New IOS Kilt from Woollen Mills, a review

[jmercier]

So a few months ago I ordered an "of the shelf" Isle of Skye tartan kilt from http://www.woollenmill.co.uk/

After ordering it, I was contacted and informed that they were out of the IoS tartan and that it would be a bit before they received their next delivery from Marton Mills. They use, for their off the shelf model, 13oz Marton Mills fabric.

I got notified last Thursday that they had created and shipped my kilt, and today it arrived!




It came double bagged inside two heavy duty plastic mailing bags.

This is how it looked upon being removed from the bag.



To my surprise they gave me a free set of IoS flashes along with the kilt, that was a very nice gesture.



There were no basting stitches, but the pleats were in perfect condition right out of the bag, as was the apron, with no major discernible wrinkles. Just a few minor ones.




The quality of workmanship is excellent, the buckles are good quality, the leather straps are hefty duty. The pair of belt loops in the back and the places the buckles are attached are made with tartan matching the sett at that point. Little details like the corner of the under apron being angled up so that when you sit it doesn't hang out when you sit down. The edge of the apron is nicely triple fringed, and the fit is perfect. This is certainly the highest quality "off the shelf" kilt I've ever seen, and if I didn't know it was "off the shelf" (despite their having had to make one particularly for me) I'd have been none the wiser as to if I had ordered a custom made (albeit machine sewn) kilt of the same style.

Here's the picture of it worn, along with my gorgeous FB beaver fur sporran, sorry it's so fuzzy but it's hard to get pictures of oneself. Also I know that my belt is crooked, but I didn't want to straighten it and take another.