Hello from Tucson.

[Phil Wright]

Just to give you confidence, I'm 6' 4", 32" waist and I have had so many compliments about a kilt looking good because I 'have the figure for it.'(No offence intended to any others )
I also thought for a while about the contemporary look, but so far I have found people more understanding about the traditional tartan.I know others opinions should not count, but those first few outings really should be a positive experience. I tend to wear the full kit when I do wear it, but lose the belt and hose for thick socks and boots for a more casual feel. As you will notice from many others on the site, there is no such problem as far as 'pretenders' go if you are a kilt-maker as I'm sure they will understand anyone appreciating their work.
I ended up getting a casual kilt. I really fancied a full dress kilt, but expense (and my wife) forbade it. A 4-5 yard casual kilt is quite full and still has a good swing which is really what stops it from looking like a woman's skirt.I can only second the advice about getting what you pay for. If you try an off the peg rather than a measured kilt you don't expect the fit to be as good.
Happy searching. You'll really enjoy it when you finally decide!
Phil

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Welcome to the fray dude.

UtiliKilts / Pittsburgh Kilts / Freedom Kilts / AmeriKilts all offer a nice, plain fabric kilt that will serve you well. Easy to purchase and easy to afford. There are less espensive ones out there, but you'll get some good wear out of these. The fabrics and the construction are all a safe bet. Make sure to ask the vendors questions... as that will let you know how serious they are about the business.

I split kilt-wearing between tartans and solids. You'll find your preference in time. Don't rush into anything until you see something that REALLY strikes your fancy. You might even hit a Celtic Festival or Renn Faire to see what's out there. Most kilt-wearers are MORE than happy to discuss their kiltmaker, and give you and HONEST opinion on the service, price and quality.

[Galant]

Thanks for your help thus far guys.

There is a ren festival coming up, and though I could wait and take a look around (I attended last year) I was kind of hoping to be able to wear a kilt this year!

Not vital though.

I like the style of UK's, I saw one RKilt I liked and the Freedom Kilt also. I've heard many great things about PK, I guess I'm just unsure of what to expect, and also about some of the less talked about vendors like RKilts.

[Freelander Sporrano]

Welcome from snowy Norway...Ps Sorry I'm a bit late.

[Hamish]

Well, I'm even later than David in giving you a warm welcome, Galant ............. and this one comes from li'l ol' England.

We all had to start our kilt buying somewhere - I began with the full, 8 yard traditional, made-in-Scotland, woollen variety (well, it might have been less than 8 yards because I was only 14 at the time!). It was a simple choice because, in those days (circa 1951) there was no such thing as a contemporary, modern or alternative kilt - they hadn't been invented!

I echo everything that has already been said - with one proviso: if you are going to look at various kiltmakers' booths/stands at Renn Faires and the like, be very wary of being persuaded to order something of an 'historical' nature. In the main, these are not authentic and are simply not suitable for modern-day wear in the real world.

I have Utilikilts, Amerikilts and a Savannah kilt. Soon I'll have a BearKilt from Canada and hopefully a Pittsburg Kilt (once I have made my mind up about colours!) From Scotland, Geoffrey (Tailor)/21st Century Kilts are often present in the USA at the larger Highland Gatherings. These all come highly recommended by me, and they are not going to mislead you or fob you off with some inferior garment.

Good Luck, and stick with us. We're all here to assist you and the best way to learn is by your own experience, or by that of others.

[Kiltedmusiclover]

Good have you in the mix.

A hearty welcome to ya!