Why hand-sewn?

[Schultz]

So the major difference is not "real", per se, but mostly perception? Why is it more satisfying to have a kilt made from a "certified Scottish kilt maker" than any other tailor? Is it more satisfying to have a pair of blue-jeans that are made in America than those made in Canada or China? Overall, wouldn't the quality of a machine stitched garment be superior, or at least more uniform than that of something done by a person?

This is just me, but it would seem that it all boils down to "bragging rights"...

It's far more than bragging rights. There truly is a difference in quality. No matter how well a garment is machine sewn, there are definitely little things that a properly trained tailor (or, in this case, kilt maker) can do that with a needle and thread by hand that simply makes a garment fit better than if its done by hand.

For one thing, in kiltmaking, the stitching of the fell can (and should!) look invisible with a handsewn, something that's impossible with a machine sewn garment. The pulling and skewing that comes with properly shaping a kilt can't really be done while using a machine. It would at least take the same amount of time and probably be more difficult with a machine.

I have a number of hand tailored garments aside from kilts that make most everything else I have pale in comparison in quality, sustainability, and comfort. There really is a difference, but also only if you care about such things. I'm one of those people who does, unfortunately, for my bank account! ;)

[David Dalglish]

Yeh--Bragging Rights--Its nice to say your kilt is hand sewn, but its more than that, your hand sewn kilt has been given the personal touch that a machine sewn one does not

[RockyR]

For one thing, in kiltmaking, the stitching of the fell can (and should!) look invisible with a handsewn, something that's impossible with a machine sewn garment. The pulling and skewing that comes with properly shaping a kilt can't really be done while using a machine. It would at least take the same amount of time and probably be more difficult with a machine.

I have to disagree with you there. You CAN machine sew a kilt (a mojority of it anyway) so that you don't see any stitches and taper it properly... When we sew our Premiers, we sew the pleats INSIDE OUT so that none of the stitches show. It's just takes a lot of time and pinning to get each pleat right. If you TOPSTITCH a kilt (like we do with our other models), you CAN see the stitching.

As per a discussion I had with Barb Tewksbury a couple weeks ago... it takes her about 20 hours or so to hand sew an 8 yard kilt. It takes us about the same ammount of time to machine and hand sew it so that you don't see any stitches.

[Schultz]

Rocky,

I stand corrected then. However, you are the only kiltmaker I've ever come across who machine sews pleats like that and, as you said, it takes quite some time to do so.

As for practicality, I wear my hand sewn (as in sewn by MY own hand) Stuart of Bute to do just about everything in, much to the chagrin of my mother who is constantly asking me "Aren't you afraid of messing it up?". I've changed a tire in it, pulled weeds in it, etc.

People wear clothes for a variety of reasons and practicality is just one of them. Do you not pick out certain clothes for their color, pattern, slogan emblazoned on it, what have you? I don't espouse the idea that form must follow function, because function (aka practicality) is a form of its own.

If you're feeling masochistic, wade through any of the writings of Claude Levi-Strauss on structualism, or, better yet, look for "In Small Things Forgotten" by Jim Deetz. Before reading Deetz, I was a die hard processualist (form follows function) archaeology student, who, I must confess, didn't "get" Levi-Strauss because I was reading a translation from an already dense French. Deetz opened my eyes to a whole new world and one that I've carried over into my everyday life, especially in the how and why of clothing.

But I digress. So long as those of us who prefer a handsewn garment from a trained professional don't look down on those who prefer a machine sewn one, who cares? I've been through this time and time again with fanatic homebrewers who are so in love with real ale that they can practically look with scorn on a fellow who just might like a pint of Budweiser every now and again (such as myself). Arrogance is the enemy here, not who sews your kilt and how!