Am I Scottish? No.
Have I ever been to a Highland Games?
Burns Night?
Scotland?
No
No
No

And yet- it had dawned on me even as a wee lad, that like owning a tuxedo or knowing how to accurately and deftly wield a fish knife, every gentleman should have a kilt. That we are planning a trip to Scotland in 2014 made me think that the universe was urging me to get myself a kilt. Which led me to my Glaswegian-in-Exile friend Arlen for his advise on buying a used or "ex-hire" kilt. You would be amazed how much single malt Isley good advise costs these days. Eventually suggesting that if I could stretch, custom really would be the best value. His exact words were, "...if you have the money for a hand sewn Kilt, which all of us would love because they are made specifically for you and the pleats will be expertly sculpted to your very own a**e... Honestly, if you are going the hand sewn route, I would strongly recommend having BarbaraTewkesbury do it. She is INCREDIBLY talented, quite literally learned from the best, sources all of her fabric from Scotland and also happens to be a globe-trotting geologist on top of it all."
Well, what was not to fall in love with?
He was right.
She guided me through the endless looms and pleats of tartan lore and practicality. I should mention that the looms, while never endless, may discontinue a tartan after you've decided it's "the One" but thankfully and never at a loss for guidance Miss Tewksbury took me around until I finally found the perfect tartan + decided the perfect pleat + did it all while I pestered her endlessly. It just arrived in the mail last week and I'm saving it's premier outing for later this month, as soon as I do- I'll post a photo. As well as it's future wearings (At least Princes Street Edinburgh, if not Glen Nevis!)

Thank you so much Barbara