A call to regulate the term "kilt"

[sirdaniel1975]

Just the other day I had a conversation with a potential new member to the Scottish Club I started. He doesn't yet own a kilt and had many questions for me because he had seen a pipe band in solid color kilts.

I very quickly began to explain how a kilt is a garment that is going through an evolutionary process and in a sense always has. If it was only ever one style, we would all still only be wearing "belted plaides." I explained to him there are kilts made of canvas, denim, poly-blends, leather, and of course wool. I told him all about solid color and tartan style kilts; machine stitched and hand sewn. I told him if he was on a budget he could buy something under or around $100 and it would be OK. I then him if he wants a nicer made to measure, to expect to pay anywhere from about $350-$700. Again, telling him that certain material weights and tartans are more expensive than others.

In defense of lesser expensive kilts:

Here in Florida it is very humid and hot.

I've worn my 16oz 4yard box pleat by Newsome several times lately.. It was way too hot. I was very glad that it was only 4yards and not 8. It's almost a necessity to own a couple of lesser weight and quality fabric kilts in certain places just to be able to tolerate the temperatures.

I understand the need to protect the reputation of a Scottish made Kilt. Honestly, I don't think anyone really needs to worry about it. Believe me , the average idiot that one bumps into knows about the quality of a Scottish made Kilt. I can't tell you how many times someone has asked me, "Is that a authentic Scottish made Kilt?"

There is no way to really regulate what people wear and call a kilt. It will also be very difficult to regulate what people sell as kilts. As long as there is a market for a kilt of any degree of quality.. someone is going to make it, package it, and sell it. Besides, there are just too many people who can not afford to purchase a Scottish made kilt. To deny certain persons the experience of wearing a kilt, because the only kilts available are $500 and up, just isn't fair.

[Mr. MacDougall]

I think the crux of the issue is information, as a couple of people have pointed up already. There is, and will continue to be, a market for those of us who want lighter weight, less expensive kilts. There is, and will continue to be, a market for those of us who want heavier, more expensive kilts.

The trouble comes when people are buying one, thinking they're getting the other. Now, it would be great if everyone who was interested in kilts would take the time to do some investigation and find out what quality is, and how to find it. It would be great if everyone who was interested in kilts would look up X-Marks, and identify what they wanted, and how to get it. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.

So, what can be done about it? It seems to me that a standard of labeling would be a great start. Personally, I'm glad that, in the next few months, I'm going to have a Matt Newsome kilt, which, if it were labeled as some folks have proposed, would say "Hand-sewn in the United States of Scottish Wool." I'm also going to have a kilt by Rocky, which would be labeled "Machine-sewn in the United States of Canadian Poly-Viscose." And I'll be proud to wear them. But that doesn't mean that I'm less proud, or less likely to wear my "Machine sewn in Pakistan of Pakistani Acrylic" kilts.

I'll know which is which, but most of the people looking at me? No clue.