Advice on a first kilt?

[Séamus Ua Proinsias]

So; a question for everyone: I've been desiring of a kilt for some time, the abstract jones for which has only been intensified by joining up here and having seen one in person just yesterday. Romantic notions of saving up for a tank as I'm losing the weight to fit into it for a projected acquisition date about a year from now seem harder and harder to keep to. Besides, never having had a kilt before, perhaps it wouldn't be a proper use of my appropriation for such things to go in for one in the first. Bearing in mind that I'm a bit of an ould traditionalist (I've worn a jacket, waistcoat and tie every day since I was fifteen — I'm twenty now), what would everyone recommend for a first kilt; hopefully one that won't break the bank and yet be a good experience for my very first one?

A few of my thoughts: I saw a picture of pdcorlis in a House of Edgar County Cavan, and wondered if that might be a good one to start with (I've got some Gaffney relatives in Cavan, and it's one of my favorite tartans). My concern would be this: might the 12/13 oz. wool be too light and not swishy enough? But I do want it to be wool.

Alternatively, I could go with a Newsome box-pleat or something similar in that price range, but I am losing weight, and I'd rather not get a really nice one that I won't be able to wear in a few months. (Or do they adjust downwards well?) Plus, there's the question of box-pleated vs. knife-pleated, and four-yard vs. eight-yard for a first one. My initial thoughts are like most; eight-yard and knife-pleated, but thoes thoughts are naïve. (One day, I do not doubt, I'll have a closet full of them; kingussies in Brittany Walking, an eight-yard Ulster Red pleated to the sett, a tweed box-pleat, but one has to start somewhere, aye?)

I look forward soon to counting myself proudly in the number of all kilted rabble.

Y'a bon,

Jake

[xman]

I think County Cavan is a beautiful tartan and an excellent choice and not at all too light for California, Jake.
As always, get the best kilt you can afford.

[Downunder Kilt]

I have two 13 oz kilts from two different mills, House of Edgar and Lochcarron.
Both are 8 yard kilts. I also have a number of 16oz kilts 8 yard knife pleated and 2, 4 yard box pleated. The 13oz from HOE has a smaller MacLaren sett than the one from Lochcarron and has pleats with a 1/2" reveal and the swish in that is fantastic. The Lochcarron has bigger pleat reveals and does not have the same swish characteristic. The only down side from that of the 16oz tartan is that creases don't drop out as easily and usually require steaming.

I really don't notice the weight or temperature factor between the 2 weights.
If you ever want to see weight difference then try differece between a tank and the 4 yard box pleat.

As for you losing weight you could try asking the kilt maker to size the kilt to the waist measurement you are now at the extreme end of the kilt staps, then as you lose weight you can just do the straps tighter. A regular kilt can give you an inch up or down, so getting it made the way I suggest gives you 2 - 3" down the current waist measurement (hope this makes sense)

CAUTION. Talk to your kiltmaker about this first, in consultation with him/her you may work something out. My advice is no good if you intend to lose weight and give up

[M. A. C. Newsome]

My advice....

If you are actively losing weight, wait a bit for your weight to stabilize before you order a kilt. No sense in ordering a garment that won't fit you from the get-go.

On the other hand, if you are simply concerned that your weight will drop in the future, or "would like to" lose weight down the road, go ahead and order your kilt. It can be taken in if needs be to adjust for a smaller size, should that be necessary.

Worst case scenario, you can sell it and buy a new one in your size. But in the meantime you will have a nice kilt to wear!

[Ryan Ross]

My advice....

If you are actively losing weight, wait a bit for your weight to stabilize before you order a kilt. No sense in ordering a garment that won't fit you from the get-go.

On the other hand, if you are simply concerned that your weight will drop in the future, or "would like to" lose weight down the road, go ahead and order your kilt. It can be taken in if needs be to adjust for a smaller size, should that be necessary.

Worst case scenario, you can sell it and buy a new one in your size. But in the meantime you will have a nice kilt to wear!

This is VERY good advice... I've done pretty much all of the above, at one time or another, and single handedly given Matt more practice at altering/rebuilding kilts than he probably ever wanted.

Also, listen to the folks that tell you to get the best kilt you can afford, straight from the beginning.

Best of luck and happy hunting!

[Jock Scot]

Ask questions,ask again,listen closely, read, ask questions,ask again, listen closely, read,--- and KEEP doing so, until you have it clear in your own mind what you want. Have fun!

