Questioning thoughts

[RockyR]

Some things are worth saving up for... the difficulty is that we live in a society which is prone to the demands of instant gratification, hence the availability of cheap (and sometimes shoddy) merchandise. In this instance one may be gratified by the acquisition of a cheap kilt, but is unlikely to be gratified by the possession of a cheap kilt. However, the desire that spurred the initial purchase remains and often leads to the purchase of yet another cheap item which in the long term still results in disappointment with the possession.

In an age where many people feel entitled to much, and responsible for little, the demand for gratification seems to outstrip the concept of true value-- be it in the construction of a kilt, or the quality of a meal.

I, for one, would never tell anyone to buy a cheap kilt because, at least in my opinion, that is bad advice. I would tell them to save up to buy a good kilt-- or a good sporran, or what ever it is that they feel they need at the moment -- because that will give them the sort of gratification/satisfaction that only comes from having "earned" something which is perceived to be of value.

I would also remind people that if you have one good kilt you only need two sporrans and two jackets to go on a pub crawl, be a guest at a wedding, or attend a formal event. Since the kilt is the lynch-pin of Highland attire, it makes sense to save up and buy a good one.

While I agree that more gratification is received from a nicer garment, I do not agree that a less expensive garment is "unlikely" to give the wearer gratification. So long as the product is accurately described at time of purchase, I think that the end user will be happy with their purchase. It's when their expectations are set too high (falsely, either by their own fault or by the fault of the seller) when they are disappointed.

By the logic you listed above, most people on this board (myself included) would not own a kilt. While at my previous job (making $30 K per year), spending $500 + on a kilt was out of the realm of financial responsibility. I wanted to "try" wearing a kilt in a few different scenarios before investing a large portion of my hard earned money on it (pretty much a week's pay at that point). If I was told that I needed to buy a $500 kilt (and didn't see a less expensive alternative), I would have been put off from kilt wearing altogether and never have purchased any.

Now, I own 40+ kilts (and HAVE OWNED over 80 in my 7 years wearing them), the majority of which are 8 Yard Wool kilts. Do I still wear my Casual, "contemporary" and other models? Yes, when the occasion requires something less formal or it may "get dirty". Do I cherish my 8 Yard Wool kilts? Yes. Would I ever have gotten to cherish them were it not for my less expensive entry? No.

As I have told everyone who has asked my opinion, "buy the best kilt you can afford and you won't be disappointed."

To equate this argument to vehicles (this is NOT a debate on which vehicle is better or worse, just used to prove a point)...

You should ONLY buy a Rolls Royce as it's the top car in class (in many people's opinion).

What if you need to tow someone else's car... would you use the Rolls or a tow truck?
What if you need to haul mulch, would you use the Rolls or a pickup?
What if your salary is that of an average citizen. Should you buy the Rolls if you can't then afford to eat or would you buy a "Taurus" or "Cobalt"?
What if you drive 6 hours per day and put 40,000 miles on your car per year. Would you buy the Rolls or a smaller less expensive car that was better on gas?

For me, the Rolls Royce would be for nicer occasions. I'm not saying ONLY for nice occasions, but I would have ANOTHER vehicle for other purposes.

Would I have to save up for it? Yes. Should I NOT buy another car in the meantime while I'm saving? No.

My $.02