New Kilt Owner

[BlueSkye]

Hello everyone!
What a great forum! I have begun the journey of ordering my first kilt. In doing so, I wanted to make sure first and foremost that i'd be honoring my family clan name (Armstrong) and showing due respect to Scottish tradition. For me, that meant i wanted something custom made that was true to the wool of Scottish weavers and authentic tartan colors. I wanted to meet the kilt-maker if possible. For me, it was an opportunity to learn rather than fill in the blanks of what i thought i knew. (I know that border reivers did not wear the kilt. However, we're no longer border reivers and my fiance would not appreciate me appearing as if i am joining a night raid in Tynedale for our wedding next summer. )
I traveled across the border and met the craftsman in his Victoria BC shop. And so glad i did! We spent nearly 2 hours talking about the process of making a kilt, kilt history and etiquette in wearing one. It was a learning experience i felt was extremely valuable of which i'd certainly recommend if one has the opportunity.
In the end, i felt very comfortable with the purchase and learning some of the nuances.

Slange!
Darren

[Macman]

Welcome to XMTS from Victoria, Darren!

[Kiltedjohn]

Welcome from a Scotsman living in the English Midlands. Look forward to seeing photos of the kilt.

[COScotsman]

from Northeast Colorado!

[plaid preacher]

from Eastern Ontario.

[BlueSkye]

Thanks for the warm welcome!
There's a whole lot of accessories on the web. Rather overwhelming to know the difference in junk and quality goods. Any tips or recommendations especially jackets/vests are very much appreciated. I'm looking for a good source for a quality Prince Charlie for my wedding.

Slange!
Darren
~Invictus Maneo
"I Remain Unvanquished"

[Liam]

Welcome to the forum!

[Troglodyte]

Thanks for the warm welcome!
There's a whole lot of accessories on the web. Rather overwhelming to know the difference in junk and quality goods. Any tips or recommendations especially jackets/vests are very much appreciated. I'm looking for a good source for a quality Prince Charlie for my wedding.

Slange!
Darren
~Invictus Maneo
"I Remain Unvanquished"

The Prince Charlie coatee is really evening-wear that is worn with a black bow-tie, but, like the dinner-jacket (Tuxedo in the US) it has become common for day-time weddings in the USA.

It is thought more appropriate and more traditional to wear a dark Argyle coatee for a wedding (as it is day-wear) with a normal turn-down collar and long tie, and a waistcoat if desired. The dark cloth with the same silver buttons as the Prince Charlie is equally smart and formal for a wedding, and always looks good in photos.

As for where to buy, any of the Highland dress retailers will have a selection available online, but vintage garments are usually of a higher quality and finish, if old-school style is your thing. The likes of eBay is always a good source, but check out eBay.co.uk also as many genuine Scottish-made items get listed there that are invisible on eBay.com.

Tell-tale clues to look for (especially on a Prince Charlie) are things like quilted satin linings, hidden pockets in the tails, stiffened lapels and tails, and heavier grosgrain silk on the lapels.

In the UK, it has always been the tradition to have a fancy outfit for the church service of the wedding and the meal to celebrate afterwards, and then for the bride and groom to change into their 'going away' clothes. The bride will always have her own ideas of what this will be, but for a kilted groom there are some good, long-term options.

If you have your own kilt (as your post suggests) there is no shame to hiring a Prince Charlie for wearing during the ceremony, and having your own tweeds for going away in. The money saved by hiring a PC can be spent on a good tweed Argyle that will last you a lifetime, and will get worn much more frequently than a PC.

It's always useful to study old photos for inspiration, and find a style you can replicate easily. If you ask a costume-hire outlet for advice, they will always advise you along the lines of what they have to offer, rather than what you might actually want, so if you can reduce this down to just the PC, so much the better.

As for tweeds, you have several options - ready-made off-the-peg in standard sizes, made-to-measure in your choice of cloth and style, and fully bespoke. The proper Highland dress outfitters usually do all three, and your budget will be the deciding factor.

Check out the likes of Lovat Mills and Glenlyon for a wide selection of superb Scotch tweeds in different cloth weights, from which you can choose and specify if going down the made-to-measure route. And remember to choose a cloth of a similar weight to that of your kilt (or slightly heavier) in order to keep the whole outfit balanced.

Have a look here for ideas - https://stkildastore.com/store/Jackets

[EagleJCS]

Welcome to the forum.

I would suggest either visiting a retailer's shop or attending a Highland Games where there will likely be vendors selling jackets of all descriptions (Argyles and PC's alike). That way you can get an idea of how they fit, even if they don't have exactly the right size you need in the material you're looking for. (I find the arms to be more snug and the armholes cut a bit higher/closer to the body than a standard 'Saxon' jacket.

[BlueSkye]

Hello again everyone! So appreciative of the great feedback here. For the longest time i've been aware of typical ancient and modern tartan types including a third 'Hunting' version for some. For the first time, browsing Kilt USA website and I am noticing what appear to be kilt color/wool variants based on mills/weavers? Is that correct?