[MacMillans son]

Good advice all. I would further support Matt's suggestion on the weight loss. The kilts will always be here, but your motivation and investment in your health may not. Allow us to assuage your Jones by proxy until you get to your desired, sustainable, weight, then celebrate with a new well fitting kilt! Relative to motivation, it would be better to have a smaller, sustainable, size encouraging you to remain fit, than a larger size which may motivate you to stay large in order to wear it.

I have a lovely kilt by our own Bonnie Heather (Green) in the HOE County Cavan tartan. It is pleated to the tan stripe in the green block. It is a very handsome tartan indeed, and the 13 oz weight it just fine here in California. I too would prefer all of my wool kilts to be 16oz, because I like the feel and performance of it, but when a certain tartan is only available in 13 oz, I don't have a problem with it (funny how when you have only one option, it's the option you're most likely to take )

Welcome aboard, and as Jock has said ask lot's of questions, and don't be in a hurry to make a bad decision!

[AKScott]

Another option would be to be honest with yourself about your current and goal waist sizes.

I can adjust my kilts perhaps six inches in the waist by using different holes in the straps. The aprons don't lay exactly right when I do that, it doesn't look like a tailored garment in that configuration.

However, you might find something off the rack in a universal sett (maybe Stewart modern hunting green?) from a reasonably low priced vendor like StillWaterKilts for maybe $100 or so - that just barely fits now and tighten the straps as the weight comes off.

At some point you will be closing in on your target and can responsibly order a kilt that will fit like a tailored garment when you reach your target weight. Also, you won't take too big a hit selling the "fat kilt" when it is too big for you to wear anymore.

Just an idea. If you are on one of the ketotic plans and dropping an inch or more each week under medical supervision, wait to you get to the phase two maintenance and see what other wardrobe pieces you have to buy before you spring for a kilt.

[Séamus Ua Proinsias]

Thanks so much, everyone. I definitely came to the right place. This weight loss I'm in the middle of is a current and very serious endeavor based in the classic combination of sensible diet and good exercise. Which means, of course, that going from a 42" natural waist (as of about three minutes ago) to something like a 35" (a bit more than the two or three inches well-placed straps give, I'm afraid) will take a jolly good while. But once I'm there and have some new breeks (ought I to bowdlerise that?) and kilts to keep me honest and away from those chocolate-covered digestive biscuits, it'll have been so well worth it.

On that note, I suppose waiting till I lose the weight is the most reasonable and practicable option; designing tartans every night at the Tartans Authority's "Croft Weaver," the new reed I got for my kitchen pipes and being around here must do for the mean time. How long do most kilt queues end up being, from order to shipment? Ten and a half months (or so I estimate) plus the actual jonesing time could add up into quite the number of hours spent daydreaming. But then, never was anything wonderful achieved without commensurate adversity. (Fortunately, I've found that the adversities (such as they are, great or small) are actually always outbalanced by the joys.)

Now, given that, might, as AKScott said, an off-the-rack Stillwater, say, be a good choice to see how I feel in one and to practice wearing? I tend naturally towards the investing in fewer, better clothes side of the matter (the issue, I'm well aware, has come up here now and again, and I don't wish to start anything), but a trial kilt before I buy a treasured heirloom doesn't sound entirely malapropos.

I'm glad to hear that the 13 oz. wool is a viable option, even if it does crease more easily. If I do decide not to get a trial kilt (getting to the assuaging-the-jones-by-proxy), what thoughts have you all on the tank vs. the four-yard box-pleat for one's very first introduction to the kilt? Is there some wisdom or logic to it that you've found, or is it mostly a matter of personal preference?

Y'a bon,

Jake

Ps – Sorry for all the prolixity and questions nested within questions. I'll try to keep it better in check in future.

[MacMillans son]

I commend you commitment to your health sir!

I think a test kilt to ensure you will enjoy the experience is a great idea. Many folks report liking SWK kilts, while others avoid acrylic kilts due to their being flammable, and their tendency to pill over time. A better alternative may be a low cost Poly Viscose kilt that you will be able to keep, after you traditional kilt, for rugged and casual activities. There are a number of 8 yard import versions for around $80 delivered. The imports tend to use eastern PV, which is a bit coarser and heavier than the PV from Great Britain. The benefit is that because the material is heavier, and they are typically made with more yardage, they tend to better approximate a wool kilt experience than the low yardage casual kilts. I have one from these folks in the Scottish National tartan that has served me quite well for casual outdoor activities.

http://buyakilt.com/kilts/budget-kilts

Keep up the good work!