Galbraith Kilt!

[Standard]

Good on ya lad. Sounds like you are very happy with your newly arrived package as you well should be.

[RockyR]

Is that a premier? I notice the selvage is smooth, not fringed.

No... his was a Semi Trad.

The PV material we get comes with a fringed selvedge about 80% of the time. The other 20% it comes with a proper kilting selvedge (in this case a 'tuck selvedge'). When we order 'stock tartans' from the mill, we can not specify which loom the material is woven on b/c it's pre-done... one of the in stock tartans. HOWEVER, when we do a SPECIAL WEAVE of a particular tartan in PV material (Ireland's National, American Heritage, US Navy, MacGregor, Firefighters Memorial, Murphy / Tara, etc.) THEN we can ask specifically that it has a proper kilting selvedge.

Did I just give away a secret in that last line?

[Sionnach]

.

Did I just give away a secret in that last line?

I don't know if you gave away the secret but that was informative, thanks.

[SteveB]

Only Crusty's is in Wool.

[RockyR]

Only Crusty's is in Wool.

Not that murphy tartan... the Tara / Murphy tartan.

side note... not 'crusty'... 'Scruffy'.

[McMurdo]

Congratulations on your new kilt, I'm sure you will enjoy it for years to come.

[Panache]

What a great choice of tartan!

Enjoy your new USA Kilt!

Cheers

Jamie

[GDub]

Looks great!! Nice tartan! Congrats!

[Galb]

Looks wonderful mate! Might I ask if you could do a review to compare this new acquisition against the Highland Inspirations kilt with respect to quality, fit and finish? Would be very much appreciated if you have the time.

Scotty

I neglected to mention that I'm interested as I once bought a kilt from Highland Inspirations (they're based here in Oz - actually just around the corner from where I work) and I was a little disappointed as it didn't fit and only one side of the apron was tapered (the pleat side was straight down following the sett). Was your experience different. I was pleased with the fabric though. Much nicer than I thought it would be (Irish Pride).

Scotty

There really is no comparison really. The USA Kilt is superior in every way. It really is comparing apples to oranges here, or a Prius to a Corvette.

Seriously, they are two different animals. First off, USA Kilts Semi-Traditional are made of PV material. It is Teflon coated, does not wrinkle much if at all, and appears very bright and beautiful. The Highland Inspirations Highland Inspirations are made of Acrylic. Acrylic is "fuzzy" and wrinkles easier. You'll notice this after a cycle in the wash. Both materials can be thrown into the washing machine and hanged up to dry.

Secondly, the kilt from USA Kilts was made to my specific measurements. They took my waist, hip, and length. The Highland Inspirations one is set to a general ratio based off of the waist measurement. The Highland Inspiration ones, like most kilts made in Pakistan, are mass produced so they have to take the most average of measurement ratios to accommodate the majority. USA Kilts is the opposite. Rocky and his staff take great care in making sure your kilt is YOUR kilt. The USA Kilts is a custom made garment, which is a big reason why they look and feel as if the kilt were made specifically for you. And this is because it was. So it fits and looks better.

Thirdly, the care taken in making each garment is also on opposite ends of the spectrum. As I have said in the previous point, USA Kilts takes great care to make sure everything is perfect. A mass produced line won't as their quality control will be a few out of a huge batch. As you noticed, the apron on the Highland Inspirations one is only tapered on one side. This was a huge disappointment to me when I got mine. It looked weird having one side straight down, but that is the norm with them. The USAKilts is tapered and pleated perfectly. This falls into the realm of doing things right vs doing things quickly. USAKilts did it perfectly, Highland Inspirations' manufacturer does it quickly.

Fourthly, there is no padding in a USA Kilt. You'll notice on the acrylic mass produced kilts that the top waist area is thick and padded. USA Kilts is not this way, which will make the kilt, once again, look like it was custom made (which it is). My wife noticed immediately and mentioned that I looked slimmer in the USA Kilt.

Fifthly, there is no lining in a USA Kilt. You'll also notice that all acrylic kilts have this lining in the top waist area. This is for a good reason actually. It is there because there are those of us that help perpetuate the myth of what is under the kilt. Well, that lining protects the material from any regions that may "dribble" (I suppose that would be a proper word) or sweat. This is smart for the acrylic kilts, but not needed with a USA Kilt because the material is Teflon coated. As careful as I am with all my kilts, I feel better and safer from dirtiness in my USA Kilt thanks to the knowledge of the Teflon. That being said, I'm not about to get into a situation that can get it dirty, but I am not going to have a cow if some drink or food drops on it.

Sixthly, (am I getting carried away?) Like I said, USA is a custom garment. You can specify more options with Rocky and them. For instance, you can get it pleated to the stripe if you wish. With the mass produced ones like Highland Inspirations, you are stuck with whatever they offer. In this aspect, almost all mass produced kilts are pleated to the sett.

So as you can see, these kilts are incredibly different. The biggest difference in the companies and their kilts is this: USA Kilt is a manufacturer of Kilts. They make them. Highland Inspirations is simply a merchant. They get their kilts from a manufacturer who mass produces their kilts.

One last thing in regards to Highland Inspirations. I went with them a long time ago because of one reason: They had my clan tartan and it was relatively cheap. That was it. If I want an acrylic kilt, I will go with Stillwater Kilts, but they don't carry Galbraith. I stumbled across Highland on Ebay when I saw the Galbraith tartan. So I bid, and won. That was it. I was a bit disappointed though when I received it, as I have some Stillwater Kilts and I expected the Highland Inspiration one to be like those in regards to quality and number of pleats. It wasn't. It was more of a casual kilt. Don't get me wrong, the Highland Inspiration Kilts are OK. They aren't bad. They are good knock-about kilts which I won't mind getting a tad dirty. But I won't be getting another from them as I only wanted my clan tartan at the time. At the time, they fitted the bill. But if I want an acrylic kilt, I will go with Stillwater as they are higher in quality and a hell of a lot closer to my location.

That being said, this new USA Kilt has spoiled me. I absolutely love it, which made me look back in my closet and apologize to my other kilts as the new one instantly became my favorite. And not only that, I see the difference in quality and feel. As I said before, Prius and Corvette, but once you drive that high performance kilt, I mean sports car, it is hard to justify buying another Prius. Rocky will definitely be hearing from me again.

[slohairt]

While the lining may exist in an Acrylic kilt to protect from the 'dribble' as it were(), in an 8-yard woollen tank it is there to protect you from the scratchy canvas reinforcement.