Complete the outfit

[Riverkilt]

The difference in "wait times" for a hand sewn traditional kilt oft depend upon controlable issues and uncontrolable issues.

Is your kiltmaker a full time kiltmaker or a part time kiltmaker? Full time kiltmakers usually get to your kilt sooner.

Is the tartan fabric your kilt is sewn from an easily available tartan or one you must wait for the mill to make another run of - or even have it custom woven.

Did the fabric, and later the kilt, have to be shipped through various customs?

Did the fabric arrive at your kiltmaker's in perfect condition or did it have to be returned due to oil stains or poor weaving?

How many other folks ordered up a hand sewn kilt from your kiltmaker just before you did? Was one an order for a pipe band?

Did you order just before your kiltmaker took ill, or left on a long planned vacation?

And, as we've seen on a recent post - did the finished kilt get shipped to the right address?

Waiting for a hand sewn kilt may be the closest any man comes to experiencing the pain of child birth other than throwing a kidney stone.

Ron
Who just figured out AFTER ordering his first PC that he'll also need a bow tie, tux shirt, studs, and $300 dress sporran....

[Friday]

Obviously, I did not make it clear that this is a a very, very, very preliminary budgeting exercise. All of the comments so far are good and valid, but are too far into the process.

Lets assume that I have nothing acquired for highland attire, I have a closet of general white collar business attire. Based on the budget I can set milestones and for contacting the kilt maker, purchasing this or that accessory.

[Scotus]

Obviously, I did not make it clear that this is a a very, very, very preliminary budgeting exercise. All of the comments so far are good and valid, but are too far into the process.

Then, I would say your first priority should be a good day sporran; brown, if you're like most people. Mine is black, as the rest of my stuff is also black, but I would suggest a good brown, day sporran. You don't have to go out and spend a lot of money. If the sporran is simple, it should cost too much for a quality one. Along with this, good hose (not white or cream). These would be on top of the list.

Once you have those, you can move on to other items; however, since you're asking about what is next and not what's way down the line, I would say the sporran and hose. I assume you already have good shoes you'd wear with the hose, so that's why I didn't mention those.

[Highland Logan]

I would second the opinions of Jock, Scotus and McMurdo. The Lovat green hose are good, as well as some plain basic red flashes, a plain black military style day sporran sould be a good low price start. And so long as you have no major events in your future, a nice sweater vest over a **** and tie should keep you going. And as for shoes, untill you can afford to spend a lot, just plain black (my choice) or brown dress shoes would finish off the outfit.

For an even more dressed down look, try a cable knit sweater rather than shirt and tie, and swap out the dress shoes for some low-cut hiking shoes.

Just keep in mind that some acces. are not neeed, such as sgian dhub, kilt pin (I never wear one) and the like. And like Jock says, even flashes can be put on the back burner. Once you have just a few of the acces. here you will be ready for most things other than formal, which can wait as budget requires.

Frank

[Scotus]

a plain black military style day sporran sould be a good low price start.

I agree with Highland Logan here. My first sporran was this. It's a good quality sporran at a reasonable price. I think Jamie is just trying to scare you away by suggesting a full mask sporran as your first sporran. Just so long as you have a sporran that works, worry about getting different, more expensive ones later on.

[Friday]

I would second the opinions of Jock, Scotus and McMurdo. The Lovat green hose are good, as well as some plain basic red flashes, a plain black military style day sporran sould be a good low price start. And so long as you have no major events in your future, a nice sweater vest over a **** and tie should keep you going. And as for shoes, untill you can afford to spend a lot, just plain black (my choice) or brown dress shoes would finish off the outfit.

For an even more dressed down look, try a cable knit sweater rather than shirt and tie, and swap out the dress shoes for some low-cut hiking shoes.

Just keep in mind that some acces. are not neeed, such as sgian dhub, kilt pin (I never wear one) and the like. And like Jock says, even flashes can be put on the back burner. Once you have just a few of the acces. here you will be ready for most things other than formal, which can wait as budget requires.

Frank

Frank our posts cross in the web.

Based on this

Kilt $590
Hose 50
Sporran 60
Flashes 24
Shirt 0 White/color to compliment kilt
Shoes 0 color to match sporran

It looks like it will still cost about $650 for the first outfit.

[ForresterModern]

I have yet to hear anyone mention a kilt belt and buckle (sporran strap yes) and I know many feel it is unsightly with a waistcoat due to the bulge, but unless your kilt fits like an absolute charm the extra adjustability for fit that a belt provides may be helpful.

Otherwise I agree with the list: brogues, hose, flahses optional, sgian dhub optional, belt, sporran and strap or hangers, nice shirt and tie, tweed Argyll jacket +/- waistcoat (charcoal most versatile but somewhat somber), kilt pin optional but suggested, balmoral with cap badge optional, fly plaid with broach optional, and happy smile on your face becasue you know you look great required.

As has been said before you get what you pay for, so price all depends on what level of quality you seek in each and every item. Sans the kilt, the rest of the package could run you anywhere from $4-500 to over $1000 US. My recommendation is take it slow, be a careful shopper for each item, sometimes buying lower end stuff to get started knowing you will at some point need to buy it again when you decide to upgrade to better quality stuff. It will be a learning experience alongthe way, and a fun journey.

[The Barry]

I took a similar approach when putting my formal outfit together. This is the result:

Kilt, 8 yard, hand sewn (by our own Barb T)
Argyle (NOT PC!!) jacket and waistcoat in black (more options)
Sporran appropriate for evening wear
Ghillie brogues
Tartan hose (still jonesing!)
Belt + buckle

This list is in order according to my prioritization method.
The kilt is first because, well, it's the kilt.

