Kilt hose observations

**Nanook** · 17th February 08, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Chef

I think what Nanook meant was that there are a lot of cheap ghillies out there and they seem to be what you see most often.

I won't even talk about those plastic soled things. They are, however common, hardy more than an item for fancy dress (or in small sizes as beginner's shoes for Irish dance).

**Chef** · 17th February 08, 01:17 PM

For really hot weather where I need to be dressy (i.e. hose pulled up) I like wicking sock liners and thin hose. It does a great job of keeping you dry and comfortable.

**string** · 17th February 08, 09:43 PM

I think that in most cases there is more than one side to the issue. Is it better to buy inexpensive accessories or to not have any at all. Many people simply don't have the extra pennies to invest in a special pair of shoes or on really nice hose.

**Chef** · 18th February 08, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by string

I think that in most cases there is more than one side to the issue. Is it better to buy inexpensive accessories or to not have any at all. Many people simply don't have the extra pennies to invest in a special pair of shoes or on really nice hose.

I would rather see people buy inexpensive quality they an afford as opposed to "cheap" accessories in the hopes that it will look like more. In the long run they look better. So what do I mean?

For example:

I'd rather see someone wear a decent pair of polished black shoes they already own than go out and buy pair of cheap ghilllies.
I think it a better choice to wear a plain black leather sporran (even for formal) until you can afford a quality formal sporran than to pick up much of the cheap garbage out their.
An argyle jacket, bought used, worn for black tie looks better than a than a cheap waiter's jacket trying to pass as a PC.
No sgian dubh is preferable to anything made from plastic.

I realise not everyone will agree and my view will be considered those of a snob, so be it. Personally I have great respect for someone who wears what they have and saves to buy quality.

**Jack Daw** · 18th February 08, 07:22 AM

Yeah, those are nice. Catharina had a dark tan, apparently.

**string** · 18th February 08, 02:16 PM

Actually that's more of a sensible explanation than I've gotten when discussing inexpensive options before (not necessarily options for kilts, or here on the boards.)
As a college student I have found that there are people out there who don't have a clue about the pressures of intermittent poverty and how that affects the value of your clothing, food, vehicles etc...

**beloitpiper** · 18th February 08, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by string

Actually that's more of a sensible explanation than I've gotten when discussing inexpensive options before (not necessarily options for kilts, or here on the boards.)
As a college student I have found that there are people out there who don't have a clue about the pressures of intermittent poverty and how that affects the value of your clothing, food, vehicles etc...

I'm a college student too, but I still buy thrifty, not cheaply. If you don't know the difference:
thrift, n. "extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily"
cheap, adj. "1. Relatively low in cost; inexpensive or comparatively inexpensive.
2. Of poor quality; inferior"

The way I see it is that I buy a few, well made things that will last a long time. That's being thrifty. If I buy things that don't cost a lot but won't last long, that's being cheap.

**Alan H** · 21st February 08, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by beloitpiper

I'm a college student too, but I still buy thrifty, not cheaply. If you don't know the difference:
thrift, n. "extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily"
cheap, adj. "1. Relatively low in cost; inexpensive or comparatively inexpensive.
2. Of poor quality; inferior"

The way I see it is that I buy a few, well made things that will last a long time. That's being thrifty. If I buy things that don't cost a lot but won't last long, that's being cheap.

I agree. It's wise to buy good quality items that will last you a long time, and then take care of those things. You bet, I'm one hundred percent behind this idea!

I appreciate the look and feel of well-made stuff. I am seriously jonesing for Strings hand-knit kilt hose, for example. I also well understand that there's something to be said for supporting the ever-dwindling number of real artisans in the world who take the time to make the wonderful items they create. You BET.

And I also agree that we can't spent every waking minute of our lives stressing over the disasters; hurricanes and famines and epidemics and wars that will always be with us. These things are BAD...bad things, but they should not rob us of the joy in living, and the ownership of certain fine things. It's not a sin to own a nice pair of kilt hose, is it? No, it's not.

But what bothers me is that sometimes on this board it SEEMS TO ME....and I want to make it clear that this is just what SEEMS TO ME, and I could be very, very wrong, but it SEEMS TO ME that we put "proper clothes" at an unrealistically high level of importance in the world. It SEEMS TO ME, and I could be wrong, that sometimes in our enthusiasm for all things kilted and kilt-related on this forum, that SOMETIMES we lose perspective on "kilts" in relation to the rest of the world..

And so I hope that my previous post; one in many thousands on this board, interjects a little bit of perspective back into this discussion.

**beloitpiper** · 21st February 08, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by Alan H

But what bothers me is that sometimes on this board it SEEMS TO ME....and I want to make it clear that this is just what SEEMS TO ME, and I could be very, very wrong, but it SEEMS TO ME that we put "proper clothes" at an unrealistically high level of importance in the world. It SEEMS TO ME, and I could be wrong, that sometimes in our enthusiasm for all things kilted and kilt-related on this forum, that SOMETIMES we lose perspective on "kilts" in relation to the rest of the world..

Of course, it SEEMS that we talk about clothes too much--this is a kilt forum! When I want to talk about politics, I'll go to a politics forum, or if I want to talk about environmental issues, I'll go to an environmental forum. But when I want to talk about kilts and the clothes that go with kilts, I come here.

**Alan H** · 21st February 08, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by beloitpiper

Of course, it SEEMS that we talk about clothes too much--this is a kilt forum! When I want to talk about politics, I'll go to a politics forum, or if I want to talk about environmental issues, I'll go to an environmental forum. But when I want to talk about kilts and the clothes that go with kilts, I come here.

Absolutely!

But for me, but kilts are a part of "life". Yes the line gets very fuzzy, here. We talk about some parts of life, here and don't talk about other parts. Yeah, I hear that.

Maybe look at it this way?...just an idea, here.

Let's say that you have $400. You could buy a kilt. Now you have to make some decisions. Which kilt should you buy? Which tartan should you request? Should it be pleated to stripe or to sett? Do you want 13 ounce or 16 ounce cloth? from which Mill should you purchase your cloth? How would you like your buckles? Do you want box pleated, knife pleated, military box-pleated, kinguisse or reverse kinguisse?

I propose that in fact you *might* have one other decision to make about your kilt, and the money you are going to spend on it... maybe. Maybe NOT, I dunno.

1. Would I rest more easily in my heart if I spent $300 on my kilt and used the remaining $100 doing "something else".....like maybe supporting the local Homeless shelter.

And now I think I've beaten my drum enough on this topic, and it's time to let others have their say, as well.