Hands Aff Oor Kilts!

[McClef]

Unless you either require cheap kilts to bear the term "piece of crap" (or some other sabotage in label form) or put up billboards all along the mile explaining that kilts without the seal and "scottish kilt" label are actually cheap pakistani pseudo-kilts and and that they should be avoided because yadda yadda yadda, most uninformed gold brothers customers will probably never know no matter how many rules and regulations there are.

Nobody thinks it is easy and there are limits on being able to do this kind of thing - Golds themselves tried leafleting outside the Weaving exhibition and were soon stamped down on. What one company is permitted to say about another could soon lead to lawsuits about defamation, restriction of trade etc. It would be unlikely that such a plethora of public notices would be allowed from a city council that will give you a parking ticket in seconds but seemingly let GB do what they want. The good shops could have some educational material in their windows of course, providing it is to do with warnings about certain types of kilt product without naming names...

I'm sorry but I really do think it is time that the likes of Mr Nicholsby grasp reality and start importing the same tartan tat for sale in their shops alongside the genuine article. That way they would at least be able to offer what many at the "bottom-end" of the market are after and perhaps use the opportunity for some education about genuine kilts at the same time. Who knows, that customer may return later for the real thing.

One of the arguments made has been that a cheapie might be a good way of trying out a kilt and inspiring a later purchase of a good quality one. I have argued that there should be choices of off the peg kilts available in such establishments as Howie's at cheaper prices. But I would be surprised indeed if they would have the same tat in their shops. If they believe that such kilts are potentially dangerous to begin with and they feel they have standards to maintain and don't want to be linked with the tat I can't see them descending to the level of GB. That isn't to say that they can't do something with off the peg that doesn't compromise their standards.

As for trying to enact some form of "passing-off" or "palming-off" legislation, you can be sure the likes of the Gold Bros have not got where they are by troubling themselves too much over such niceties and will devise some dodge such as "labelled in Scotland" or "unwrapped in Scotland". None of the reputable kiltmakers endorsed on this site need to resort to such underhand practices. Everyone knows their products and they don't make out they are Scottish (unless they are) so it would make no difference to them anyway.

With tight enough labelling legislation and advertising legislation they would at least find it much harder. GB have got where they are because of the lack of it. At least on this site people have the information they need to make an informed choice and a better understanding of what they are buying.