Dir. of Scottish Tartan Authority Criticizes Edinburgh Shops

[Frank McGrath]

Have you been around Capitol Hill in D.C, Now there is Bizarre Bazaar. Any where tourist money is spent, people will sell anything and everything. It really is sad. But, we can just chalk it up to human nature.

[Warlock]

Well you know what they say about opinions...

[SnakeEyes]

You know, I was going to start something here, but I've decided just to stay out of it.

[McClef]

Some of the criticisms are indeed justified.

Of course it's a free enterprise environment and it would be difficult to ban or close down such shops but their activities could be more regulated so there is at least no confusion as to what people are actually buying.

The label "Designed in Scotland" is misleading as if it's cheap it's unlikely to have been made in Scotland. If the Scottish Parliament passed a bill enforcing an honest description of origin then people would not be under the impression that an item was actually made in Scotland.

But it's very difficult to find genuine, original, made in Scotland kilts as an off the peg item. Tourists have a need for instant gratification and often don't want to be measured and then wait for one to be made and delivered weeks or months down the line. I believe that this is why the criticised shops do well and that it's not just an issue of price.

If the more reputable establishments carried a range of made in Scotland off the peg kilts offering some of the most popular tartans (which is what the "bazaars" do except usually not wool and not made in Scotland) I believe they would be able to fight back better.

Of course they would cost more, but the quality would still speak for itself and it would still be instant gratification which is what most tourists want. And non EU tourists could still reclaim the VAT.

One can only hope that these cheaper kilt introductions will inspire at least some to go for the real McCoy at some point, I know people who have done that.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The original article from the Tartan Herald included a side bar clarifying that most Scottish kiltmakers had no issue with the fact that inexpensive, ready-made, off the peg kilts were being offered. And really not even with the fact that they were made in Pakistan. They admit that there is a place in the market for such an item -- for children, for those looking for a "costume peice" or simply for those who cannot afford a kilt otherwise.

Their criticism has more to do with the labelling of the product leading people with the impression that these are genuine Highland kilts. The labels, which the original article pictured (and which I've seen many times at Highland Games in the US) display the words "Scottish Highland Kilt, authentic woven tartan, designed in Scotland."

The problem is that all of this is technically true. Yes, the kilt is a Scottish Highland garment. Yes, the tartan cloth is really woven (doesn't say of what material). And yes, the kilt was "designed" in Scotland. But there is nothing there to say that it is actually woven from a cheap acrylic, or that this kilt was imported in from Pakistan.

In other words, those who purchase such items can easily be misled into thinking that this is the real Scottish deal. Those of us familiar with kilts can sit back and say, "Well, what do these people expect? A kilt for only twenty pounds? Cant' they tell from the material and construction that this must be a cheap import?"

Well, no. Most people are not familiar with authentic kilts up close and personal and have no experience with this. It is easy to imagine the visitor to Scotland seeing these "kilts" and assuming that this must be what all the fuss is about. And those who care about maintaining Scotland's reputation and traditions don't want these products associated with the skill and craftsmanship of Scotland's weavers and tailors.

That's really the crix of this issue.

I thought the article was a good one, and made some very valid points. I think if any Royal Mile merchants are offended by it, it might be because it hit a little close to home.

Matt

[RockyR]

I thought the article was a good one, and made some very valid points. I think if any Royal Mile merchants are offended by it, it might be because it hit a little close to home.

Matt

I agree with everything that Matt said, especially his last statement. Also, the BIGGEST problem is NOT where the kilts are made or the material is woven, it's the fact that they're being passed off as "authentic Scottish Kilts".

Please note... WE (Kelly and I) make "casual kilts" from Poly Viscose (not wool) and sell them for around $110. While these aren't "real kilts" in some people's eyes, we don't CLAIM they are. We describe them (on the site and in person) for exactly what they are and don't try to pass them off as "traditional kilts". Truth in advertising is all we ask and expect. It's the deception that's the problem.

BTW... while this can never be proven or disproven (because it was my personal experience), I did my own little experiment when I was on the Royal Mile last January... take it for what it's worth:

I asked every shop attendant selling the "cheap kilts" if they were made in Scotland or if they were REAL kilts. Not only were the tags on the items misleading, but their answers were misleading (and / or outright lies). Out of the 6 shops I asked, only 1 eventually admitted (after several inquiries and digging) that he thought they MIGHT be made overseas. Most of the shops said "SURE they're real kilts" or "I THINK they were made here... do you want to try one on?" When asked why they weren't 300 GBP, they said that they didn't know and that their prices were just better. They would skirt the issue as best they could to make the sale and deceive me.

[RockyR]

BTW... the article refers to a quote from Graham Muir (BTW... they misspelled his name in the article) at the Tartan Gift Shop. He's a VERY fiesty middle aged man who will have PLENTY to say about the "imported kilts" issue if you let him. If you get a chance to stop into his shop, talk to him for 5 minutes... he's a hoot. Also, tell him Rocky and Kelly from USAKilts said hello.

[McClef]

Deception is clearly a Trading Standards issue. A bit of "mytery shopping" by them might not go amiss.

But as I said earlier a law requiring clearer and more accurate labelling would go a long way to addressing the issue.

Gold Bros do sell some Scottish made items as do the other "tat" shops but I wonder if this helps to camouflage the issue in that in makes people think everything is made in Scotland.

I also found from previous visits that many of their staff are from eastern Europe and therefore may not be as aware as Scots might be about the products they sell. They may well make assumptions because they have not been educated as to origin.

I don't know if this is just an Edinburgh problem or not but I haven't encountered this anywhere else in Scotland personally. Supply and demand forces in Edinburgh seem to work differently as I discovered when booking my accomodation for next week. The hotel I used in October wanted three times their normal room rate for the Saturday night what I paid before. Needless to say I found somewhere else!

[IEScotsman]

I agree with everything that Matt said, especially his last statement. Also, the BIGGEST problem is NOT where the kilts are made or the material is woven, it's the fact that they're being passed off as "authentic Scottish Kilts".

Please note... WE (Kelly and I) make "casual kilts" from Poly Viscose (not wool) and sell them for around $110. While these aren't "real kilts" in some people's eyes, we don't CLAIM they are. We describe them (on the site and in person) for exactly what they are and don't try to pass them off as "traditional kilts". Truth in advertising is all we ask and expect. It's the deception that's the problem.

I don't know either of you personally (or even impersonally), but I have heard your reputation and I think its statements like this that make it as good as it is. You're meeting a market demand and dealing honestly with your customers. That quality becomes more and more rare in the Wal-Mart consumer world that is growing so quickly.