What to Know Before Buying a Traditional Kilt in Scotland
So you’re thinking of buying a traditional Kilt? Whether you’re a Scottish local or traveling to Scotland to buy your kilt, there are a few things you need to know. A traditional kilt is an investment piece; it will become one of your wardrobe staples, designed to stand the test of time. there are a few factors to consider when buying your kilt to ensure it will last a lifetime.
This blog post covers everything you need to know and consider when buying a traditional kilt in Scotland.
Choosing A Tartan For Your Traditional Kilt –
Buying a kilt in Scotland is a great idea, taking home a piece of Scottish culture and history. The best place to find a traditional kilt is to find an authentic Scottish kiltmakers. Houston Kiltmakers is a great place to start with 4 family generations of experience and 100+ years of highland wear kiltmaking.
Choosing the right tartan is essential as this kilt will probably be with you for the rest of your life, or possibly even passed down. There are a few routes people go down when choosing a tartan. The most common being picking a family/clan tartan if you have one. Lots of family names connect to a clan even if it is under a different surname. Bear in mind, there are millions more family names than there was away back when. So it isn’t uncommon for those with Scottish roots to not have an affiliated clan tartan.
Those who don’t choose a family tartan may opt to pick a tartan just because of its colours, whether you have a favourite colour or are looking for a nice neutral tartan that’s easy to style.
There are thousands of tartans nowadays, and Houston Kiltmakers is proud to stock the largest tartan range available to buy.
Most people tend to just opt for a tartan they like, or if it is for an event, they may pick a tartan in the wedding colours.
Traditional Kilt Finishings & Sett –
The next step after choosing your tartan for your traditional kilt is to select how you would like the pleats sett. There are two main traditional setts for kilts, “to the sett” which essentially means the pleats show the tartan the same as the front, just following the repeat of the tartan. Regimental setting is the other choice, regimental setting takes a prominent line in the tartan and uses that as the repeat point for the pleats, which often highlights a specific colour in the tartan.
After choosing how you would like your traditional kilt sett, you will have the choice of finishing. Choosing a quality traditional kiltmakers is vital in the kilt buying process as most high street retailers and tourist shops only provide cheap mass mass-produced kilts that aren’t sett right, stitched poorly, and are ill-fitting. Houston Kiltmakers has our own exclusive kiltmakers who have over 20 years experience and are some of the best kiltmakers in Scotland.
We offer a range of high-quality finishes offered by our different kiltmakers to suit every budget, but also ensure that regardless of what you choose you have a quality traditional kilt to take home.
- The most budget-friendly option is our basic machine finished kilt – This is all hand cut but fully machine made and has a turnaround time of 4-6 weeks.
- Next is the super machine under stitched finished kilt – this is a step up with additional under stitching throughout for increased longevity.
- Our super hand made finished kilt is the standard option for most, providing the best value for money- fully 100% hand cut and made with additional machine stitching around the buckled, straps and belt loops, this will usually last a life time with little maintenance.
- The most premium finishing is our super deluxe hand-made finished kilt – Made by our kiltmaker with 3 royal warrants, she makes kilts for the royal family. This is the best choice if you plan to have your kilt for generations. Everything is fully hand-cut, made with reinforcement around all the key areas. This is the best quality kilt you can buy with essentially no maintenance.
Order Process For A Traditional Kilt-
It is best to order a kilt while visiting a kilt shop in Scotland, as this ensures it will fit the best, you will get to feel the tartan, and explore the range much more. Although you can order through our website or via email at [email protected], communication is easiest when in person to ensure you get exactly what you want.
When visiting in store after going through our tartan range, choosing your tartan, your finishing & your sett. One of our friendly team members will start taking your details, like your personal contact details, the function date, if there is one, and where you are based.
If you are buying a kilt close to your function date, we recommend taking your sizes when ordering. If your function is 9-12+ months away, you can always order the cloth and come in to be measured closer to the time.
When being measured, our team will ensure accurate and well-fitting measurements are taken & they will double-check your height too. It is important to consider if you are losing weight or possibly could gain weight in the next 6 months, as this will affect how your kilt fits. This is especially important with children’s kilts as they grow quickly depending on age. Houston Kiltmakers offers a free hire of the rest of the kilt outfit when you buy a kilt so if you are looking to hire the rest of the outfit, you will also be measured up for this while in store.
If you are based outside of Scotland, then we will take your order online/by email and ask you to fill out a self-measurement form. It is important to take great care and precision when taking your own measurements, but not to worry, we have lots of handy guides, and by giving us your age and height, we can roughly look at the measurements and notice if anything is super off. We always recommended having a friend help you with measuring.
Once your cloth has arrived in the store, it is sent to the kiltmaker. If it has been many months since your initial order, we will reach out to confirm that your sizes are all still the same. When your kilt arrives in the store, you can come try your kilt on. We have a team of expert seamstresses if your kilt needs some adjustment. If you are overseas with
We hope you have enjoyed this informational blog, you can browse our highland wear traditional kilt range on our website Kiltmakers.com & find our brochures here.
We would love to welcome you into our traditional highland wear store or you can also enquire to us at [email protected] or call us on 0141 889 4879.
