Snobbery? Well, yes, I guess you could call it that.

Let me tell you a little story.

I now make kilts. I've done a lot of different things in my life, but when a noob walks into my shop you can see the excitement. They have usually dreamed about wearing a kilt for a long time. It is not unusual for one of my customers to have saved and scrimped for months or even years before coming to see me. They want so bad to show off and make a connection to their heritage or to their family.

Sometimes they know what Tartan they want and sometimes they come to me wide eyed and naive. They get to feel and see their Tartan, sometimes for the first time in their life. They then get my best effort at customer service. We take measurements and we talk about how to wear their kilt.
Sometimes they also look at sporrans and jackets. Sometimes they ask about "The Question".

The excitement is usually tempered when I have to tell them about the wait time. There is fabric to be shipped from Scotland and their order must work its way up my order board.

But when I call them and tell them that their kilt is ready and that they can come in and try it on, all the excitement is back. Their dream is a reality and they have THEIR kilt.

I have to tell you that watching that wide-eyed innocent noob strap on their kilt for the first time is what makes my job one of the best in the world. They look in the mirror, they turn around to see the hang of the pleats. They twirl so they can watch the pleats swish.

And usually they have come with their girlfriend or spouse. And that makes it all the better because to see the look in your lady's eye makes any man stand proud and tall.


I would no more make a customers' kilt out of a cheap fabric than I would try to sell them a kilt that hangs wrong or does not swish just right.

Now, I understand that not everyone can afford a custom made kilt. I couldn't. Heck, I still can't. So I decided to learn how to do it myself. I encourage everyone to give making a kilt a try.

But you really owe it to yourself to make the best kilt you are capable of making. You deserve the right to show it off and you deserve the bragging rights of "I made it myself" when you get the comments of praise.

The biggest component of the cost of a custom made kilt is the labor. The fabric usually comes out to about 1/4 the total cost. And the difference in cost between good fabric and cheap stuff is actually very small. It does not matter if you want a P/V kilt or a wool kilt. The percent of the total cost of the kilt is about the same.

So please, don't skimp on your fabric. The end result will be so much better, and worth the trouble, that the small extra expense, those months of dropping all your change in a jar will evaporate in an instant. The first time you get that "Nice Kilt" from a passerby or get that glance from the girl you just passed on the sidewalk will make it all worthwhile.