Then is the Argyle jacket and waistcoat because I found a good deal and they are another large chunk of the outfit. If you want to go less formal, just get the jacket, skip the waistcoat.

Then the sporran. This is the next largest "deal" to get over. Be selective, there are enough people making sporrans that you can get pretty much exactly what you want. Do not, I repeat, do not get a "semi-formal" sporran, if you want to go out to dinner in the evening, get an evening sporran.

I listed ghillies here. I already had a nice pair (piper's with extra cushioning due to my spinal issues). They are ubiquitous, and are thus easy to find. Shop around a bit, you'll find the exact ones you want with a little bit of searching.

Tartan hose. You might want to step down a couple of notches, go with nice (read: hand-knit) colored hose, or maybe even some Lewis hose. Those will work until you start to get fairly formal.

Belt + buckle. These are easy to order, so no hurry. You can get them on sale if you shop around for a bit. The same buckle will be sold by several vendors for several different prices. I say get a belt and buckle because the jacket without the waistcoat paired with a belt and buckle is a very nice, a bit less than formal, look.

That's pretty much what I did. Pay special attention to the sporran and hose, those two items, more than anything else, can make or break an outfit.

Kilt on brother!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

People have been giving some really good advice. I'll add my thoughts for consideration.

Given your stated goal of having something nice enough to go out to dinner, and assuming a tight budget, here is what I would recommend.

I'll also assume, for pricing purposes, that you are purchasing from the Scottish Tartans Museum. As you are planning on ordering the kilt from us, it makes sense, but keep in mind you may find other suitable items elsewhere are various prices.

FOR THE TIGHT BUDGET:
In addition to the kilt, you'll need:
1) a pair of our standard kilt hose. $27.95
2) a pair of garters, either elastic or self-tie. $24
3) a functional day-wear sporran. Our economic models that start at around $60 are nice, but you'll probably want to purchase a better belt than what comes with them, which will run you another $25-$30. Or you can splurge a bit and get one of the nicer day-wear that will run you in the mid-$100s. These will be supplied with a nice belt.

As you plan on having something that can be dressed up a bit to take your wife out to dinner, I'd advise you get a black leather sporran, and if you don't already have a tie that would look nice with your kilt, buy a solid color one, which we sell for $24.95.

As for shoes, you likely have something in your wardrobe that will work. Same thing with the shirt. Unless you plan on taking to wife to a place that requires jacket, you can wait a while on the Argyle jacket. You can always dress the outfit up with a sweater.

IF YOU HAVE A BIT MORE OF A BUDGET:
1) You might want to consider upgrading to the Lewis hose, which are a nicer quality and will give you a wider range of color. $48
2) Definitely get a nice mid-range sporran rather than an economy model.
3) Consider adding a kilt pin, $20 to $25 in most cases.
4) Consider adding a sgian dubh, which come in a very wide range of prices.

Lastly, I would say that eventually you'll probably want a nice Argyle jacket. But this can be something you budget and save for, like the kilt. Unless you know up front that you will be attending a lot of functions that would require a jacket, there is no urgent need, and this is a high price item. So wait till you can save some pennies, and have recovered from the cost of the kilt a bit. :-)

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Friday--
For day wear/non-formal evening wear:

(1) The Kilt.
(2) White shirt, long or short sleeve depending on the weather.
(3) Solid colour knit or wool necktie.
(4) Hose, 2 pair, one lovet, one dark.
(5) Garters with flashes, one pair.
(6) Shoes, one pair conservative black oxfords with or without wing tips.
(7) Sporran, leather, black or brown.
(8) Jacket-- (see notes below)

NOTES:
(1) Kilt: sounds like you've got this sorted.
(2) White Shirt: White shirts dress down better than coloured shirts dress up, and you don't have to worry about matching colours etc.
COST: available from $10 and up.
(3) Knit/wool ties are a bit more "traditional" looking than patterns and shiny silks.
COST: from $2.00 and up.
(4) Hose: You will need two pair because after all day at the games you will want fresh hose if you are going out. Stick with one of the classic "lovets", or fawn (a sort of mid-tan), or navy/bottle green. Wear the dark ones to dinner, etc.
COST: from $25-$50 per pair.
(5) Garters: make your own or buy a pair. Solid colours are best and red goes with everything except red hose.
COST: $5.00-10.00
(6) Shoes: You may already have a pair of black lace up dress shoes-- if so, wear them. But if you don't, look for inexpensive wingtips at discount shoe outlets.
COST: $25.00 and up.
(7) Sporran: Black or brown leather, the plainer the better.
COST: $10.00 and up on eBay.
(8) Jacket: There is nothing inherently wrong with wearing a regular length jacket with the kilt, although it does look "odd" to some people. The least expensive option is to cut down a jacket you already own. If you do it yourself the cost is zero. If you take it to your local alteration shop you are looking at something in the region of $25.00 for the conversion. If you opt to purchase a jacket, stick with a darker tweed, and expect to pay something around $150.00 tops for a lighter weight jacket suitable for year round wear in North America.
COST: zero to $150.00

TOTAL COST: $150.00/$300.00

You can go way over this budget, but if you shop around (eBay is great) you should be able to put your entire outfit together for about $150.00, plus the cost of the kilt jacket (another $150.00) if you can't go the DIY route.