My order from Lochcarron arrived

[OC Richard]

About cost, my usual tendency is to dismiss the concerns of people who buy Pakistani jackets because they say they can't afford UK made ones, or say they can't afford UK made sporrans, etc.

It's the very reason I started the thread about buying high-quality Scottish-made sporrans for less than the Pakistani ones cost.

I currently have three UK-made Argyll jackets. One I ponied up the money to purchase new because it was in a tweed I wanted that Marton Mills recently introduced.

But my charcoal grey UK-made Argyll and my Lovat Green UK-made Argyll were purchased for 75 pounds and 35 dollars respectively (firstly from a Kilt Hire shop in Ayrshire, due to the customer never picking up his bespoke jacket, and secondly an Ebay find).

But it's different with tartan! Because remote is the likelihood of a kilt fitting your measurements and being in a tartan you want.

So with accessories I pick up bargains, but with kilts and the fabric they're made from I pay the going rate because there's no alternative.

I'm not going to wear an acrylic or polyester kilt, I'm not going to wear a "casual kilt", so I gladly pay the price for real kilting cloth and a real kilt.

[kilted2000]

About cost, my usual tendency is to dismiss the concerns of people who buy Pakistani jackets because they say they can't afford UK made ones, or say they can't afford UK made sporrans, etc.

It's the very reason I started the thread about buying high-quality Scottish-made sporrans for less than the Pakistani ones cost.

I currently have three UK-made Argyll jackets. One I ponied up the money to purchase new because it was in a tweed I wanted that Marton Mills recently introduced.

But my charcoal grey UK-made Argyll and my Lovat Green UK-made Argyll were purchased for 75 pounds and 35 dollars respectively (firstly from a Kilt Hire shop in Ayrshire, due to the customer never picking up his bespoke jacket, and secondly an Ebay find).

But it's different with tartan! Because remote is the likelihood of a kilt fitting your measurements and being in a tartan you want.

So with accessories I pick up bargains, but with kilts and the fabric they're made from I pay the going rate because there's no alternative.

I'm not going to wear an acrylic or polyester kilt, I'm not going to wear a "casual kilt", so I gladly pay the price for real kilting cloth and a real kilt.

Unfortunately not everyone has the luck to find jackets it their size, especially if it involves going to a hire shop in Scotland. I’ve never owned or worn an acrylic or polyester kilt. Or one not made for my measurements. I do have pv kilts made to my measurements made by the same Marton Mills as your jacket. They seem real enough to me. I agree it’s worth paying for quality, but not everyone has the luxury of buying a 8 yard wool kilt. Most people in the USA anyway can’t afford to save for the future let alone kilts. That said, in my perfect world, all kilts are made in UK wool, hand sown and made to measure.

[Troglodyte]

I'm sure that non-acrylic was definitely worth it. When next I'm in Scotland, Lochcarron is on my short list.

There are several weavers within easy reach of Lochcarron in the Borders, and they are all well-worth visiting.

If hunting for something specific you may be restricted to what is on normal retail, but weavers often have bolt-ends available at give-away prices. I have been lucky in this way many times, and have come away with a three-piece suit-length piece of 21oz tweed for about £20. You are doing the mill a favour by taking it off their hands.

[OC Richard]

Unfortunately not everyone has the luck to find jackets it their size...

It's tough, especially because I'm a big person. I must see 100 nice tweed UK-made kilt jackets in size 38 for every one that shows up in size 48, even then they're usually too long or too short. Nevertheless, I find one every couple years or so. I check Ebay every day.

The Lochcarron Lovat Green Argyll in size 48R for $35 was quite the rarity. Generally I've paid $70-$100 for nice UK-made tweed kilt jackets on Ebay.

...especially if it involves going to a hire shop in Scotland.

Yes that was a stroke of luck! Our Pipe Band had an afternoon off so three of us took the train to Kilmarnock to visit the McCallum bagpipe factory. Attached is the Ayrshire Kilt Hire shop, and they happened to have an Argyll my size which an unfortunate Mr MacGregor failed to pick up (the tag was still inside).

I have PV kilts made to my measurements made by the same Marton Mills as your jacket.

I've heard good things about that Marton Mills PV fabric but I've not knowingly seen it. I suppose I should order a swatch to get a feel for it (literally).

The deal-breaker would be the weight. I very much prefer 16 ounce kilt fabric. I have one 13 ounce kilt and it's like putting on a thin flannel shirt after wearing heavyweight kilts all the time.

[scratchy]

It's tough, especially because I'm a big person. I must see 100 nice tweed UK-made kilt jackets in size 38 for every one that shows up in size 48



they happened to have an Argyll my size which an unfortunate Mr MacGregor failed to pick up (the tag was still inside).

52L(UK)

How long was the Argyll on the rack for?

[OC Richard]

52L(UK)

How long was the Argyll on the rack for?

I was 50R UK for years until I did some downsizing recently. 52L is scarce as hen's teeth.

Very very rarely will anything bigger than 50 show up. There was a jacket in size 64 on Ebay for a while, never seen one before or since.

