On the question of what style of kilt you want and what tartan you want, both of those ultimately fall into the category of your personal preference, so all I can tell you is to get what you really want.

I can advise a little bit about the cloth weight, though. And I will give you my usual advice, which is to get the heaviest weight that is available in your budget.

To determine that, you first need to select your tartan, because not every tartan is available in every weight range. For instance, MacKinnon modern and MacKinnon Hunting ancient are both available in 16 oz cloth from Lochcarron, but the MacKinnon Hunting ancient is priced as "rare select" which means the cloth (and therefore the kilt) will cost a bit more.

Both these tartans are also available from Lochcarron in their 13 oz cloth.

And from the House of Edgar, MacKinnon Hunting ancient is available in both 13 and 16 oz. MacKinnon modern is available in an 1821 variant, in the 13 oz only.

Now I have only checked from these two mills, but already you see that with this particular tartan you have lots of options, which is a good thing.

While both 13 oz and 16 oz will do fine in a 4 yard box pleated kilt, I strongly reccomend going with the heavier weight in this style where it is available. It really makes more of a difference in kilts with less yardage especially. Both the tartans you mentioned are available in 16 oz, and I don't charge any different between the two weights (except for "rare select" tartans, which are about $25 more), so really there isn't any reason to not get the heavy weight.

If you are concerned about heat, remember that this style of kilt only uses 4 yards, rather than 8, so you are cutting down the amount of cloth drastically, meaning that even a heavy weight 4 yard kilt is likely to feel cooler than a light weight 8 yard kilt will. Also, as Barb has pointed out, it's not so much the kilt that makes you warm, it's the woolen hose, woolen bonnet, woolen jacket, and all the other accessories we pile on top of the kilt.

If you decide on a tartan that's only available in 13 oz (like the 1821 variant the Edgar weaves) that's fine. It also makes a good box pleated kilt, and it's much more important to get the tartan you really want rather than worry about an extra 3 oz per yard kilt weight.

If you get a 5 yard knife pleated kilt, ditto for all I said above about box pleated kilts.

If you get an 8 yard kilt, the same advice applies, but to a lesser degree. I still say get the heaviest weight available that is within your budget. And while *I* would certainly still prefer the 16 oz due to the look and durability of the fabric, I know some people would be more comfortable in a 13 oz or lighter. In an 8 yard kilt, it's going to make less of a difference than in a 4 or 5 yard variety. For instance, I will sell you a 10 oz 8 yard kilt if that is what you really want. It's not the best cloth for a kilt, but it works if that is what is available. But I will not sell you a 10 oz 4 yard kilt! I'll have the cloth custom woven in a heavier weight first if that is what I need to do.

I hope that helps. If you have any other questions about selecting your kilt or tartan, feel free to email or call.

Aye,
Matt