New poster - advice/opinions sought

[RedLichtie]

Hello, I’m a new poster to this site although I have been lurking for some time.

I live in Aberdeen, Scotland and am about to order my first kilt. Up until now I have just hired or borrowed kilts whenever I’ve needed, for weddings, hogmanay etc but recently I was very lucky to receive a gift voucher (as a birthday present) for my first kilt.

I am turning to the experts here for opinions and ideas. I figure that the huge amount of knowledge available here might help me clarify some things in my head........... or, indeed, add to them.

Regarding kilt weight - The voucher I have will cover the full cost of a handmade 8 yard 13oz kilt made with cloth from House of Edgar. I can pay a little extra for a 13oz cloth from the Lochcarron Braeriach range or a little more again for the Lochcarron 16oz Strome range. Will I notice a difference in quality between the mills? and will it be worth my while paying the extra for the 16oz, will it hang better etc? My instinct is to pay the extra for the heavier weight as I’m hoping this will last a lifetime........ or at least what’s left of it.

Next - Opinions: I want to pick a tartan that has significance but is also “wearable” enough so that I can get as much use out of my kilt as possible. I understand that it’s all about personal choice and that we all have hugely varying tastes. My name is Thomson and, even though I like it as a tartan, I feel that the blue Dress Thomson is a little bright for a kilt (if I could afford more than 1 then I would get it - so maybe for my next) I have seen it worn with a PC and full evening wear and it looks great but my worry is that it’s too loud for day/general/casual wear.

As such I am currently struggling to decide between the following choices (not all these tartans are available from each manufacturer/range) -

Modern Hunting Robertson (Robertson on both sides of the family): I see this as a fairly “safe” option. Predominantly dark green with white and red stripe I think this would go with pretty much anything. I wore it for my wedding and my brother already owns a kilt in this and I think it looks great.

Thomson Hunting Ancient: I love this tartan but wonder about it’s practicality, it’s predominantly brown with black and blue. Great for casual wear but how would it look “dressed up”? as in reality I will be mostly wearing it for formal functions.

Thomson Grey: Again, like the Thomson blue, I feel that this is maybe a little “in your face”.

Duncan Modern (Mother’s maiden name): Very similar to the Modern Hunting Robertson but the set seems smaller in the samples I’ve seen - my worry is that the white stripe would look overpowering against the dark green and blue on a kilt.

I’m not a fan of red tartans so the Red MacTavish is not an option.

Any thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[Jock Scot]

Welcome, from Inverness-shire.Well alright you are going down the traditional Scots path and thinking of one kilt to last you a lifetime, I well understand this! If I was you, I would go for the 16oz cloth,it will hang better, it will "swish" better, it will cope with the cold east winds blowing off the North Sea better, Scotland is never too hot for the heavy weight cloth, the rest of the world is possibly,maybe no too hot for brief visits to warmer climbs and lastly and most importantly,for a Scot, it should last you a lifetime. Be warned though that kilts have a nasty habbit of shrinking as you get older!

Get whichever tartan you like, if you like and can cope with a bold tartan then get it.If not, go for whatever takes your fancy and more sombre colours look fine at any time of day or night. I know you want to ,but stick with a tartan of family connection though, it will matter to you even though you may not attach too much importance to it at the moment. It will become more and more important as the years roll by.

Good luck and have fun.

[Livingston]

I agree with what Jock has stated above. My personal choice from what you list would be the Thomson Hunting Ancient. I also agree with Jock to go for the 16 oz if at all possible. My first kilt was 13 oz and while the weight is good all year here at 6,500 ft, it does get a little cool. My other kilt is a Stillwater Heavyweight which is great to below 0 F and I don't know how much further below 0 it would still be warm. I've also worn it during the summer and not been as hot as I thought I would be while it was around 90F. Just remember, the choice you make is yours and don't let us push you into a decision you will later regret

[siva011]

Welcome from Eastern PA!!

To be honest, I really don't like any of the "dress" versions of the tartans. I have a MacLaren ancient in 13oz House of Edgar and I love it. I also looked at the Lochcarron but when I got the swatches, the House of Edgar was the sett size and colors I preferred.

As far as what looks formal and casual, I am usually surprised how the same tartan can be both. Formal or casual seems to be more what you wear with it, rather than the tartan itself. So with that, I say get the tartan you like best, then maybe check the postings here on ideas to make it more formal/casual, depending on what you are trying to do.

Hope this helps!

[ThistleDown]

Welcome, from Vancouver and Inverness. You have already received the best advice you can have: go for a 16 oz Strome if you can afford it, stick with your family as the tartan for your first kilt, don't worry about whether that's hunting or ancient or modern -- all will go well no matter the time of day if you accessorise appropriately. If you choose a 16 oz Strome it will last well beyond your lifetime; that's something to consider, let me tell you as one who wears a couple of his grandfather's, and choosing something other than a Thomson just won't have the same lomg-term meaning.

[Cassidy]

In my personal opinion, no tartan is too "loud" for day to day wear. Buchanan is surely one of the louder tartans and I'd wear it with a t-shirt readily- but then I'm not known for my subtlety. And Loud McLeod (McLeod dress, I believe) I've seen worn casually to great effect.

And on the other hand, I've yet to see a tartan NOT look great when accessorized properly, even (especially?) for formal occasions.

You want advice on how to wear any tartan with class, look no further than Hamish.

[ardchoille]

from Seattle, WA.

[Sionnach]

from Peoria, Arizona

[Freelancer]

Welcome from Long Island, NY

[McMurdo]

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I would say that if it were me I would go ahead and get my Clan Tartan, it will not be too loud for casual wear you just have to know how to wear it, and it will look fine dressed up. Remember that you are going to stand out at least a wee bit in a kilt anyway so as far as how loud a tartan is I don't really think it comes into it. Now for the weight I would go for the 16 oz Strome there really is nothing like this wool it really is wonderful stuff and will be versatile enough to wear in a myriad of weather. As Jock said it will become more important as years go by, also living in Scotland it may be easier for you to explain why you are wearing the kilt as it is your tartan.