New Blood (Kilter)

[Maxblade]

Hello all,

I was just at the VA Rennfair with myself and my son clad in kilts (my son is my profile picture.) I had on a costume kilt, my son had a much more classy (but also costumy) kilt, but the colors are not family.

I absolutely love wearing kilts, and my wife thinks the suit me so bonus there. But my wardrobe is VERY shy.

I am looking for pointers on where to get, and let me use words carefully, inexpensive (vice cheap) starters.

I have a good looking belt to go with my casual khaki kilt, a hand made (crudely by me) sporan...and my Government Issue Tan boots (Active Duty Air Force here.)

I am hoping to get the Air Force Kilt (http://www.sportkilt.com/product/135...-Kilt-(U).html)
And eventually to get a matching set of Kilts for my son and I in the Irish Cork pattern (my family is Irish/Welsh...which brings up a point I will address in a bit)

Do I need:
Special Socks
Special Shoes
Special xyz...

I am still learning all the terms and history for things as I have found on day 1 of wearing a kilt....people ask tons of questions and expect you to know the answer :P

Any help for a newbie would be great

Also...my mother in law is Scottish....that's it. I am a fighting Irish-Englishman.......am I even ALLOWED to be wearing a Kilt? The full tartan is just so.....cumbersome! HA!

[toadinakilt]

To start with? Check out any of the sponsors on this page. USA Kilts come highly recommended for their casual kilts, Stillwater Kilts are great too... sounds like you've got the beginnings of a decent casual outfit already.

[Hothir Ethelnor]

Well as far as budget kilts go. PV is king as it is very like wool and makes an excellent kilt for warmer climates.

USAkilts and Skye Highland Outfitters (both forum sponsors) offer a casual kilt that costs around $100.

A quick jump up to an 8 yarder in PV will give you a kilt that can be worn in any circumstances from casual to white tie. The jump in prices takes it up to $200-$250.

Then there's wool the quintessential kilt material woven in Scotland and pretty pricey. You can however get any tartan you want. If you want a budget wool kilt look no further than Stillwater kilts (also a forum sponsor.) They have heavy weight wool kilts at very good prices. http://www.stillwaterkilts.com/heavyweightkilts.html (I just checked the site and it looks as if their page is showing only Saffron and Green kilts. you could give them a call to make sure they still stock the other kinds.)

After the kilt(s) you will need some hose. Here are some good options when starting out.

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/hose_glenmore.htm

http://www.usakilts.com/store/cart.p...uct_detail&p=4

You can wear whatever shirts you normally wear and the same goes for most shoes as well.

A sporran would be helpful and you can browse our forum sponsors for those. You will find anything from the best handcrafted stuff to the budget stuff that will do.

I have survived 6 months of kilting without any flashes, or a proper kilt belt and I rarely wear a kilt pin. Don't get too obsessed over details and remember half the fun is doing the legwork for yourself and shopping around for just the right stuff to get you going.

[xman]

Since you already have a cheaper 'costume' kilt, I recommend you lean toward full size traditional kilts now in either PV or wool. In PV your choices are more limited but still wide. For wool, I strongly recommend you get samples of the fabrics you are considering before you choose. House of Edgar colours are FAR more stunning in person than they appear in the digital representations for example. Be patient. Make the right decision. House of Edgar and Marton Mills weave the Irish tartans.

Marton Mills ------------------------------------------- House of Edgar

Saffron and Green are also options for the Irish.

For accessories, you NEED a sporran. The Nightstalker is your cheapest functional option, but the leather Buzzkidder looks better. Consider getting a leather belt for your sporran. Chain wears the fabric.

Sock Dreams' Diamond Rib Knee Highs look like good starting hose to me. I'm gonna get some just for bumming around. Garters are necessary, but flashes aren't.

Without sacrificing quality and ending up with junk, that's the best new stuff I have discovered. You can always look to get a deal on second hand gear in the BST forums.

From there you can add waistcoats(suit vests), jackets, belts, etc. to suit your taste at your leisure.

