans. Steven Villigas the inventor of the Utilikilt had no idea what a kilt was or how it was constructed. He cut the crotch out of a pair of cargo shorts. The original Utilikilt even retained the front zipper fly of the cargo shorts.

And then the Pakistani makers began to offer a garment to tourists. Folks who really had no idea what a kilt was or what it would cost. They went to Scotland and wanted to come home with kilt in 'their' Tartan. But wanted to pay about the same as for their "If it's not Scottish, it's crap." souvenir T-Shirt.

And the Scottish makers were trying to fight in any way they could to counter the lower priced imports. The cost of fabric is pretty set so the only option was to look for ways to save on labor costs. Leave out that stuff hidden behind the liner. Most people don't know what should be under there so won't know if we leave it out.

If what you want is a kilt to hike in or play paintball, then an inexpensive Pub Style kilt is what you want. Buy an Acrylic kilt and you are good.

If what you want is a kilt to dress up a little for dinner with your spouse, then perhaps spend a bit more for a Casual Style kilt.

If what you want is a kilt to attend a wedding or a dressy event then move up and invest in the best kilt you can afford.

Can a kilt be made from almost any fabric? Of course it can.
Can a kilt be constructed in almost any way that still results in it looking like a kilt but takes only an hour to make? Of course it can.

Match your investment in a kilt to its intended use.
And do your research so that you know what you are spending your hard earned money on. Don't buy into the advertising slogans and slick websites that offer anything to part you from your money.

A sign with this quote hung in my shop -

"The bitterness of poor quality remains, long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

And this -

"Hand Crafted - To some, Hand Crafted means that someone's hand touched part of the product while it was being manufactured.
To us it means that before our hands touched it, It did not exist."

And this -

"A craftsman is defined as one who will still do the best job they are capable of doing,
even in those places where it does not show and where the customer may never see."

[Purgy]

Hello everyone!
As I announced, I am forwarding store responses for which I have been advised to check the offer.
I sent inquiries yesterday, with much less detail than Steve later suggested, of course, it was the same for everyone (except the kilt name),
they were sent to:
The Scotland Kilt Company,
Kilt Society and
Clan by Scotweb

My inquiry:
Hello, I am interested in buying a kilt, but before the final decision I have a few questions.
I have a woolen kilt, but I'm looking for something more suitable for everyday use, so I got a recommendation to try a polyviscose kilt.
I'm interested in ________ KILT, more precisely the material you use.
I'm not interested in acrylic wool or anything that has acrylic in it. Please confirm that this kilt is not made of this material.
Can you specify the weight of the kilt, or the weight of the material?
And finally, do you use Marton Mills fabric to make this kilt?

If this quilt from the query does not suit my needs, do you have another kilt that would be more accurate according to the specification of the requested material and what is its price?
Thank you in advance for the answers, and I hope that you will soon receive my order.


...and here are their answers:
Hi there
We purchase these kilts from a supplier so I am unsure of which mill produces the fabric for these kilts.
The label has the following information for the fabrice:-
65% Viscose Rayon
35% Acetate Fibre
For shipping purposes the kilt weighs approx 1.3kg
Kind Regards
(from The Scotland Kilt Company) Price: 65 USD (8 yards)

Hi Alan
Thanks for checking out Kilt Society and getting in touch with us!
No problem at all. Our pre-made kilts are woven from 65% Polyester, 35% Rayon tartan cloth with 100% cotton waist lining.
We've checked this for you and the weight of a single kilt is 1100g.
I've had a look into this for you and we don't use Marton Mills fabric to make our pre-made kilts I'm afraid.
We do have custom made wool kilts on our website and some of our tartan cloths are supplied by Marton Mills for these.
If you'd like some more in formation about our custom made kilts then please just give us a shout.

Kind regards
(from Kilt Society) Price:75 USD (8 yards)

Good afternoon,
Thank you for your query.
The Essential Casual Kilts are made from either polyviscose of polywool, if you click more information on each fabric it will let you know the blend.
In regards to weight it is either 11oz or 13oz but it will state on each fabric. I'm afraid we are not allowed to give out the details of our suppliers.

Kind regards,
(from Clan by Scotweb) Price: 140 USD (5 yards)

And where are we now? After all my questions, after all your recommendations, after the answers from the stores ...

I certainly know a lot more than a couple of days ago, so I definitely made two decisions:

I can't say that I am satisfied with the answers from the stores, so I decided to listen to your recommendations,
and regardless of the distance, postage and customs, order a kilt from USA kilts.
I don’t have a final decision yet, Casual kilt or Semi-Trad, but it will almost certainly be 5 yards.
I don’t know what the problem is, but I can’t open their website, so I didn’t fully check the offer.

And the second decision is related to a new story, designing my own tartan and of course then making a kilt out of it.
More about that design in one of the next threads.
All the threads/replies were useful, but one of them stands out.
Steve, I have carefully studied all the threads sent and I will be free to order the making of a kilt from my own tartan at Freedom Kilts.
Kilts have become my passion and I have a deep respect for their meaning, and looking at just a scratch of your work (but also your philosophy, from your website)
I can't imagine any other place for ordering such a special item. (plus I don't know any other Kilt maker "this good" )
I will definitely contact you in the (hopefully) near future.

Thanks again to everyone for your help, I believe this topic will benefit other members as well.