Are there any kilt makers in the UK which stand above others in quality?

[OC Richard]

Geoffrey Tailor & Kilt Maker is located on the Royal Mile / High Street in Edinburgh and has been in the kilt-making business for a few generations. They are more on the "bespoke" kilt end of pricing and quality, but you will not be disappointed.
https://geoffreykilts.co.uk/

Yes IMHO they're top-shelf, and their prices reflect that.

I visited them in August 2024. I was surprised that their big impressive shop right by the Castle was gone (the last time I was in Edinburgh was 2007) and now they're up a narrow staircase in an obscure shop a bit further down the street.

The place was more like a store-room, with racks full of jackets and kilts everywhere, and a cheery young man and young woman busy with online and phone orders.

At first they assumed I was picking up an order. When I explained I was just having a look they welcomed me to take my time, which I did.

They had racks of jackets which as I said appeared identical in cut and fit to the jackets I saw at all the other legitimate Highland Wear shops. However they were lacking the tell-tale "peat" tweed, the mark of the House of Edgar jackets which most shops had.

[OC Richard]

I believe they are made by Gaelic Themes? Please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

Right, St Kilda Holdings owns the St Kilda Store, St Kilda Kilts, Gaelic Themes, and RG Hardie (their pipemaking branch).

About where the jackets are made, that's another story

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...6/index10.html

However it doesn't look like that anymore https://www.google.com/maps/@53.7997...UzSAFQAw%3D%3D

[Tomo]

[QUOTE=OC Richard;1410859] However it doesn't look like that anymore/QUOTE]

If you look at the photos for other dates on Google maps - it had been rebranded as Gaelic Themes by 2015 through to 2016, after that (@2018) the branding had been removed and there is a To Let sign visible in the window.

[jsrnephdoc]

Yes IMHO they're top-shelf, and their prices reflect that.

I visited them in August 2024. I was surprised that their big impressive shop right by the Castle was gone (the last time I was in Edinburgh was 2007) and now they're up a narrow staircase in an obscure shop a bit further down the street.

The place was more like a store-room, with racks full of jackets and kilts everywhere, and a cheery young man and young woman busy with online and phone orders.

At first they assumed I was picking up an order. When I explained I was just having a look they welcomed me to take my time, which I did.

They had racks of jackets which as I said appeared identical in cut and fit to the jackets I saw at all the other legitimate Highland Wear shops. However they were lacking the tell-tale "peat" tweed, the mark of the House of Edgar jackets which most shops had.

I always wonder about places with racks full of already made kilts. With SO many tartans, multiplied by the almost infinite array of body sizes, what good are "ready made" kilts if they're to be a treasured long-term possession?

Did you see any evidence that they had tailors at work or available?

[OC Richard]

If you look at the photos for other dates on Google maps - it had been rebranded as Gaelic Themes by 2015 through to 2016, after that (@2018) the branding had been removed and there is a To Let sign visible in the window.

Ah, many thanks, it's good to know. It sure wouldn't be the first time that the buyout of a small business by a larger one led to the former being shut down.

It's sad. One wonders where the Gaelic Themes jackets are made now. The St Kilda address takes to you a little industrial building of around that size.

[OC Richard]

I always wonder about places with racks full of already made kilts.

I believe that they were all completed orders awaiting pickup or shipment, with tags with the customers' info.

I saw racks of kilts and jackets awaiting pickup in every Highland Wear shop I visited, and some of the shops were swamped with people picking up. Sometimes they were picking up a single outfit, sometimes a dozen or so for a wedding.

And, pretty much all these shops also had the sad little rack of things that never got picked up, which was the primary rack I was interested in, and where I made my jacket purchase.

Did you see any evidence that they had tailors at work or available?

No this was clearly their customer pickup/customer ordering/customer service place. The workshop is elsewhere (I think I saw the location online but I don't remember).

Now this is interesting https://find-and-update.company-info...filing-history