Kilt No.2 (This time it’s too big)

[gsmacleod]

Tartanista, honestly nice quality for the price, I don’t know who RRS are but I do keep an eye out at thrift shops and eBay, hopefully the next kilt will fit so I know my kilt size.

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/123174434262...mis&media=COPY

It seems the price has gone up a bit since I last searched but here's an example of one. Having handled a few acrylic kilts, there is no comparison between the two. I would consider investing a bit more in a wool kilt which will serve you well for years.

Shane

[Father Bill]

So, the question is where to measure for tartanista?

Ask them. Every supplier uses different measuring techniques.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Tartanista, honestly nice quality for the price, I don’t know who RRS are but I do keep an eye out at thrift shops and eBay, hopefully the next kilt will fit so I know my kilt size.

RRS = Royal Regiment of Scotland. These would be proper government issued military kilts.

Cheers,

SM

[Troglodyte]

Tartanista, honestly nice quality for the price, I don’t know who RRS are but I do keep an eye out at thrift shops and eBay, hopefully the next kilt will fit so I know my kilt size.

You do seem to be having bad luck...

RRS is the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and is the now-amalgamated old Highland regiments that were once the Black Watch, Gordons, Seaforths, Camerons, Argylls, etc.

Often now known simply as 'Black Watch' there is an abundance of ex-army kilts available, and plenty always available on eBay at a fraction of the price they would cost to have made new.

Military kilts are made from a heavier (ie, thicker, denser) material, and are made to NATO clothing specifications. There have been several MoD contractors over the years, and I believe the current RRS kilts are still made by Glenisla Kilts in Scotland.

The useful this with ex-army kilts, is that the usually have a label giving valuable and useful information - waist, breach or seat, height and length given in metric measures - so you can usually find a near exact fit for you. You need to take exact measurements of your own height, waist, breach (around the widest part of your hips and backside) and the distance from to top of where you want to kilt to be, and to the knee.

Known also as Government No. 1, Black Watch is probably the most common tartan to be found with ex-army kilts, but others are also readily available. Army-Surplus stores often have a selection available.

A Google search reveals several kilt outlets in London, all within a couple of Tube stops from each other, and Moss Bros. has a hire service at their branches. My recommendation would be to pay a visit to any one of these and get a proper measurement taken - and go on you kilt-hunt armed with it.

As a guide, now retailing at £60+ per yard (now sold in metres, of course) for the tartan cloth, it is easy to work out what a seven to eight yard 'full' kilt is likely to cost if made up new. This will also give you a good idea of what bargains second-hand kilts can be, especially if you can get hold of a non-issued ex-army kilt.

[AmateurKiltsmen]

You do seem to be having bad luck...

RRS is the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and is the now-amalgamated old Highland regiments that were once the Black Watch, Gordons, Seaforths, Camerons, Argylls, etc.

Often now known simply as 'Black Watch' there is an abundance of ex-army kilts available, and plenty always available on eBay at a fraction of the price they would cost to have made new.

Military kilts are made from a heavier (ie, thicker, denser) material, and are made to NATO clothing specifications. There have been several MoD contractors over the years, and I believe the current RRS kilts are still made by Glenisla Kilts in Scotland.

The useful this with ex-army kilts, is that the usually have a label giving valuable and useful information - waist, breach or seat, height and length given in metric measures - so you can usually find a near exact fit for you. You need to take exact measurements of your own height, waist, breach (around the widest part of your hips and backside) and the distance from to top of where you want to kilt to be, and to the knee.

Known also as Government No. 1, Black Watch is probably the most common tartan to be found with ex-army kilts, but others are also readily available. Army-Surplus stores often have a selection available.

A Google search reveals several kilt outlets in London, all within a couple of Tube stops from each other, and Moss Bros. has a hire service at their branches. My recommendation would be to pay a visit to any one of these and get a proper measurement taken - and go on you kilt-hunt armed with it.

As a guide, now retailing at £60+ per yard (now sold in metres, of course) for the tartan cloth, it is easy to work out what a seven to eight yard 'full' kilt is likely to cost if made up new. This will also give you a good idea of what bargains second-hand kilts can be, especially if you can get hold of a non-issued ex-army kilt.

Thanks for the advice but as a person who is also into surplus, I first thought that uniforms were not government issued, it’s up to the SM to get it made, they get given some money to spend on uniforms.

Also and probably more important, is I can never find milsurp in my size, if it is, the price is extortionate, I had to get one of my pieces tailored and it wasn’t really cheap, doesn’t seem to be a good deal at that point, also my milsurp isn’t that impressive and if anything feels a bit cheap.

I mean I will keep a look out but a custom kilt is something I’ve always wanted since I was a kid, and is a bucket list item, hence it probably isn’t going to happen for a while now, even owning and wearing a kilt was a bucket list item for me.

[Troglodyte]

Thanks for the advice but as a person who is also into surplus, I first thought that uniforms were not government issued, it’s up to the SM to get it made, they get given some money to spend on uniforms.

Also and probably more important, is I can never find milsurp in my size, if it is, the price is extortionate, I had to get one of my pieces tailored and it wasn’t really cheap, doesn’t seem to be a good deal at that point, also my milsurp isn’t that impressive and if anything feels a bit cheap.

I mean I will keep a look out but a custom kilt is something I’ve always wanted since I was a kid, and is a bucket list item, hence it probably isn’t going to happen for a while now, even owning and wearing a kilt was a bucket list item for me.

This is the sort of thing I mean - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166305978854

These are the current issue kilts for Royal Regiment of Scotland, and will be made to NATO clothing quality specification.

People like to criticise army surplus, but military kilts have always been made from a thicker and tougher cloth, and are intended for rough handling by non-caring squaddies.

This listing has a number of sizes - you might find yours is there - and for the price they are a real bargain. To have the same kilt made new, to your own measurements, you should expect to pay about four times the amount.

As for the source of British army surplus, they come courtesy of the Ministry of Defence from regimental stores. They can be anything from 'returned to stores' clear-out, to excess new stock - but are all genuine ex-British Army. The older kilts will often have the regiment names on the label, so you need have no worries about authenticity.

You have suggested you are in south London (or somewhere in the region) so popping up to town, I feel, would be well worth your effort. Highland Store on Holborn looks like most of the Highland retailers and kilt-hire outlets up here in Scotland, and their range of off-the-peg kilts and jackets looks like you would have no trouble in finding the correct size and fit with a bit of try-on fun.