First, WELCOME. I appreciate your contribution- and your wife's.

Second, we live in complicated times. Hand craftsmanship is a wonderful thing, but sometimes machine work is superior. I am lucky enough to own a "transitional" automobile from one of the famous makers. In the 1960s, they began to make and sell cars with bodies that were not coachbuilt. I am sure there were reasons and some of them were probably associated with quality, while it is pretty clear cost was in there, too. But if you offered me a handbuilt car of 1920s technology or a robot-made one of 2010 technology, I can think of several juxtapositions that would make me choose the new one, regardless of wear or actual age.

Aside from the virtues of cheap and cheerful and the necessity of utility-grade garments, aside from the populist vs elitist questions, aside even from the ethical questions of labeling and certification, there are dozens of factors that influence a kilt's quality and its fitness for a given person and his situation. I agree that knowledge and acquaintance are great help in this process. So is a habit of frequenting this site.

But if I might raise one more point while I am on my soapbox, it is this: "Good value" does not come out of thin air. Good value comes about when a person buys something for less than he thinks it is worth. In today's market, he does so because the seller has chosen to sell it for less, but that seller has to get the lower price from somewhere- economies of scale? Lower wages? lower quality? Lower advertising cost?

Few of us would admit to wanting to "stick it" to a person we had just sat down to lunch with, but we all enjoy a bargain, right? While we might like to nurture businesses and support craftsmen, we generally do not want to "leave money on the table". So, while I have no answer here, other than to suggest being generous and circumspect, I do think it is important to note that commerce is often tricky. And knowledge is definitely power.

Aren't we lucky that we can learn from each other?