A beautiful new Kilt.

[English Bloke]

I thought I'd show off my latest acquisition to any who might be interested. I've been a bit quiet of late so this could be a long one... I've been saving up a positive torrent of verbosity... so stand by!!

For the last year or so, I have been regularly putting aside a bung each month. Out of that and combined with a bit more overtime, have come three rather sumptuous kilts. A 16oz hand-sewn Northumbrian Check (Lochcarron Strome), a 16oz hand-sewn Black Isle (Marton Jura) and another one.

I'm in a bit of trouble over this latest one. The dog house looms again as they've all tipped up in reasonably quick succession so this will probably be the last for a while at least. You'll note I'm not saying never.

I have concluded I've become a Kilt collector as well as a Kilt wearer. Current count is 35, not counting two I've given away to mates who had a burning desire to join the thronging kilted masses but more important things to commit their availables to.

I've also mentioned it before but a fair part of my enjoyment from Kilts is not just in the wearing, but in the having. I'm also fortunate in that I have a reasonably secure job which with careful financial management allows me to afford such excesses. I appreciate that there is no rhyme or reason why a man in his early 50's would require 35 kilts, all of which fit him and are wearable but at least my mid-life crisis is only Kilts; and not sports cars, gambling casinos, fine wines and younger women...

So what is this 'other one' of which you speak English Bloke?

Read on dear chums. It's a bit of a long story.

There's a kilt I've been admiring from afar for some considerable time. Canuck (of RKilts) has one, Riverkilt has one and there are other members here who also have one, although it must be said, it's one of the more unusual and less common kilts. I'm intending to take a trip to the Netherlands in late August and that got me thinking that it's time I got to getting in this exclusive club, as owner of a Dutch Friendship Tartan.

Well, sounds easy enough but the process is considerably more convoluted than one might imagine.

I started by getting onto the Dutch Friendship Tartan website. There's a handy google translator on it which helps us non Dutch speakers to navigate around. I had a look at the kilts available and found that they come in a variety of cloth weights ie. 13-16 and 18oz and although you can buy a made up kilt from them, they are only available pleated to either pink or blue stripe.

I think it's a shame to break up such a nice tartan design with a stripe pleating and I don't think either the pink or blue are strong enough (in my opinion) to hold back the overwhelming horizontal. Sett pleating would break that up and I think the kilt looks better pleated that way but it seemed that 'to Sett' wasn't an option.

Bit more digging about quickly identified that the fabric is also available by the meter. I considered 18oz. That would be some kilt but I am told that an 18oz kilt tips the scales over and doubles the postage within Britain. This was going to be expensive enough as it is.

I contacted the DFT site owner and after three attempts to various contact addresses listed on the site (and sister sites) I eventually elicited a response from a chap called Steve. He quoted me prices by the meter and I elected to commit to 4meters of double width 16oz and paid for that and the postage (and a bit on top to cover Steve's transaction fees) with paypal. All done, just sit back and wait for the postman. Couldn't be simpler...

So I waited, and waited, and waited. Apparently the fabric is located in Scotland with David Ogilvie Ltd. of Lanarkshire, makers and purveyors of fine bespoke Highlandware, so it's not like we are crossing oceans here.

I sent an email to Steve asking if my order had been dispatched. Nothing. I sent another and got a reply that David had been instructed to send the fabric. So I waited, and I waited... I sent an email to David (got his email address from their website) and asked if my order had been dispatched. Nothing. After some considerable time and several emails I opened a paypal dispute. In all honesty, in the time it took, I could have walked from Lancashire to Lanarkshire, picked it up in person and walked home again.

A week after the dispute was instigated, the postman knocked with a package that contained 4 yards not meters, of Dutch Friendship Tartan in 13oz not 16oz. It was half a yard short of the length ordered and the wrong weight but by this time I'd had enough. I reasoned I have other 13oz kilts and they are lovely so I confirmed with Steve I'd received it and that was that.

After much consideration I decided I'd ask Carol Ellis (nee Fitzherbert) to sew up the Kilt. She has made some other Kilts for me (the Bruce Modern, the Nothumberland and the Black Isle) and I'm blown away by the quality of those so I sent the tartan to her. She confirmed it was medium-weight rather than heavy-weight but assured me it would sew up a treat. The finished kilt arrived at my home while I was away on my most recent work shift.

And a treat it is too.


The tartan is absolutely ace!! It's a beautiful design.

The Kilt is eventually marvellous. Not quite what I wanted in the first place but I'm not dissatisfied with Carol's handywork.


The internal lining is black cotton as with all Carol's Kilts.


Her labels are sewn into the lining of this entirely handsewn Kilt.


As previously mentioned, the Kilt is pleated to sett. 26 pleats + the reverse pleat, basting stitches still in place. It's literally just out the box in this picture.


Sturdy Buckles


Buckle for the inner apron.


Quality leather straps and triple fringe on the apron.


Close up of the fell. Look carefully, the hand stitching is virtually invisible even with a bit of zoom.


Picked up this tulip brooch (2.5" x 2.5") to go with it from Ebay for a couple of quid.

The process of getting the Kilt I would not recommend. The sellers of the fabric make it far too complicated to contemplate repeating the process and I regret to say, I would not deal with either of the two parties again. You do come away with the feeling that you are an inconvenience to them and although they're happy to take your money, they don't really want your business. Added to the fact that I was not supplied with the goods I ordered make it a doubly unsatisfactory experience. The whole affair has only been saved by the superb handywork of Carol Ellis. I am more than happy with the finished Kilt.

It's my intention to wear this in Rotterdam while I'm there next month and while sharing a dram with Dutch friends and other Internationals who'll be there, I'll raise a glass to Robert Pel ("Canuck" of RKilts), the chap who inspired me to get it in the first place.