First Dedicated Kilt Jacket Question

[KnittedReenactor]

True words. I have been following and inspired by many here, including several who responded- thank you.
I do enjoy vintage (should, considering my name) but trying to find vintage or simply used highland wear I can use is difficult. I can't find it locally in my thift and goodwill stores, and the only ones I can find on Ebay are impossibly small for my frame or ex-hire prince charlies. I do not plan on attending gala events.
I would follow Tomo's source, but every time I try purchasing online outside the US, my card is declining, flagged and locked down until I call to reset it; even through multiple tries it fails. The only exception is ebay, because everything is processed in the US. Would I be better off sending an email and having them process my card directly or sending a check?

[Tomo]

Would I be better off sending an email and having them process my card directly or sending a check?

McCalls have an online chat - so you could ask them the question, or contact them by phone or email. They also take payment via PayPal if that helps.

[OC Richard]

That's beautiful, Tomo!

And MacMurdo is dapper as always.

Last time I was in Glasgow I of course visited all the Highland outfitters I could find. I think McCalls, MacGregor and MacDuff, not sure what all.

In one of them were the most lovely tweed kilt jackets, Lovat with a claret overcheck (what we in the USA call Windowpane). I really wanted one but the price was quite steep- as I recall they would have been around 800 dollars US for jacket and waistcoat.

I scrounge Ebay for vintage jackets my size- US 50R- which come up very rarely.

I see dozens, hundreds, of lovely tweed kilt jackets in 38 for every one in 50R (oh there are plenty in 50S).

Nevertheless I wear only high-quality Scottish-made vintage jackets, like this one, got on Ebay for around $100.



The thing about Pakistani jackets is that there's quite a range in cut and quality. Just last year at one of our Highland Games a booth (from an Edinburgh shop) had an entire rack of nice-looking tweed kilt jackets for $100, which on close inspection were obviously Pakistani-made. Their cut was traditional, and when I tried one on the fit was perfectly acceptable (to me anyhow, I'm not persnickety about fit). The tweed felt pretty good, obviously not UK woven tweed but not the shoddy tweed one sometimes sees with Pakistani jackets.

With the Pakistani jackets you really need to feel the fabric and try them on to tell. With UK-made jackets you know that the fabric and tailoring will be good.

Now what does a "real Scottish-made kilt jacket" look like? Let's see.

Here's one by Andrew Douglas. Note the high points at the back of the Argyll cuffs. (Too bad they buttoned the bottom button, which spoils the cut of the jacket front.)



Here you get a better idea of the cut of the front of a proper Scottish-made kilt jacket



Now here's one being sold by a firm in Pakistan, not too off, but notice that the front is cut like an ordinary suit jacket.

Also note the odd way the tops of the sleeves meet the jacket shoulder seams. I have seen this on a great many Pakistani kilt jackets, while UK-made jackets have normal looking shoulders, seen in the Scottish-made jackets above.



From another Pakistani firm, a true horror show. The cut is strange in several ways.



Take note of those distinctive Pakistani features; you will see them sold by UK firms, sometimes implying that they're UK-made, sometimes baldly stating that they're UK-made.