Actually, my point was not to suggest that we all feel sorry for the poor kiltmakers.

Rather, it was to point out that $180 for a Utilikilt was not an outrageous price, considering what you get and who made it. For a custom kilt made in a smaller shop where they don't get discounts for buying 1,000 yards of material at one go, the cost is significantly higher.

BTW, I've seen Utilikilts, and I've seen Freedom Kilts and I've seen R-Kilts up close and personal. I've made a lot of kilts (about 40) both by hand and by machine so I think I'm a reasonable judge. I'll tell you right now that the R Kilt product and the Freedom Kilt product is a much better built, more intricately designed, more detailed piece of kit than the Utilikilt.

I'm not knocking Utilikilts. They are what they are, and kudos to them, but a WHOLE lot more work goes into making the Freedom Kilt and R Kilt product. Thus, they cost a lot more.