Change in SportKilt Design?

[Riverkilt]

Went back over our last thread about SportKilt but thought this was different enough for a new thread. There was one comment on the old thread about their SportKilt looking good.

Saw a Marine Corps Tartan SportKilt at the Flagstaff Highland Games last weekend. Instead of being gathered around the waist like my two SportKilts this had a band around the waist with creased pleats coming down from it. Looked more like a kilt and less like a skirt in back.

The guy wearing it said he didn't pay the extra for sewn down pleats, it just came that way.

Anyone know if there's been a change. That waist band instead of gather and the creased pleats made it look a lot better than the old gathered waist versions of SportKilt.

Interestingly, I took my Macdonald tartan SportKilt for my lady to wear at the games. She declined and bought herself a UK olive original instead.

And, before the games were over they young man in the Marine tartan SportKilt was wearing a new Utilikilt.

Also noticed the fabric in the SportKilt Marine Corps tartan was MUCH lighter than the swatch they sent me with my earlier orders, also much lighter than the wool Marine Corps tartans you see. Guessing they changed vendors for that tartan.

Anyway. I was impressed with the new look. Anyone know any more??

Ron

[Riverkilt]

Okay, now I see Jimmy's reviews of SportKilt over on the Kiltmaker Reviews forum, but still curious about this change of design, way of sewing, new pattern, new look.

Ron

[Jimmy Carbomb]

I won't go into the changes or the reasons, or the source of the designs... but it's new in certain instances.

It's all for the better for business and the kilt wearers!

[Riverkilt]

Posted this on the Kilt Review board but wanted to share it too. Hope that's okay.

Okay, ordered a Black Stuart SportKilt in XL on 9/30/05. It arrived at my work yesterday ten days later. Had to ship it there since SportKilt only uses airfreight and I didn't want the kids to steal it off my porch.

It arrived NOT reeking of cigarette smoke. So apparently they've eliminated that problem.

Total cost was $138.45 which breaks out to $79.50 USD for the kilt, $10 to lop 2" off the length, $18 to sew the pleats down about 4" from the bottom of the waistband, and $12.00 for five 3" belt loops. Freight was $10.95.

There are 13 pleats on the XL. That compares to 13 pleats on my AmeriKilts, 10 on my Pittsburgh Kilts, and 18 on my Freedom Kilts (not comparing kilts, just pleat counts for my size tail end.

Pleat depth is 2". The stripes on the tartans aren't perfectly lined up where sewn down, but they're no more than 1/8" off and probably not noticeable. The tartans of the belt loops don't match like a hand sewn traditional of course.

Hard for me to figure the sett size, seems about 4 1/2", large enough it doesn't look like shirt or dress size tartan.

Material is a lightweight "poly blend" that they reccomend dry cleaning but say you can wash. Think that's a lawyers run the world statment.

They supply some extra velcro incase you need it to adjust things at the waist.

The SportKilt business card they enclose says "Handmade" but it sure looks like machine stitching to me. Not sure what they're referring to.

I compared this new version SportKilt with my two others back before they offered belt loops, custom length, and sewn down pleats. Both my older SportKilts have 15 gathers that would be pleats if they were pleated. I have sewn pleats into one myself and it has 15 pleats now.

SportKilt still has a small pocket in the front of the apron that I'm never able to get access to when the velcro is fastened and/or I've a belt on.

Having the two older SportKilts that I paid $102 and $92 for with freight I think its worth the extra cost to have the SportKilt look more kilt-like.

Its pretty obvious that SportKilt is trying to improve their product. Seems they've done a good job of that. The Black Stuart looks good with black belt and sporran.

I've yet to wash and iron the SportKilt. Seems ironing would be necessary after washing, at least a touch up. We'll see.

Hope to have a pic or two added to my gallery ere long.

Ron

[Archangel]

I've yet to wash and iron the SportKilt. Seems ironing would be necessary after washing, at least a touch up. We'll see.

Hope to have a pic or two added to my gallery ere long.

Ron

I washed mine last week and used your trick of clips and weights as it hung to dry. I used those fold over spring steel paper clips, a whole whack of them. It came out okay.

[bjcustard]

I've got two of the SKs with the new features... a US St Andrews that I wore for the 4th of July, and a Boulder that I had them make from material I sent them (Army digital camo). I do especially like the sewn down pleats. I think that feature is what moves them from the butt-wrap category to the casual kilt category...

While no one would confuse them with my JHiggins tanks, they are worth the $100+ I spent on them, without doubt. Good quality casual wear.

[AckZel]

My first kilt is a SK. I am very satisfied with it. It was good choice to have as the first because of the relativley low price. The DHL delivery to Finland costed a bit too much though. I think i will start to look for a USA Kilts semi-traditional next...

[Riverkilt]

Hey me too. I'm in jones mode for a USA Kilt semi-traditional in Thomson Gray...my first USA Kilt. Expect it to arrive sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving....maybe.....please God....

Looking forward to getting a look at one of them. See how the material compares to the SportKilt....the material, not the kilt...the material...

Ron

[Jerry]

I can't find any pics of the tartaned Sport Kilts, with a rear view to show the pleats, but this is the "Boulder", copied from the Sport Kilt website.

[Riverkilt]

That looks nicer than the early shots I remember...

For the tartan pics check the SportKilt gallery...think its called Wall of Honor or something like that. Have a few pics in my personal gallery too. Link is below.

Washed up the new SportKilt last night, gentle cycle, just a dab of detergent.

Took four hangers to hang it out on the shower rod. Used weighted clips on the pleats, inside and outside pleats. Let it hang dry overnight.

Came out fine. Some of the pleats sort of rounded on the crease a bit, probably will touch up iron it before wearing...something I haven't done in a long time with other kilts...but this poly kilt stuff is pretty new for me....didn't have to worry about the old SportKilts since they were gathered rather than pleated.

Ron