Kilts with fringe around the apron?

**Kizmet** · 24th June 06, 07:52 PM

This was in today's local paper. The picture of the kilted young man with the frizbee isn't as clear here, but the larger pic in today's paper edition shows that the kilt apron is fringed down the side.

I've not seen this before, but I'm still a newbie in the land o'kilts.

Is fringe on the apron just another style?

**Southern Breeze** · 24th June 06, 08:12 PM

I'm no expert but all of the traditional styled ones I've seen have a fringe on the apron.
The kilt in the pic looks a little long to me.

**Chris Webb** · 24th June 06, 08:17 PM

SportKilt offers this feature ... for a price. I've got one other kilt with fringe down the side. Personally, I think it just one more way to get $12 more out of me. LOL!!

Chris Webb

**Prester John** · 24th June 06, 08:23 PM

I confess I've never seen a kilt with fringe on the bottom. Mine has fringe on the apron edge, but not the bottom.

What was the caption to this photo?

**Scott Gilmore** · 24th June 06, 08:45 PM

Looks more like a sarong than a kilt.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

**James** · 24th June 06, 10:06 PM

Not relevant as he's wearing a skirt.

James

**MacWage** · 24th June 06, 10:15 PM

If kilt (not skirt)->
Possibly Rocky's lazy man kilt:

The Casual (or Philabeg) Kilt by USA Kilts (see above link)

http://www.usakilts.com/casual_kilts.php

From that pic (on thread), I'm not sure of anything!

**Kizmet** · 25th June 06, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by Prester John

I confess I've never seen a kilt with fringe on the bottom. Mine has fringe on the apron edge, but not the bottom.

What was the caption to this photo?

Just the name of the kilted men at a local concert. In the article, it said that the young men were introduced to kilts by their youth minister who is from Scotland.

As to the young woman in the background, she is wearing a swimsuit. The concert was held at a local swim park.

**GlassMan** · 26th June 06, 01:15 PM

Boy are my personality traits showing. I didn't even realize that there was a girl in the background until you guys mentioned it!

I'd say that the young man holding the frisbee is wearing a table cloth. It's looks horrible. And from the picture I can't tell if there's a fringe or not.

Now what did catch my eye was the posterior of the young man in the foreground. At least his garment has proper pleating for true kilt. But as it's a rear view, we can't tell anything about the apron.

Now, as for my kilts I can almost compare prices based on the apron fringe. The most expensive kilt in my closet has 3 fringes on the right side. The mid level kilts have 2 fringes. The affordable kilts have one fringe.

And final the cheapo things that I've received as presents or the SportKilts that I have in case the temperature get's too awful have no fringe at all.

**MacWage** · 26th June 06, 05:36 PM

Fringes are extremely common on the side of the modern traditional kilt (traditional kilts made today). Making them is not hard, just a pain in the BUTT! It is supposed to "simulate" the frayed, unfinished/unhemmed edges on the old belted plaid.

Many associate this fringe with the quality of the kilt it is on. The assumption is: The more fringe, the better the kilt.

BUT, this is not true! A really good kilt can have one layer of fringe (or none!) and a crap kilt could have three or four. Many kiltmakers (especially manufacturers-NOT ARTISTS) use fringe to hide/distract from shotty construction. First and foremost, look at the construction itself, especially the shaping, stitching, and how the striping lines up horizontally.

Many VERY GOOD kiltmakers use one layer of fringe (the layer that IS the apron). The other layers are other scraps sown onto the real kilt apron.
Some of the VERY BEST kiltamkers use NO FRINGE AT ALL!!!!!

Indeed, one of the best kiltmakers on this forum, the ever wise and helpful Matt Newsome, in decribing the features of his kilts, even says on HIS WEBSITE: "I put no fringe on the apron edge, as the earliest tailored kilts did not have a fringe, and it serves no real purpose."

I, personally, am not a fan of fringe of ANY kind. I was one of those who cut fringe and tassels OFF of stuff. While others are asking how to make them, I am removing them. Therefore, the kilts I make are fringeless, just because of my tastes (or lack thereof). I even attempted to make one, finished it, didn't like it, and cut it off.

All of this is saying:
Judge not a kilt by the amount of its fringe, but by the quality of its construction.

(My appologies to my severe slaughtering of a great historic quote

)