Wool vs Polyviscose...am I being a snob?

**John_Carrick** · 24th February 13, 04:58 PM

Don't pay this much. My PVs from Gold Bros/Heritage of Scotland were £34/£39 Sterling. Ok value albeit in a sale. They are listed on your site at $150.

**Shedlock2000** · 24th February 13, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Fedgunner

"banned" Macmillan)

Curious, Can you elaborate?

**Downunder Kilt** · 24th February 13, 06:06 PM

The banned Macmillan also known as the black Macmillan is not recognised by the clan as an official tartan, thus known by some as The Banned Macmillan (according to a 2012 XMTS thread)

**David Thorpe** · 24th February 13, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by John_Carrick

Don't pay this much. My PVs from Gold Bros/Heritage of Scotland were £34/£39 Sterling. Ok value albeit in a sale. They are listed on your site at $150.

Your "PVs" from Gold Brothers, in a word, aren't. They are more likely a cotton/poly blend, and considerably heavier than 11.5 ounce PV. I have one myself in Scotland's National. Not bad for a knock-around kilt, but nowhere near the feel, luster and swing of wool or even real PV.

**Shedlock2000** · 24th February 13, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Downunder Kilt

The banned Macmillan also known as the black Macmillan is not recognised by the clan as an official tartan, thus known by some as The Banned Macmillan (according to a 2012 XMTS thread)

Perfect! Thanks.

**The Wizard of BC** · 24th February 13, 10:55 PM

I do not have as much of a problem with the kilts from Pakistan as some. I think they do have a place. And they do seem to be popular. A lot of people are buying them.

I do have a problem with how some are marketed and sold.

Now, there are some of the Pakistani kilts that are pretty good....and some are terrible. There is as much variation in quality as there are in other kilts and other markets.

I have one in my shop that is made from 4oz Acrylic. Jackson owns one where the fabric is just shy of 14oz. The vast majority of the kilts are made from Acrylic woven in Pakistan but hey, almost 70% of the fabrics sold in N. America are woven there. The vast majority of jeans denim is Pakistani woven. I even know of one of the steps in the Wool Tartan of a well known Scottish weaver that is done in Pakistan.

So if the band wants to spend their money on Acrylic kilts then I say go for it. Just know up front what you are getting. Don't expect the weight or swish of wool. Don't expect the fit of a custom made kilt. And don't expect the kilts you pay $150.00 for, to last as long, or look as good two years from now, as a well constructed kilt will look.

The great power of X Marks is that we are producing a generation of informed consumers.

**Alan H** · 24th February 13, 11:41 PM

USA Kilts uses Marton Mills-woven Polyester-viscose. I've made a LOT of kilts from it and I think it's great stuff.

If you look inside your kilt and the label says "Designed in Scotland", that's a kilt NOT made from Marton Mills-woven material. I Know, I have one, and it's just not. I don't care WHAT the advertising label says.. The stuff is fine for a knockaround kilt but it's nowhere near the quality of weave of the MM polyester-viscose.

**Alan H** · 24th February 13, 11:43 PM

I love the MacKinnons girls and I am good friends with Karen, the proprietor, and Bryanna and KKyleena, her daughters. I love me some Kilt Lasses. I own a kilt that I bought from them.

But it's NOT Marton-Mills polyester-viscose. NOT NOT NOT.

Also, they don't do custom orders, you won't be able to get your kilts pleated to stripe.

**Nik** · 26th February 13, 03:23 PM

As a resident newbie. I'll throw my two cents in.

My first kilt was a wool, the SWK economy wool to be precise. I really like the feel of it, though the wool is a bit coarse, and it's obviously heavier then my latter buys. Speaking of which, my second was SWK thrifty leatherneck, a nie knockabout kilt, mostly due to the fell not being sewn down. Acrylic is warmer to wear in the humid summers I have here in Michigan, but the better ventilation does make up for that. My latest is the hybrid from Got-Kilt, an acrylic and denim kilt. Not bad, warm around the acrylic pleats, but nice.

The point I'm making here is that, while I and some others prefer wool, fidning it better for many things there is nothing wrong with that preference. I honestly prefer my great/trench coat and duster to any other I've had in the past. Does that mean I would look down on people wearing something else... No. Get what you are comfortable in, what you love and make it your own. If that means you wear wool exclusively as your kilted material, so be it. If that means you have a kilt for every season and reason, go for it!

After all the nice thing about a kilt, a good kilt is that it can be equal to a pair of jeans one day and then dressed up like a tux the next. This makes for a far greater garment that shouldn't be determined merely by the material it is made of.

-Nik