The Craftsman versus the Industrial Complex

[DWFII]

No... it's not a contradiction.

There are 2 'schools of thought' on the issue.

1. There are those who think, as you do, 'budget kilts will kill the traditional kilt market'. (poor investment of funds, rising material costs, and 'cheap' customers are much bigger factors)

2. There are others who think 'Budget kilts are a gateway to buying a nice wool kilt'.

I don't doubt that budget kilts can be a gateway. But I can tell you from forty years of experience and a library full of books on the subject that there are not "2 schools of thought". Or if there are it makes no difference to the ultimate outcome.

Your customers represent only a subset of the necessary demand to keep a woolen mill in business. And of your customers, the ones who upgrade are only a smaller sub-set.

What's more, again drawing from an industry wide experience, as well as comments made on this forum and others, most people won't upgrade. Perhaps they start out determined to buy a better kilt next time. But in fact, I suspect that fully 80% of those will eventually abandon kilt wearing altogether or justify the wearing of MUGs as a "living tradition" or an "evolution" of kilt traditions or simply as "affordable."

The fact is that out and abroad, to the extent that PV has become more prevalent...in suits, kilts, all sorts of stuff, woolen mills have lost business.

Mind you, I wouldn't mind a 16 or 18 ounce PV or PV/wool mix kilt in MacQueen, myownself..

But there's more to it than just the shrinking demand. What happens to all the skilled weavers who know how to set up a loom for wool? Or the dyers? Or the people who bring unique skills to the making of Traditional wool kilts?

They get laid off, that's what. And once they are gone those skills and that knowledge never come back...or only with the greatest of difficulty.

I saw a post...didn't read it...saying that Locharran had been sold to Koreans.

What do you think they wanted it for? To put traditional tartan kilts on Koreans? Or for its money making abilities?

Sure, they'll run it with the current staff...for a while. And then the economies of scale will kick in and more and more of the process will be mechanized and dumbed down. PV will become the staple fabric within a generation...we'll all have our 16 ounce poly viscose kilts in a plethora of tartans. For a while. And then perhaps acrylic will be introduced or more obscure tartans will be dropped from the line. What cultural connections do the Korean owners have with the Traditional and history of Scotland?

Locharran is a cash-cow that will be milked until dry ...just like so many other great Traditional industries. The Koreans aren't doing anything that the Chinese aren't doing. That American aren't doing.

And to the extent that woolen mills remain in the hands of their Traditional owners/cultures and follow traditional practices, the price will skyrocket. As it has been doing.

Where's the gateway then?

Once upon a time bespoke, handmade shoes were the only available option. And were, within reason, affordable to all but the poorest. Today bespoke handmade shoes can easily top $1200.00 and many will go in the $5k-$6k range. Yet it is only at that price point that traditional quality...devoid of synthetics, cardboard and expediencies...and anything resembling a true fit, can be had.

It's a brave new world.