What is the best place to buy a bespoke military style kilt?

[Patty Logan]

Hi there kilt and military aficionados!

I'm looking at getting a new kilt, after careful consideration i like to the look of "modern" military style kilts.
Where is the best place to get one made? I'm looking for a maker that can take my clan tartan preferably and build a kilt to military standards and traditions.

Thx!

[Father Bill]

You're pretty close to one of our sponsors, Burnett & Struth in Barrie, and they make them all the time from what I understand.

[OC Richard]

Be aware that the traditional Scottish military Other Ranks kilts were made from a distinctive fabric.

It was heavier than the civilian heavyweight fabric.

It had a curious and unique surface feel and look, being a bit fuzzier and more blanket-like that civilian kilting cloth.

The various tartans were made to larger sett sizes than I usually saw in examples of the same tartans woven for civilian use.

House Of Edgar offers these military-style tartans. I had a kilt made in Royal Stewart and the HoE fabric was a dead-ringer for the RS kilts I saw worn by pipers of The Black Watch.

Regimental Tartans - House of Edgar

As for the kilts themselves, if you want to go all-out for the traditional Other Ranks style you would observe these details

1) a 4-inch rise rather than the 2-inch rise usually seen on civilian kilts.

2) herringbone twill grass-green binding around the top.

3) no fringe.

4) the distinctive stamped black sheet-metal two-prong army buckles, on thin black-treated canvas tabs.

I have some of those buckles I will re-gift you if you want to go all-out for authenticity.

As for who to make such a kilt, I think most if not all traditional kiltmakers could do it.

The only thing is finding the binding. When I ordered a military-style RS kilt from HoE they didn't have the binding so they bound the top with green wool fabric which looked great.

Now if you want a Seaforth, Argyll, or Cameron kilt those are box-pleated and not all kiltmakers do those.







Here's a closeup of the box pleats on a Cameron Highlanders kilt.

[Patty Logan]

Now if you want a Seaforth, Argyll, or Cameron kilt those are box-pleated and not all kiltmakers do those

Traditional or military box pleats?

[plaid preacher]

If I were looking for something like that I would probably go to Robert Macdonald of Westcoast Kilts. He's a former Seaforths officer and does a lot of kilts for them.

[Patty Logan]

If I were looking for something like that I would probably go to Robert Macdonald of Westcoast Kilts. He's a former Seaforths officer and does a lot of kilts for them.

I watch his videos religiously and after emailing, he told me that his backlog is to big to accept new customers and that i should see around the end of august/beginning of September if it died down enough.

[Micrographia]

Be aware that the traditional Scottish military Other Ranks kilts were made from a distinctive fabric.

It was heavier than the civilian heavyweight fabric.

It had a curious and unique surface feel and look, being a bit fuzzier and more blanket-like that civilian kilting cloth.

Indeed. I have my fathers 1960's era Gordon's kilt and it is a beast compared to modern civilian kilts.

EEM

[Patty Logan]

Indeed. I have my fathers 1960's era Gordon's kilt and it is a beast compared to modern civilian kilts.

Do you have pictures?

[Micrographia]

Sorry, no - away from home on vacation for a few weeks

EEM

[Padraicog]

Hi there kilt and military aficionados!

I'm looking at getting a new kilt, after careful consideration i like to the look of "modern" military style kilts.
Where is the best place to get one made? I'm looking for a maker that can take my clan tartan preferably and build a kilt to military standards and traditions.

Thx!

Try Stirling Tailors: https://stirlingtailors.co.uk