Tweed kilts? What do you think?

[gwynng]

I've been mulling over making myself a tweed kilt. I like the look, but not sure about fabric. There are lots of options, none of which are inexpensive, even if I am making it myself. Of course I'd love to do one in a Harris tweed, and I wondered about Xmarkers' experience with it in a kilt. Do the pleats hold well? Is it too heavy for a temperate place like San Diego? I have made a box pleat kilt out of a medium weight (13 oz.) tartan that is not worsted, and I do have to touch it up with an iron more often than my worsted tartans. Does Harris tweed hold a crease well?

Any experience out there is wearing or making tweed kilts? I venture to guess that a solid color kilt is a little less fussy when sewing the pleats at least.

[thecompaqguy]

I've been hankering after a tweed kilt for some time... I saw one here
http://www.sourceculture.co.uk/produ...ntlemen-kilts/
but the price made me take a long sit down... once I got my breath back, I found a cheaper, but better known example in 21st Century Kilts,
http://21stcenturykilts.com/product/5/harris-tweed-kilt
and a more sensible price. I would pay £650 for one of Howie's creations compared to this unknown manufacturer's eyewatering £945 to £1065 The rest of the items on SourceCulture's page seem to me to be posh junk (bric-a-brac, as we say here in the UK )

I've toyed with the idea of tweed but I need to save up first...

[Father Bill]

If price is the issue, I'm betting that any of our wonderful sponsors, advertisers, or partners could do it for less than either of those prices. They seem excessive to me.

[gwynng]

Sheesh! Posh junk all right! Only £29,000 for a PEN?!? I'll take three in case I leave one at the DMV.

Well, I was planning on skirting the price issue do a degree because I plan on making the kilt myself. Even then, it is a daunting prospect with most Harris tweeds running in the range of £55-75 and up per meter. So, yes, I can beat the prices of either of these makers even if I go with the most expensive tweed. Still wondering how the pleats hold up to wearing with the looser, heavier weave of tweeds?

[Father Bill]

Interesting question. I'm told that the correct term for the weave used for kilt fabric is normally a "twill."

[ratspike]

I love tweed, and I think tweed kilts are fabulous. I have one that I made with some brown-ish/ochre-ish stuff that I picked up on ebay for practically nothing. It was lovely to work with and holds a pleat well. It has a windowpane pattern so it was fussier to sew than a solid color, but didn't make me want to pull my hair out like tartan does.

[Pleater]

Some tweeds are rather harsh and prickly - though more modern ones might be less so - I am going by what I have found over 50 years experience of fabrics.

A long shirt, a kilt liner or some other way of keeping the fabric from the skin might be required if the fabric is one of the harsh ones.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[gwynng]

Thanks Bob and Anne.

I wondered, if pleats held up. Was I going to put hours of work into a kilt, love the look and hate the maintenance?

The itch factor is something that never occurred to me. Food for thought. I would imagine that wear it regimental could be a prickly situation with the wrong tweed.

[MacCathmhaoil]

John at Keltoi does tweed kilts and at a significantly better price. I can attest to his skills as a kilt maker, mine is not tweed however but I wouldn't hesitate to commission him to make one for me had I the cash.
http://www.gaelicclothing.com/thetweedie.htm

[Benning Boy]

I've been looking at the tweeds here:

http://www.highlandtweedshop.com/hig...eds-index.html

They range from light to very heavy. Some are tartan-like. Some are about half the price of name brand tartan fabric. The actual Harris tweed seems to run the same price as quality kilt tartan, and is usually heavier.