Kiltie as Charged

[rmccool]

I've been interested in kilts for quite some time, and have been considering joining the kilt wearing fraternity for at least the last decade. Unfortunately, a number of factors - including the cost of a full set of traditional Highland attire, which (when I first started considering a kilt) seemed to be pretty much essential to wearing the kilt "correctly," kept me indecisive about acquiring and wearing a kilt.

Fast forward a few years, and the world of kilts has changed considerably, at least from the perspective of a potential new kilt wearer. Not only are contemporary kilts worn by all sorts of folks, including those with no Scottish connection, but well made tartan kilts with a relatively traditional look are available at quite reasonable prices in materials that are easy to care for. At the same time, it's become more common (at least from my perspective) to see traditional kilts "dressed down" and worn as casual clothing rather than as a more formal style of dress. (Thanks to Matt Newsome and the many others who've advocated tirelessly for kilts as clothing, not costumes.)

In spite of all these changes, I still might not have opted to kilt up if it weren't for the little April Fool's joke from the folks at 5.11 Tactical that went awry. I'm a huge fan of their Taclite pants for both work and personal wear, and the possibility of having a contemporary kilt made by 5.11 was just too much to pass up. Despite being almost certain that their introduction of the Tactical Duty Kilt was a joke, I joined the crowd of hopeful customers who registered on the 5.11 web site -- and was delighted when they announced that they would actually produce a limited run of TDKs.

After placing an order for TDKs, I decided that it was time to seriously consider a more classic kilt. I still couldn't justify the cost of a tank, especially since I wasn't certain that kilts would work well for me. (I'm not shy about wearing anything I like, but I wasn't sure how well a kilt would fit my body build, or how comfortable I'd find it to be.) Fortunately, after finding XMarks and doing some reading, I found Rocky and his crew at USA Kilts. Their PV, semi-traditional kilt was exactly what I'd been looking for. It has the convenience of easy care, along with a very reasonable cost and a traditional look. I wanted a tartan with some personal significance, and the Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial Tartan fit nicely. I decided to place an order.

I must say that I'm glad that I did. My first ever kilt arrived on July 30, though it took me a couple of days to arrange for a photo. The quality is excellent -- it's not a hand sewn tank, but for a machine sewn, semi-traditional, PV kilt it's very impressive. The fabric and construction quality are first rate, and the measurements are exactly as I specified. It's probably not traditional enough to meet the sartorial standards for a black tie event, but I think it'll work very nicely for anything less. Thanks to Rocky, and Mac, for making my first kilt one that I'm proud to wear!



Yes, the tartan flashes may be a little much, given the informal nature of the rest of the outfit, but it was time to show off.

[Skiballa]

That looks good, sounds like you got the bug now, what's next? It's funny, I came at it from the other direction, I had a couple traditional kilts, and the one tank. 5.11 got me, I pre-ordered a pair of TDKs, and now I'm looking at other utility type kilts and picked up a Bilt Kilt during their recent sale. I'm jonesing hard for the TDKs, another month or there abouts.

[Meggers]

Thats a great kilt that you have there! It suits you! I say full speed ahead with developing your collection. And great thread title

Rocky and Mac are great guys and I am always impressed with what they make. They are as talented as they are kind. Great job, lads!

[McFarkus]

That's a very good looking kilt. No reason not to wear it for a more formal occasion.

[Scout]

Looking good.

I've got a nearly identical story. I ordered a 5.11 TDK almost as a joke but it sparked my interest and I soon found myself with more traditional kilt that's been getting a lot of use. I'm also just about to place an order for #3 with Rocky for a semi-traditional in the Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial Tartan.

Yes, it becomes addictive!

[dea3369]

Welcome to the addiction! I believe you look fine. Personally, don't worry about flashes and whether they should be worn only when being more "dressy." Wear them when you feel like it.

[rmccool]

Thats a great kilt that you have there! It suits you! I say full speed ahead with developing your collection. And great thread title

Thanks for the compliments! Being a cop, and wearing a kilt made from the LEO Memorial tartan, the thread title just seemed appropriate...

Rocky and Mac are great guys and I am always impressed with what they make. They are as talented as they are kind. Great job, lads!

Indeed! I didn't really get to interact with them. I placed the order through the USA Kilts web site, so there was no initial call, and everything I ordered arrived in great condition and was just what I'd requested, so there was no need to call after the order arrived. I've read only good things about them on the forum, however, and I can definitely vouch for the quality of their work. There are limits to what one can expect for the price, but the overall value when comparing cost to quality is very high.

[Joe I]

I was going to order that 5*11 but was too late. sigh...

[Riverkilt]

One of the best pics of the Law Enforcement Memorial tartans I've seen. Was a kid cop in my youth and its on my list.

Do have the Firefighter's Memorial tartan kilt in semi-trad from Rocky. Parts of it are dark



The thin green and yellow lines are "hot" and seem to leap out at you though....

[rmccool]

That looks good, sounds like you got the bug now, what's next?

Well, nothing much beyond the previously ordered TDKs for a little while. My wife's job is ending on Sept. 4 (budget cuts), so we're being a bit careful with the budget at the moment, since finding a new position may take a little while. (The good news is that she's already gotten at least some interest from a potential new employer.)

A bit later, I hope to add at least one more of Rocky's semi-trad PVs, in whatever tartan he has available at that time that most appeals to me. I'm not a huge fan of red-dominated tartans for me, no matter how good they often look on others, but as a firefighter the Firefighters' Memorial tartan might become an exception to my preference for darker colored tartans.

One of these days, I hope to acquire one of Matt Newsome's box pleated, wool tartan kilts and a hand sewn tank from one or another of the reputable kiltmakers, but those will probably have to wait a year or two. In the meantime, I'm scouring the local thrift shops for a nice, dark gray, woolen jacket to convert to an inexpensive kilt jacket for day wear. I found a beauty this morning at the local Goodwill store, but it was exactly one size too small for me.