Are there any kilt makers in the UK which stand above others in quality?

[North40]

I've been researching shops in the UK where I can get fitted for a quality, hand-made kilt in my family's tartan for a few months now. The first shops I found were of the more common mentions like MacGregor and MacDuff, Slanj, Kinloch Anderson, Lochcarron, Stewart Christie, and Crawford & Son just to name a few. However what has struck me while looking at them was the difference in price between all of their hand-made kilt offerings. Some shops list them for $500-$700 USD while others have a much heftier price closer towards $900-$1300 USD (MacGregor and MacDuff/Kinloch Anderson).

Does the price difference between them have more to do with the brand name than it does with the actual kilt construction quality?
Pardon my potential ignorance with some of the questions I may ask in the thread.

[Father Bill]

I can't answer your query, but I will say "no apology necessary". We all come here to learn.

[figheadair]

All those you named are retailers that have their own kiltmakers, or subcontract the work and are in effect middle-men. Better by far to go to the actual kiltmaker. I use Cathy Hope (Braw Kilts), her work is first class.

[North40]

All those you named are retailers that have their own kiltmakers, or subcontract the work and are in effect middle-men. Better by far to go to the actual kiltmaker. I use Cathy Hope (Braw Kilts), her work is first class.

Interesting, I appreciate the clarification for that.

I've seen the maker "Braw Kilts" mentioned once or twice before this in recent forum posts and the reception about their work is usually good. The prices for their kilts seem much more manageable than the others and at-least, from what you and one other person have said, the work is fully worth the cost. It seems like a really good deal.

They look to be a much smaller scale business than the ones I originally listed. Is it safe to say that the person measuring you will also be the one making your kilt?

And for my last question: Do you know if their kilts are primarily hand sewn? It mentions "hand sewn garments" on their website, but I would like to make 100% sure I am understanding that correctly.

[jsrnephdoc]

I've been researching shops in the UK where I can get fitted for a quality, hand-made kilt in my family's tartan for a few months now. The first shops I found were of the more common mentions like MacGregor and MacDuff, Slanj, Kinloch Anderson, Lochcarron, Stewart Christie, and Crawford & Son just to name a few. However what has struck me while looking at them was the difference in price between all of their hand-made kilt offerings. Some shops list them for $500-$700 USD while others have a much heftier price closer towards $900-$1300 USD (MacGregor and MacDuff/Kinloch Anderson).

Does the price difference between them have more to do with the brand name than it does with the actual kilt construction quality?
Pardon my potential ignorance with some of the questions I may ask in the thread.

First, you can get a very nice kilt from USA kilts. There are other kilt makers in the USA who make highest quality garments, but they may have VERY long waiting times. Although online measurement work pretty well (which is all that's been available to me since I left California), if you have a chance to VISIT someone like Gordon Nicolson or Kinloch Anderson in Edinburgh, or Houston Kiltmakers (in Glasgow, I think) you can have tailored measurements taken. I've had two kilts made by a Glasgow company called St. Kilda Kilts, and I think they're both very nice as well. And, of course, there's USA Kilts in Pennsylvania. They use sewing machines, but they make excellent products, and they LOVE what they do (watch one of their first Friday every month 2 hr YouTube open mike videos and you'll see what I mean).

Oh, I should mention that most of the kilt shops will have all available tartans listed on their websites, but they typically don't maintain INVENTORY of cloth, so your wait for a kilt may include waiting until the next time the mill weaves your tartan, and that could be months. If you go to Scotland, a visit to Lochcarron's mill in Selkirk (Scottish Borders) is VERY interesting. They make fabric for the Royal Family as well as for us. Kinloch Anderson makes garments from that fabric for the Royals, and THAT probably figures into what they charge people like us.

[kilted2000]

If you want a hand sewn kilt then consider forum member and sponsor Barbera Tewksbury. She literally wrote the book on kiltmaking. I have one of hers and its excellent.

[figheadair]

Interesting, I appreciate the clarification for that.

