Looking for cheap kilt jacket

[Laird of the Manor Kimes]

Best bet budget? I would say I'm willing to pay $100 or less. If a kilt cut jacket isn't possible, how much would alterations cost on average? I have to pay for my highland gear out of pocket at 16 due to an unsupportive family. Not to mention I live in a really ghetto town. SO any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

[ShaunMaxwell]

Jason:

I'd suggest you keep a sharp eye on eBay. I've scored a couple of very nice vintage jackets and waistcoats there for very little cash.

Good luck to you in your search!

SM

[Pipersson]

I would try an ex hire jacket by tartan 4 less for example!

[Taskr]

You might also find a decent double vent jacket at a thrift shop and then a few bucks to have it altered - certainly under $100 total

[Tarheel]

Jason, I do what Taskr has suggested. I recently got a good jacket and vest at Salvation Army for $5.00. I'm so poor, that I rely on my sewing abilities (barely passible attempts) to make the conversion for my kilts. I still wear them with pride, as it is my work.
I'm sorry that your family is less supportive than they could be. I come from a big family and felt like the odd child often. 50 plus years later, they accept my eccentricities, but retain the right to opinions (both good and hurtful) toward me. I abide by my clan motto, Si Je Puis (If I Can!).

[Dileasgubas]

At 16, you'll likely grow out of a jacket fairly soon. While a kilt should last several years, a jacket likely won't, but you might insider a vest. The outfit in the picture, with a vest and possibly a tie, would work for most occasions.

[auld argonian]

Keeping an eye on the thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) will usually yield a serviceable jacket that could be converted to kilt length. Being "up North" here in Chicago, I come across lots of tweed jackets on the racks and have paid anywhere from $20 to $3. Your being "down South" you might not run into many tweeds…if you've never worn a tweed sport coat, they are pretty warm so I figger that folks in the warmer part of the country don't have much use for them. You might find a few nice wool or wool blends, though, and there's nothing wrong with those. I would hold out for something that's either totally or mostly wool, though….jackets made of synthetics don't seem to hold up well. There are several nice tutorials floating around here that give you step-by-step instructions on how to shorten, do gauntlet cuff treatments and epaulets…if I were you, I'd just try to get one shortened first and worry about doing the cuffs and epaulets further on down the road.

I had a nice lady seamstress open up a couple of blocks over from me and while I was there having some trousers cuffed, I noticed that she had a photo of a gentleman in a kilt jacket there among the photos of her samples. I asked her about it and, long story short, she told me that she ended up charging the fella something like $225 for the work….seemed unrealistic to me in light of the stories that I've read here about friendly tailors doing the whole job for significantly less than $225 so I pretty much dropped the subject.

One thing that I will tell you is that, when you're looking at jackets in the thrift shops, don't take it unless the shoulders fit well…no tailor ever wants to screw around with shoulders. They can cheat a bit of length out of sleeves or take it in on the sides but they will not touch shoulders. (I know of a certainty that saying this will elicit a response from somebody here who will say, "Nonsense! My tailor has taken in the shoulder on many jackets…blah…blah…blah.". But I've spoken to at least a half a dozen around here who just look at you like you've taken leave of your senses if you ask them to shave down the shoulders of a sport coat.)

Just be patient and keep your eyes open and you'll find something.

Best,

AA

[IsaacW]

size 40 black barathea argyll
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Beautiful-Vi...item58bd6f003c


As a young man, if you are a bit smaller... this is a size 34" at a great starting bid that includes a waistcoat. It is Harris tweed with REAL staghorn buttons....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harris-Tweed...item4ae4717a80


No real size listed here but it appears to be about a size 42small(short) in a very nice tweed...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kilt-tweed-j...item3cf233b721