Hand Tailored

[Jerry]

Welcome to Xmarks. As many have said before. Ordering from most Scottish kilt makers will result in you having a very nice kilt. Just be aware that a lower price does not guarantee that the kilt will be less expensive than purchasing from Barb, Rocky, Matt, or Steve. You will often be hit with high tariffs on this end, and some shippers, most notably FEDEX add their own fees for collecting the tariffs and doing the paperwork. So a kilt which you thought was going to cost $400 might end up being closer to $600.

[RockyR]

In no way did I mean to discredit the fine, hard-working craftsmen who work wonders with a sewing machine. I was, however, suggesting that context means something, cautioning that language can be used to mislead, and that a buyer should assemble a lot of information in order to make good purchasing decisions.

Regards,
Rex.

agreed... I wasn't trying to "attack" you if that's the way my post reads... I was just clarifying terms used (sometimes loosely) in the "kiltmaking industry".

Sorry if it seemed like I was offended or defensive. I know you're a gentleman and a scholar, Rex.

[Rex_Tremende]

No worries - you should see all the posts I DIDN'T send today in response to other threads! You'd have changed your mind about me.



Rex.

[Phil]

One thing to bear in mind - and it was another member who posted this so I am not claiming any credit - a hand sewn kilt will generally last longer simply because the methos of stitching is different. A machine uses 2 threads in a line of linked loops and if one thread breaks anywhere the whole line of stitching will ribble out whereas hand stitching is a single thread looped through the cloth again and again. If it breaks there may be a small gap which can easily be repaired but it will not run like a machine stitch. Hand made means someone's hands touched it sometime during the manufacturing process, designed in Scotland means it was probably made in Pakistan. A reputable maker will tell you exactly how their kilts are made and should offer you choices depending on the price you want to pay.

[tartanfish]

Thanks guys. I will look into it and post my find. Any word on the Hector Russell company running under the EWM company? I know they have been around for years, just interested in the quality of the product.

[RockyR]

Quality of Hector Russell is very good.

[The Wizard of BC]

I don't want to open a can of worms on this thread but as we are talking about the differences in types of kilts and the stitching I thought this would be a good place to bring this up.

In a Traditional Style Kilt such as Barb T., Kathy Lare, and the Traditional Kiltmaking houses of Scotland do it is not the stitches that makes the Kilt so strong and long lasting.

It is the internal interfacings built into the kilt that gives it its longevity. There is a hair canvas strip sewn in that has the straps and buckles attached to it. You are actually strapping on the interfacing. This allows the outer fabric, the pleats, and their stitching to "float" over your body without pulling or stressing the stitching.

You can hand stitch a kilt without the interfacings and the stress on the pleats will eventual break the thread and cause a failure.

The Casual Style Kilts such as Rocky makes have a different method of strengthening and the Contemporary Styles such as I make use a third, completely different, method to transfer the stresses and keep it off the pleat stitching.

This is my pet peeve with some of the very inexpensive things out there today. There is nothing but the stitching holding the whole thing together. The day to day stress of sitting and moving and soon, in some cases weeks, and the thing starts to come undone. Partly due to the thread breaking and partly due the weakness of the Acrylic fabric that many of them seem to use.

In the sewing world this difference between how garments are constructed is referred to as the difference between a "Made" garment such as blue jeans where the fabric and stitching takes all the stress and a "Tailored" garment such as a suit jacket that has an internal structure to take the stresses.

Blue Jeans are the classic "Made" garment. When first developed there were other makers of almost the same style of trousers. All were using denim because it is cheap and durable. The innovation of the garment we call "Levi's" was the use of rivets to strengthen the stress points. Levi's were originally called "Riveted Overalls". Without the rivets they are just as weak as all their competitors.

So back to the original idea of this thread "Hand Sewn" should actually be called "Tailored". If a maker is relying on their stitching and the strength of the fabric to take up the stress of daily wear it is probably a less expensive and will not last near as long.
The added, and hidden, advantage of "Tailored" is Pleat Swish. Those of you with Traditional Style Kilts will know that the swish of a "Tailored" garment is wonderful when compared with a "Made" one.

I'm off my soap box now.

[tartanfish]

Thanks for the support

[Nick Fiddes]

I'd add that hand-sewn is not necessarily better. Some people prefer the more 'natural' uneven-ness that comes with a totally hand-stitched garment. Others prefer the more precise lines that 'hand-machined' sewing gives (and with these garments there are always at least fiddly bits done by hand). Both involve lots of expertise and lots of effort (when done properly). But the finished result is largely a matter of taste. That's why on most of our kilts we offer the option of either, so the purchaser can specify their preference.

[The Wizard of BC]

Nick, can you expand on the statement - the more 'natural' uneven-ness that comes with a totally hand-stitched garment.

I'm not sure what you are referring to.