I have to say that it is painful to hear someone say the "supposedly low" profits in kiltmaking. As if we're trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes and sneak some profits in there by lying about costs or about how long it takes to make a kilt.

I've been making kilts for many years. I make kilts by hand using traditional methods. I sew fast (ask Steve Ashton - he's watched me make kilts). I do not cut corners in terms of the interior construction that no one can see but that is critical to a kilt that will stand up to years and years of hard wear. I do not cut corners in the tailor basting that helps hold a kilt for proper pressing and shaping. I don't have a standard formula - each kilt is custom designed to the measurements and the person's shape. From the time I open a package of tartan that I've ordered from a mill to the end of removing all the basting, it takes me about 20 hours to make a kilt. Could someone do it faster? Sure. They could take fewer stitches in the pleats. They could be less careful about matching the stripes or making the pleats exactly the right size. They could leave out the tailor basting and interior construction. Could someone do it faster *and* better? To be honest, I would challenge anyone on that point.

I charge $325 plus the cost of the tartan for a kilt. That $325 also includes the cost of buckles, straps, canvas, lining, and thread. So, I'm not actually making $325 profit. It takes me 20 hours to make a kilt - you can do the math to see the fabulous "hidden profits" that I am making in this business....