first kilt / Flemish tartan

[docBol]

Hello Xmarkers,

Recently I got interested in trying on a kilt, mostly because it looks comfortable for hiking, festivals, .... Except for a few hours in a "stage kilt" (I guess a real kilt is not as flimsy as the thing they had me wearing then) I've got absolutely no experience kilt wise. And because I don't know if i'll like it I'm reluctant to shell out over 100€ just for a try.

Hence are there any kilt brands that can be advised for getting acquainted with kilt wearing at a budget? And are there any kilt-like garments which have pockets?

Secondly A tartan question (the reason for posting in this section):

As I got interested in Kilts / Tartan I started reading up on the history and clan relations with the fabric (that is how I found this forum). Now, I would find it somewhat strange to wear something linked to a specific clan, especially if I don't have any link wit that clan. However I found a rather nice tartan that was created to commemorate Scottish-Flemish relations (I'm of Flemish descent, so that'd be ideal). It's registered as number 2531 under the name Fleming / Frisken / Flanders tartan.

Is there anyone making kilts or other objects (ties, scarfs, ...) in this tartan?
I guess no budget kilt will be available in this tartan (seems to be rare)?

Thank
doc

[Paul Henry]

As someone who is very fond of Belgium, and regards the city of Gent as almost a second home, I can understand why you might want to wear something connected to your history as well. Getting hold of the Flanders tartan won't be difficult but it's likely to be a special weave so consequently expensive as well, but it is something I've been thinking of for a while myself, so who knows perhaps we can join forces!
There are a number of budget kilts available, but as you have found out , they won't be the same a proper full kilt, but they would at least give you a feel , they are generally available in a limited range of open or unrestricted tartans, but it's a start. You haven't said where you are so it's not so easy to give advice on where to get one, but you might end up working online.
And welcome to the forum!

[docBol]

Just an extra bit of information, I'm located in Flanders, so euro-based shops are preferred. In my search I ended up in quite a lot of us based shops, of which one sport a logo quite similar to the Flemish lion (sportkilt). They say their logo was inspired by the Scottish lion flag

[Paul Henry]

The only shop in Belgium that I know is Great Scotland do you know it?

[Grizzly]

eBay will sort you out a budget kilt for less than £50 (gbp) lots of generic / district tartans to choose from.

However if you want to eventually have that truly heirloom quality kilt then you have to look no further than Paul Henry (posted above) a superb kiltmaker who will be making one for me in the near future.

[docBol]

The only shop in Belgium that I know is Great Scotland do you know it?

Yes, that is one of the first online stores I found, next to Large.nl (which sells 3 kilts, but they look like party-favours).

Great Scotland is a respectable drive away (1.5h, located just on the dutch border) but a definite option.

I'm considering just buying online unless I'd find a shop somewhat closer to either Leuven or Bruges

[docBol]

Thanks for the tips, but for now, I'm just looking into getting acquainted with the garment.

I'm really surprised that none of the shops found online offers a selection of kilts in "national" tartans, either is a real kilt quality or budget-line. I'd guess that other people like me just looking into trying one would realy like that, especially if they don't really know which fabric to chose.

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, docBol, and welcome to X Marks. I had a look at the GreatScotland website and, frankly, I was disappointed. I think you could access a far greater range of tartans and styles of kiltmaking by looking across the sea to Britain itself.
Paul Henry will make you a kilt having given you a choice of tartans, kilt styles and other possibilities.
You could go on the internet to Scotweb, which also gives you a wide range of choices.
And there are other kiltmakers you could try, including Lady Chrystel in Savoie.
I like your idea of having a kilt made in the Fleming/Frisken/Flanders tartan, but it might be hard to obtain.
There are (by my count) five registered tartans with a Belgian connection, but of them three are for specific families, one is for the Flaumandrum Pipe Band and the last is a fashion sett sold in Belgium called Satisfashion Argyll (which is also marketed in the Netherlands).
You will find any number of universal setts, but most of them have some kind of Scottish connection – you may be drawn to them, or you may feel that you would rather find something different.
The colours of the Belgian flag appear in the Germany tartan, but that also may be hard to source, and may perhaps not be to your liking. Perhaps more suitable would be the Coburg tartan, which has a connection with the Belgian royal family.
Since Congo-Kinshasa (the former Zaïre) was a Belgian colony, you might be interested in the tartan based on its flag, called Democratic Republic of the Congo. You will find an illustration here: http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=5883 It is marketed in South Africa by Tartans4Africa, who supplied me with both my current kilts. If they still have it in stock, it will be in 13oz wool.
Perhaps Fleming/Frisken/Flanders is the best choice for you after all. If you get in touch with the House of Edgar (they have a website), they may have sufficient material in stock.
I hope you find a tartan that pleases you and a kilt style that suits your pocket. It would be great to have you join the kilted Rabble.
Groete uit Suid-Afrika,
Mike

[Paul Henry]

snip..... of Scottish connection – you may be drawn to them, or you may feel that you would rather find something different.
The colours of the Belgian flag appear in the Germany tartan, but that also may be hard to source, and may perhaps not be to your liking. Perhaps more suitable would be the Coburg tartan, which has a connection with the Belgian royal family.
Since Congo-Kinshasa (the former Zaïre) was a Belgian colony, you might be interested in the tartan based on its flag, called Democratic Republic of the Congo. You will find an illustration here: http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tar....aspx?ref=5883 It is marketed in South Africa by Tartans4Africa, who supplied me with both my current kilts. If they still have it in stock, it will be in 13oz wool.
....
snip

I'm amazed,amused,and horrified as well, at these suggestions, knowing many Belgians, and quite a lot of their history, neither of these suggestions would go down terrribly well with almost all the Belgians that I know!

[Mike_Oettle]

While the suggestions might horrify you, Paul, I mentioned the Germany tartan specifically because it has the same colours as the Belgian flag. It is not yet well established as a symbol of Germany as a nation, and would not, I think, be associated with the German regimes of 1914-18 and 1939-45. This is particularly so because neither of those regimes used the black, red and gold flag of German democracy, but instead used different interpretations of the colours black, red and white.
The Congo tartan may or may not be appropriate, but despite the negative aspects of the colonial regime and the similarly negative aspects of the post-colonial regime, there are Belgians living in South Africa who look back fondly to their years in that part of Africa.
You refer to two suggestions, so clearly you are overlooking my mention of the Coburg tartan.
The tartan was devised in 1819 to capitalise on the connection with Princess Victoria of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, Duchess of Kent, whose daughter Victoria became Queen in 1837. The Coburg connection goes back even earlier, to the marriage of Princess Charlotte (daughter of George IV) to Leopold of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha – who, following Charlotte’s death in childbirth, became the first King of the Belgians.
The Coburg tartan later became strongly associated with Germany (being regarded until the registration of the Germany tartan in 2006 as a district tartan for Germany) after Prince Alfred, Victoria’s second son, became reigning duke of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha.
But I would argue that it can legitimately be seen as symbolising the Belgian royal house.
Regards,
Mike