About the Argyll at Ayrshire I don't know.

That's the thing about Highlandwear shops- all the ones I visited in Glasgow and Edinburgh seemed to have the same jackets from House Of Edgar (in Peat etc) and all at the same price, around 400 pounds as I recall.

The Ayrshire place was the same. But I noticed a lower rack off to one side with odds and sods, and I spied a big tweed Argyll, which fit perfectly. I was a bit scared to ask the price, and when the gent said 70 pounds I could hardly get my credit card out fast enough. The next day I wore the jacket all day at The Worlds in Glasgow Green, the weather being windy, chilly, and drizzly, except for our 5 minutes of glory in the circle.

[User]

...
Lochcarron cloth is excellent in every way - what did you order? Is it a kilt? Opting for wool instead of man-made is a decision you will never regret. Personally, I am puzzled by the popularity of synthetic materials, especially kiltings, when wool is superior in every way, including being environmentally sound and culturally authentic.
...

I ordered tartan cloth from Lochcarron, and I'll be sewing the kilt myself.
While I was trying to decide what kilt I wanted, I became increasingly interested in all aspects of the kilt. I realized that sewing the kilt myself would be the best way to satisfy my curiosity, and give me a greater sense of connection to the kilt as opposed to if I bought it from someone else.

[jsrnephdoc]

I ordered tartan cloth from Lochcarron, and I'll be sewing the kilt myself.
While I was trying to decide what kilt I wanted, I became increasingly interested in all aspects of the kilt. I realized that sewing the kilt myself would be the best way to satisfy my curiosity, and give me a greater sense of connection to the kilt as opposed to if I bought it from someone else.

If you don't have it, I'd advise you to buy Barb Tewksbury's book (The Art of Kiltmaking). In it's current (3rd) printing, color plates have been replaced by B/W, but there's a link to download the color images, and the book (available from Amazon, or The Celtic Croft, or from Barb herself) is much cheaper in monochrome. Her kilts are made entirely by hand and are exquisite.

[SF Jeff]

I'm a little late to this thread so I'll cover some of the several topics that have been raised in one shot.

1. Lochcarron: Two of my three kilts are Lochcarron wool (the third is a mystery) and I find it to be of high quality and I have no complaints. The OP will feel the same I'm sure. I'm considering a new kilt in a tartan that, as far as I know, is only spun by HoE in 13oz wool. If I do go ahead, it will be interesting to compare it to the Lochcarron wool.

2. PV kilts: Not interested. Perhaps if I participated in heavy athletics, but otherwise, no. I also don't judge anyone who goes this route, especially if it's for financial reasons; you do what you can do.

3. Casual kilts: All three of my kilts are casual kilts. 5-6 yards of 13 oz wool, machine sewn, and they work just fine for me. I'm not sure a 16oz 9 yard tank hanging on my skinny waist would look good or even be practical. I essentially have no hips and that's a lot of weight and fabric to hang from my waist with no hip support.

4. Bargains: They're out there, you just need to look. My first kilt was an incredible bargain. Custom made kilt that the buyer had paid for and never picked up. The retailer just wanted to get rid of it (it being an uncommon size) and I got it for $100 USD. It is well made, fits well, and has picked up a stain here and there and moth hole or two along the way, but I like these battle scars and in a sentimental way it's my favorite kilt.

5. 38R's are everywhere: I guess I need to look a little harder. I'm a 38 R/L (depends on the manufacturer) and I don't see them too often. Most everything is 40 or above. That being said, I did score a deal on Etsy for a 38R tweed kilt jacket in near perfect condition. Probably vintage late 60's or early 70's judging by the design of the label sewn inside. $75 USD included shipping from the UK.

6. Speaking of shipping... A few years ago I ordered lederhose from a shop in Vienna. I put the order in Sunday night (monday morning their time) and Fedex delivered it Thursday afternoon. And that was not expedited shipping. I also recently ordered from Kinnaird in Canada and got the package in four days, and Canada Post is not known for their speed, especially when the US is the destination. The above mentioned jacket from the UK also got to my local post office quickly, but they sat on it for 5 days before delivering it.

7. HoE Argylls in peat etc... They are everywhere now. It seems to me that many highland wear retailers are now carrying HoE jackets and vests as their default offering, whereas before it was Gaelic Themes. I might be wrong on this though, because I spend more time on piping supply websites and they're all about Gaelic Themes apparel, maybe because the lower cost appeals to bands. But I might be wrong on this also.

That's all. Carry on...

[jsrnephdoc]

One difference between Lochcarron and House of Edgar is that fabric from HoE is coated in Teflon (making it stain repelling).

If you're in or near SF, a visit to Wm Glen & Son might be fun. They do Scots Whisky tastings as well as offering made to measure kilts using cloth from pretty much all the premier mills in Scotland. I don't know whether they sew them themselves or import them from a house that sews them in the UK.

Regarding the yardage of cloth in your kilts: one thing I like about St. Kilda kilts is that they actually indicate approximately how many yards of fabric are required for a kilt, based on body size (and incrementally priced accordingly).