I've seen the maker "Braw Kilts" mentioned once or twice before this in recent forum posts and the reception about their work is usually good. The prices for their kilts seem much more manageable than the others and at-least, from what you and one other person have said, the work is fully worth the cost. It seems like a really good deal.

They look to be a much smaller scale business than the ones I originally listed. Is it safe to say that the person measuring you will also be the one making your kilt?

And for my last question: Do you know if their kilts are primarily hand sewn? It mentions "hand sewn garments" on their website, but I would like to make 100% sure I am understanding that correctly.

Braw Kilts is a two person business, Cathy is the kiltmaker, her son does their social media etc.

Yes, their kilts are 100% handsewn. My kilt from Cathy.

357750307_739532951509038_7306529298413912367_n.jpg 362253629_746364397492560_1401602922176677810_n.jpg

[North40]

I appreciate all of the advice and recommendations that people in this thread have given me.

Braw Kilts is a two person business, Cathy is the kiltmaker, her son does their social media etc.

Yes, their kilts are 100% handsewn. My kilt from Cathy.

357750307_739532951509038_7306529298413912367_n.jpg 362253629_746364397492560_1401602922176677810_n.jpg

Nice. Whenever I'm able to make the trip to Scotland, and specifically the area where Braw Kilts is located at, I'll go and get a kilt from them. Their work and business seems lovely.

I've had two kilts made by a Glasgow company called St. Kilda Kilts

That's actually where I'm looking at getting the argyll jacket & vest for my kilt made. They seem to have a rather good reputation for their jackets and the selection of tweed they have looks good as well.
Were you able to go inside to their store and get fitted for things or is it purely an online-ordering storefront? I haven't been able to find muc

As for USA Kilts, they seem like a great business manned by great people. I saw quite a few of their videos regarding advice for kilt buying and wearing etiquette when I was first going down the rabbit hole and they were really helpful with learning about the two different thought trains behind wearing the kilt.

If you go to Scotland, a visit to Lochcarron's mill in Selkirk (Scottish Borders) is VERY interesting

And I'll definitely keep this in mind when planning the trip eventually. Thank you for the recommendations once again.

[jsrnephdoc]

(regarding St. Kilda Store in Glasgow)

That's actually where I'm looking at getting the argyll jacket & vest for my kilt made. They seem to have a rather good reputation for their jackets and the selection of tweed they have looks good as well.
Were you able to go inside to their store and get fitted for things or is it purely an online-ordering storefront?

As for USA Kilts, they seem like a great business manned by great people. I saw quite a few of their videos regarding advice for kilt buying and wearing etiquette when I was first going down the rabbit hole and they were really helpful with learning about the two different thought trains behind wearing the kilt.



And I'll definitely keep this in mind when planning the trip eventually. Thank you for the recommendations once again.

I think that St. Kilda is online only. I think the public face is a History Professor at Glasgow University. He's responded personally to some of my messages. I do NOT think they have made-to-measure jackets or do in person measurements for kilts. I once considered having a made to measure Prince Charlie Jacket made, but the price for that (at Kinloch Anderson, for example) is astronomical.

I just had a kilt made by Barb Tewksbury; we did a Zoom session to make sure my son took my measurements. The kilt is beautiful, and Barb is also very approachable. When I lived in Santa Rosa, I didn't know about Barb and Elsie's book, nor that Elsie lived just 20 miles south of me. I've heard that her waiting time is almost a year, but also that she may no longer even be sewing kilts.

[kilted2000]

(regarding St. Kilda Store in Glasgow)



I think that St. Kilda is online only. I think the public face is a History Professor at Glasgow University. He's responded personally to some of my messages. I do NOT think they have made-to-measure jackets or do in person measurements for kilts.

They do made to measure jackets but it is online only. They are also the public face of Gaelic Themes, whose highland wear accessories are ubiquitous. I have a MTM tweed jacket from them. Their website also has a large clearance section which can be bad on the wallet as well.