32 replies to this topic

[Anna Michele]

good stuff for newbies! Or oldies!

[reichertiii]

Back to this first starter kilt - - If you opted for the lowest price, this kilt will not have the pleats sewn down from the waistband to the hip. This needs to be done. Take a little time (an hour or so) and hand sew down the top eight inches or so of the pleats. You need to measure down from the waistband to where your rear end is at it’s widest. Get your wife or girl friend to help (maybe she’ll take pity on you and do the sewing for you!) This will give a more finished look to the low-end, low-cost kilt. It will make it fit better and also enhance the swing.

How exactly would you do this part? I have the SWK Thrifty and am wondering about it.

Also, you covered alot of good information there, its helping me think harder on what to wear.

[James MacMillan]

How exactly would you do this part? I have the SWK Thrifty and am wondering about it.

Also, you covered alot of good information there, its helping me think harder on what to wear.

Higher quality kilts have the fell sewn down. The fell is defined as the part from the waist to the widest part of your hips, or slightly above this point.

What you want to do (Well first it would be good if you could look at someone in person who is wearing a well tailored kilt) is to put the kilt on and mark where you want to sew the pleats. Pin as needed and then hand sew them together. The pleats on the side will ( should normally be) flared a little and may require some repressing. What you want to do is take your inexpensive kilt and make it look like a more expensive kilt.

This is very much harder to describe than it is to do. This hand sewing (after pinning or basting) should be easily done in about an hour, even for male fumble fingers like mine. Also if you want you can also mark and pin and sew the pleats on a sewing machine.

Does that help?

[reichertiii]

Yep, that helps, ill just have to find someone to measure for me, then should be no problem. thank you for the advise.

[O'Callaghan]

I do indeed hate my sporran. The leather IS like cardboard, and the back of the shamrock pin scratches the back of my hand, plus the chain-belt broke before I ever wore it, so I had to replace it. I WISH it had only cost me 12 bucks, though! Should have bought a Buzz Kidder, I suppose.

[Roms]

Great read! Great advice! Thank you much!!!

[WV7159]

James, I read your "kiltie advice" I'm fresh and new to the kilt world I will have my 1st casual kilt kit from USAK in in a few weeks, I just found out about Stillwater kilts and from the reviews I'd say the stillwater kilts would be a good buy for a poor college student like me

Great information, for a newbie like me, this advice is worth it's worth in gold!

Edited by WV7159, 30 May 2011 - 01:40 PM.

[digitalr2]

Thanks for sharing!

[Dunbar]

Useful advice with no condescending tone, one of many reasons that I love this site.......

[mountainkat79]

Aho Brothers! I am new to the site. I am looking to purchase my first kilt but am unsure of the colors or type of tartan I should choose, any suggestions? Last name is Thompson. Great site!

[KT]

 mountainkat79, on 03 February 2012 - 09:08 AM, said:

Aho Brothers! I am new to the site. I am looking to purchase my first kilt but am unsure of the colors or type of tartan I should choose, any suggestions? Last name is Thompson. Great site!

two biggest questions:

1. how much do you want to spend ?
2. do you want modern or tartan?

[Chris Webb]

Buddy, go to sportkilt.com ... just get their run of the mill tartan kilt, no bells and whistles. It's the best and easiest to wear kilt for the money, a great first kilt. I don't know if they have the Thompson tartan, but you can wear any tartan anyway, as long as you know whose it is and you don't disrespect it somehow. You can also google 'tartan finder' and find out all the family tartans associated with Thompson. Sportkilt also has many unaffiliated tartans as well as military tartans (Army, Navy and the like).

You'll enjoy your first kilt, Brother, go for it.

Kilt ON!

[Seanachie]

 Chris Webb, on 03 February 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

Sportkilt also has many unaffiliated tartans as well as military tartans (Army, Navy and the like).

You'll enjoy your first kilt, Brother, go for it.

Kilt ON!

Just a caveat their Air Force tartan is not the correct tartan, not disrespecting them but just being informative.
There has been a number of threads on this, I believe from memory this is the Edzell tartan,
Here is the unofficial, but accepted AF tartan, http://www.tartanreg...s.aspx?ref=4180