Why you don't see Scots wearing their kilts often

[Calico]

This is kind of funny "kilts are already available in a number of price points". True in its own isolated context - but not in a financially realistic world.

I own four pairs of pants in my daily rotation. They cost $14.95 to $19.95 at Ross. That's about $75.00 for two years worth of pants.

I have one kilt, an 8yd wool tank that cost $630. Four of those would be $2,500! It would take me three years to save that much for a discretionary purchase.

Saying I could buy four $25 el cheapos (thus $100 vs. $75) may be true, but I would still be paying a little more to have lower quality clothing. Just not going to happen.

[Redshank]

As one of the oddities that wears the kilt everyday I have 7 kilts varying in age from 1 to 50 years old including the one I am now wearing a Lidl 5 yd kilt that has worn well and I have never had any adverse comments on it at £25 there is no excuse for not wearing the kilt I think the problem is that people do not want to be seen as different. Wearing the kilt everywhere does not upset people people look and make good comments but you are generally ignored

And when we met Tam you where wearing a quality kilt, and wearing it well,
I wear the kilt almost everyday, all of my 6 kilts are quality hand crafted 8 yard knife pleated in variety of weights from heavyweight Harris Tweed to House of Edgar Old and Rare that is fairly light weight, all where made to measure for me by my local kiltmaker, all where expensive, my attitude towards money and kilts is you can't take it or them with you so enjoy them both to the full in the short time your here, and I do.

[SoSelkirk]

Don't forget that you can reduce the total cost of wearing a kilt by removing the underwear from the equation... ;-)

[Redshank]

Don't forget that you can reduce the total cost of wearing a kilt by removing the underwear from the equation... ;-)

Stupid Boy, you obviously haven't met the dreaded West Coast Midge

[seanachie]

my attitude towards money and kilts is you can't take it or them with you so enjoy them both to the full in the short time your here, and I do.

Hey Chris, can you share that opinion with my wife?
In all seriousness ther is a lot to be said for that thinking.
I know not what ails Steve Jobs but he is a billionaire and appears
quite ill. I wouldn't want to be in that position and full of regret for working to make the next million and not having had a little more fun. There is pragmatism, but one must enjoy life as well.

[GG]

and he said he would love to wear his kilt more often but at 3 to 400 UK pounds it was not for daily use in the shop. He said you can buy a good quality pair of trousers for 30 or 40 pounds. We then got onto the Lidl kilts. He said they were not bad for the price but not enough choice of tartans.

Exactly how I see the problem.

He said most Scotsmen have a kilt, usually the one they got married in or for some other special occasion and are too expensive to wear except for very special occasions, so hang in the wardrobe most of the year.

YES

My thoughts on this are... If kilts are to be seen as trouser substitutes then there should be a range of prices available and kilts makers would sell more in the end. You would not wear a £200 pair of trousers to dig the garden. You would have several kilts for various uses and a good quality made to measure for best, same as you do for suits and trousers. I want to see the day when you have complete choice of kilt or trousers in all price bands then we might see more men wearing them on a daily basis... We have to set a trend here and get the kiltmakers to supply what the customer wants yeh!

YES

[tpa]

I think perhaps a lot of Scots are too hung up on what is proper and what is not rather than concentrating on what is comfortable and practical. Personally I'd go for comfort over "correctness" any day if such a thing really exists. I also think it tends to be forgotten that today's kilts originated from everyday wear and are relatively modern (in Scottish heritage) terms. I was certainly brought up to believe that you either wore a tartan related to a family name, as I do, my mother being of Anderson descent, or else wore a neutral colour as my father who was born in England, but brought up in the wilds of Argyll, did.
Personally I have just ordered a PV off the peg kilt in Royal Stewart (very limited tartan selection) as much out of curiosity as anything else. I have a casual kilt but it is a bit too good for some outdoor work so a really casual one is what I'm after. I don't know when it is going to arrive because I paid extra to have the length altered, which I was told was possible for a £10 fee if I was not in a hurry. It is still quite a large percentage on the original eBay price of £22.99, but for that money, who is going to argue. If it turns out to be everyday wearable, I'll probably follow it with one in Black Watch, which won't show the dirt so much!

[chrisupyonder]

I think perhaps a lot of Scots are too hung up on what is proper and what is not rather than concentrating on what is comfortable and practical. Personally I'd go for comfort over "correctness" any day if such a thing really exists.

I'm with you there. By the way, Lidl were also selling 8 yarders for around £50. I assume they would be better quality. I got my 5 yard one for £19.99 as they were coming to the end of the sale. Ok for digging the garden at that price.

Where have you ordered your PV from?

[tpa]

Chrisupyonder, I ordered my kilt from The Edinburgh Kilt Company over the phone, because of the size issue. The original quote for shortening it was £17, reduced to £10 if I did not mind waiting and also because, at the original price, I was not prepared to order immediately.

[Jordan]

I dint have a lidl kilt but I have a cheap denim one i got from union kilts which i use when I'm gardening etc, it's handy to not worry about it getting dirty.