Highland Home Industries...Anyone heard of it?

[Highland Lass]

Hi

I saw a nice Poly Viscose Black Watch ladies kilt made by Highland Home Industries, has anyone heard of them and are their kilts any good? I'm suspecting that they may be made in Asia but they still may be of good quality.

Although, I'm saving up to eventually get a custom made Clan Grant woollen kilt made, I wanted to have some 'everyday' kilts. I've been searching for ages for a Black Watch ladies kilt in my size and saw this one, thought it was a good buy, but wanted to check with those 'more in the know' (Black Watch is the hunting tartan for Clan Grant due to the Clan's history in the BW)

I have read, that PV kilts tend to mimick wool fairly well for a synthetic. I particulary liked Steve Ashtons thread "A Side By Side Comparison of Kilt Fabrics". This great thread stopped me from making the mistake of buying an Acrylic kilt, which in my eyes would have been a horrible buy (pilling, pilling and more pilling). Thanks X Marks for helping.

Also Sizing...I have an awkward waist measurement that tends to be between sizes with these off the rack kilts, is it a better buy to err on the slightly larger than the slightly smaller size bracket when buying? To add to the confusion, I noticed that UK sizing (and US) tend to be very different to Aust sizing. This kilt had the right measurement in inches but said it was a UK size 20! I ran it through an on-line conversion generator and it said that the size 20 in the UK equals our size 16 here in Australia! Does this sound right? (I'm afraid I may be too accustomed to our 'vanity sizing' here )

Thanks for helping a newbie kiltie!

[Riverkilt]

Googles up as a Scottish venture.

[Highland Lass]

I wasn't sure if it was a Scottish based company as sometimes names can be misleading.

I've never seen a PV kilt in person and I seem to find differing opinions on the Web...Would a kilt made of this fabric still look good after sitting down and creasing it? (I know that wool drops its creases - not counting the prem-pressed pleats)

[robbiethepiper]

Alarm bells are ringing... Pictures look ropey, no home website, kilts are always measured by waist/length not as "size x", price looks just too good to be true. No solid info, so could be a bargain, BUT....

[Riverkilt]

I've owned at least 25 PV kilts from USA Kilts. Wear them a lot. Yes, they do crease if you sit on them a long time - but they don't look "that" bad and the creases come out very easily if they are steamed with a portable steamer or hung near shower steam...they also hang out on their own well, but obviously not as fast as with steam.

PV is a great kilt material and nothing to be afraid of it is truely PV and not mislabeled and the kilt is sewn up by an established quality kiltmaker who isn't marketing price and cutting corners.

I'll see if I can round up a "sat in" PV kilt pic.

[Riverkilt]

Here's a pic of a PV kilt in USA Kilt's semi-trad style. U.S. Army tartan. Pic was taken after at least three hours sitting in the 4x4 on a hot day exploring the back roads of Southern Utah.



Here's another semi-trad from Rocky in the Gunn tartan taken after at least three hours sitting on it in the car on the way home through the San Juan mountains of Colorado.



And I'm not big on getting the pleats right when I sit down in a car.

Point is - you don't need to worry about the material - focus on the workmanship.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Highland Home Industries used to be a company that distributed items made by people (mostly rural folk) in their homes. Most of my hose came from HHI. That said, I was under the impression that the company went under in the 80s or 90s, so I would advise caution...

[Highland Lass]

Fabric...ok...Maker...caution

OK, now I'm worried

(Thanks for the info and pics Riverkilt)

Here's the link on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Black-Watch-H...item5adfaeda03

I still haven't decided, the cheapness is making me wary, maybe its too go to be true?

[Steve Ashton]

this is pulled directly from the seller information on Ebay.

CLOTHES FOR YOU BY KEIDEE
Dee Wynn"SERENDIPITY"
Shute Hill Crescent
Teignmouth
Devon
TQ14 8JE
United Kingdom
United KingdomPhone: 01626|770609
Email: keidee@sky.com

It would seem from this that the name "Highland Home Ind." is an assumed Ebay name or perhaps the name of the maker of this used "Ladies kilt skirt"

[Rob, ClanMacMillan, NM]

For the price - how can you go wrong? IMO, you could turn the fabric into decorative home stuff or apparel or whatever and still be ahead.

Rob