Welcome to the fray,

X

[wildrover]

I am looking for pointers on where to get, and let me use words carefully, inexpensive (vice cheap) starters.

We hear you there...a guy could go broke in a hurry, buying Highland kit.

I have a good looking belt to go with my casual khaki kilt, a hand made (crudely by me) sporan...and my Government Issue Tan boots (Active Duty Air Force here.)

Let's see this sporran. You might think it's nothing worth showing, but I bet we'll think different.

Special Socks
Special Shoes
Special xyz...

Socks and ties for your socks, yes. Sporran, yes. The rest...meh...get it when you can. Look at the Scottish Tartan Museum's website, they have some socks that won't break the bank:

http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/hose.htm

You can wear a belt...or you can go without. My kilt wardrobe is small...mostly t-shirts and hoodies, and whatever long sleeve dress shirt I have to wear for piping. The traditional huge kilt belt & buckle just don't really work with t-shirts, unless you tuck them in, and I don't tuck in my t-shirts. If I didn't expect to be playing solo and in a band, I wouldn't have the shoes that lace up the calf...Doc Martens, boots, and traditional dress shoes go just fine, depending on the situation.

Also...my mother in law is Scottish....

Right on...

that's it.

That's more than enough...

I am a fighting Irish-Englishman...

Hell yeah

...am I even ALLOWED to be wearing a Kilt?

Ain't no kilt police. Besides, we all drink together now, on this side of the Atlantic anyway!

The full tartan is just so.....cumbersome! HA!

You say that now, but you'll probably be wanting that Air Force tartan in a 16x8, wool, knife pleated, bespoke kilt before long ...and to be honest I'd suggest spending the money first, on the best kilt you can buy, and getting a beater kilt, hiking kilt, pig-wrestling kilt, or other secondary kilt later on...after your wallet recovers from kitting out the first really good kilt.

-Sean

[jgcunningham]

For my sporran, I found a leather purse at Goodwill for all of 2 bucks. It was close to being a sporran but needed some work. It had only one tassel but it had a nice long strap, 2 colors of leather and a magnet clasp.
Here's the end result:

I had to make the 2 outside tassels match the original one in the middle. I essentially gutted it by opening all the seams to get to the leather pieces. I only kept the top flap and front for the clasp to work.

So if you're handy, you can make plenty of your kilt gear all by yourself with a little ingenuity and craftiness. I'm making my second kilt now and then I'll be haunting Goodwill again for a coat to cut down to an Argyll.

YMMV

[billmcc]

...I am hoping to get the Air Force Kilt (http://www.sportkilt.com/product/135...-Kilt-(U).html)
...

Sport Kilt's US Air Force tartan is NOT the actual USAF tartan. The tartan Sport Kilt uses appears to be the US Forces Thurso tartan.

Here is the real USAF tartan: http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/qRe...%20Air%20Force

Here is the Thurso tartan: http://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/qRe...hString=THURSO

[Maxblade]

Next question...any particular issue with me wearing "other clan's colors". At the moment, I have picked up what was immediately available to me. So if someone asks "is that your family colors" of course my answer is no....any guidance with that?

[xman]

heh, As mentioned upthread there are no tartan police and many members here will wear what they please just as historical highlanders would have. That said, some non tartan enthusiasts (read obsessives?) will probably look at you a little sideways if you wear patterns that you do not have or 'feel' connected to and if that would bother you then I suggest you stick to those tartans which you do feel or can claim a connection to and wear them with pride. That is what, I would say, the vast majority of tartan wearers do.

[Hothir Ethelnor]

I am a Macdonald of Keppoch and I don't even own a Macdonald of any sort kilt yet.

I have a Black Watch (considered universal)
Gordon (another regimental tartan)
and a new Irish County tartan which my Mom and sister picked out as a pretty pattern. (we are in the process of making matching skirts and arisaids for the girls to match my kilt.)

I do have some of my clan's tartan which I hope to make a box pleat of, but unless there are legal restrictions placed on the tartan (there won't be any to stop you if you order a stock tartan.) you can wear anything you like.

Now if you're more comfortable wearing colours that are related to you somewhat. Go for it.