With all the wonderful lovely tartans out there, all the kilts I would LOVE to have, it's a bit galling to have to put in an order for a new kilt in a tartan I don't care for in the least.

Why would I have to do such a thing??

The story is that we're forming a new Pipe Band, and one of the most daunting expenses of a new band is a set of kilts. We did what bands in our position often do: buy a used set of kilts from another band.

The tartan is Prince Charles Edward Stuart, which I've never cared for. It's basically Royal Stewart, which is nice, but having the nice large vacant red areas reduced to mere stripes, resulting in a crowded or congested tartan which sort of reminds me of an old TV test pattern.

Anyhow the used kilts from the other band all came, are in remarkably good condition, and are in a decent range of sizes. BUT there are a couple of us which need to order new kilts, as none of the old ones will fit us. I'm one of these persons... so just this afternoon I phoned in an order for a brand-spankin' new kilt in a tartan which I NEVER would have ordered under normal circumstances.

(BTW the tartan is 13oz from HOE.)