so this is what we've come to? (Prince Charlie)

[KiltFitz]

I will grant- the retailers of kilts and accessories have changed the way they sell. Their numbers have increased and they can't be relied on any more as guardians of good taste. Good taste always has been a small market, relative to the vast majority of consumers. But the rest of it- the downward spiral of pricing and quality, the expansion of what is considered correct, the increasing number of sad missteps- isn't that just the nature of democracy? Look again at Cab Calloway's white tailcoat and then at your average teenaged lout. What makes a person look better than most is that the others look worse.

This is what I find sad because as an industry, kilt outlets used to be regarded as trustworthy purveyors of advice as well as garments. The experience being more like visiting a tailor who could tell you what suited you and how to look your best rather than a high street clothes store with fast-moving target-driven staff, who will say anything to achieve a sale. Admittedly, this is mostly the case with the newer, cheaper hire outlets but a number of the long established companies have followed suit rather than promote their expertise in quality and reliability.

I am amazed at the poor value that most hire outlets offer - I simply can not imagine any other product which you hire for less than 0.5% of its useful life, yet pay around a fifth of its brand new retail value. The only way that this can be achieved is by downgrading the product and hoodwinking the customer about quality. And yet, I see hire companies closing down all around me now so perhaps the bottom has finally fallen out of the industry. Unfortunately, the poor quality products have been left behind to haunt us.

Ok, so some people will always spend lots of money on expensive designer garments as a status symbol but that doesn't mean the only other option should be tat. That isn't a situation reflected in any other area of the fashion industry. High quality garments can be produced on a large scale - army kilts and sporrans are a good example of that.

(Just trying to imagine if Cab Calloway had performed in highland dress - that would have been some outfit, I'll bet.)