The Kilted Life Returns!

This website has been stagnant because of other real life issues, but I am returning to get some new content on here. Essentially, I want this website to be a source for kilt reviews. What I will work on, over time, is reviews for some of the common kilt companies out there and the kilts that they provide. I will endeavor to make this process as journalistic as possible and I hope it will be appreciated and people will use this as part of their kilt buying process. I still want to point people to "X Marks the Scot" as well as it is a superb source for buying information. As with anything however, the more you know before buying, the happier you will be with your product! If anybody would like to contribute to this endeavor, please send me a review of a kilt OR accessory that you OWN (no vendor reviews), including all pertinent info such as manufacturer, price, material of construction, delivery time, packaging, quality of material, quality of design, quality of tailoring, durability, extras, feel (how it hangs), and any final thoughts that come to mind. Try to be as constructively critical and impartial as possible. Submit them to me with a minimum of 3 photos of the kilts or accessories showcasing specifics of how they look or are constructed. Be as detailed as possible. Try to have one image with it hanging or even better, you wearing it, but you don't have to show your face if you don't want to. Send all files to me zipped and I'll post them here to be read.

I have, because of this website, been solicited several times to carry and/or review a companies kilts and accessories. At this time, I am not looking to carry a line of kilts, however if somebody wants to send me accessories or a kilt in my size (44"-46") to review and write up an editorial, this I would be happy to do. Please contact me by email to arrange the details. Some people may be wondering what on earth gives me the skills to possibly do this. Well, frankly I'm passionate about kilts and accessories and I have seen a LOT of them. Secondly, I've been a graphic and web designer for years now (Want some work done for reasonable fees? Check out Braintree Multimedia Design.) and that gives me a bit of an eye for detail which I think will work for this. Finally, I just have fabulous tastes. (If you don't understand what that means, don't ask.) I've seen recently many inquiries like "is this kilt maker any good?" This is something I believe I can help with. If you're still not sure, read the review below of the Stillwater Kilts "solid black economy kilt" which I recently purchased and then decide.

Now, onto the review:

Stillwater Kilts is located in Minneapolis, MN. You might ask yourself, "what on earth would a Minnesotan know about retailing kilts?" Well, as it turns out, quite a bit actually. Jerry V., owner of Stillwater Kilts, first off is quite friendly and pleasant to deal with. He was very intent on making my kilt buying experience positive. I should note here that I have owned mostly utility style kilts, so this was my first experience with a relatively "traditional" style kilt. I've had Sportkilts, and let me tell you that they just don't compare in quality or service. I should note here also that they are a kilt dealer. I suspect that they get their kilts made elsewhere, but I am unsure where. (If this is not correct, please let me know.) Using the web interface, I ordered a Stillwater Economy solid black kilt and was very happy with the price. The ordering process was fairly simple and straight forward, which I liked. Some places make you jump through hoops to buy their products. Stillwater takes Mastercard and Visa and you can use either Paypal or Google Checkout to buy your purchase through. The economy was an acrylic kilt which tend to be made of mediocre materials. Stillwater DO have a wool kilt by the way. Their "heavyweight" kilt is made from wool. I was expecting however a sloppily sewn kilt knock off much like my experience has been with a few other budget priced models.Well, I remained hopeful as I had heard some good things about Stillwater, and let me say that hope was NOT misplaced!

It arrived WELL packed via USPS to my door. The kilt and all of the accessories that I ordered arrived in a logoed bag neatly folded and slid into the USPS flat rate box. I was impressed simply by the care in which it was packed. It showed that this simply was not just a retail business for Jerry. He definitely has the customer's happiness as a primary concern. As example of this, when I used the website to order and then wrote back because I had forgotten to order a kilt pin, he hooked me up without having to run through the web interface again. Much appreciated! As I pulled the kilt free, I was quite surprised about how well constructed it look. At first, I felt there must have been SOME thing I was missing. A loose stitch or a crooked seam. SOMETHING had to be wrong with it. No, it was as well constructed as it first appeared! I pulled it out of the bag along with all of the accessories and put them all on top of the bag so that I could inspect them.

I skipped over the accessories and went straight at the kilt, picking it up and marveling at it's heft. I was expecting a light thing, but I was happily surprised to find that the acrylic was heavier than expected. It had a density to it that one would assosiate with wool. The weave of the fabric did a reasonable job of imitating a wool type material. I held it up and draped it accross my laft hand and inspected the seams and stitching. The construction was well designed and executed. The stitching was very sturdy and even. I opened the garmant up and laid it open across my bed. The inside waistband had a nifty "Stillwater Kilts" logo tag stitched into it. It may seem like such an insignificant thing, but in my opinion, the devil is in the details. I pulled the front panel over and inspected the fringe and straps. The straps are not quite belt quality leather, but they were adequate, and more importantly, they were well sewn into the garment. The straps are sewn in with an "X" stitch rather than a box for added strength. Something like that is important to a big boy like me. I tend to put a lot of stress on seams and stiching!

I noticed that there was some sort of tack stitch in three places across the pleats. I presume this assists in the hemming as well as keeps the pleats in good shape during shipment. This also acts as a sort of garment "wear seal" for their return guarantee. In other words, Stillwater allows you return an unworn garment (with some exceptions) up to 30 days after purchase, provided this temporary stitching is still in place. That gives you the ability to try it on and see if it works and/or fits. That's a pretty nice guarantee! So I busily started taking out the stitches (I tried it on first) which was the biggest pain, but probably worthwhile having to do to be able to have a return guarantee. The tack stitches came out easier as I went along once I figured out to gently seperate each pleat apart as I went along. Once the last row of stitches was out, I was eager to try the garment back on. It went on fairly easy and I cinched the straps nice and snug. The sizing was dead on. Being familiar with the sizing lie of the garment industry in general and having bought many utility style kilts previously, I was certain of what size to order. This kilt, although right off a rack from stock, felt like it was made for me. That's the sign of a well fitting kilt. I didn't have a belt on and it fit just right. These kilts DO have kilt belt loops by the way for standard 2" kilts belts.

The hardware on the kilt is of fair quality. It does the job well. It's not overly chintzy or hollow which is appreciated. It's definitely not premium hardware, but you certainly couldn't expect that on a budget kilt. As mentioned above, the leather used for the strapping was fairly good. It's good and strong, so it's not going to fall apart on you anytime soon. I do wonder what kind of life span the straps will have, especially if washed. I think your best bet would be dry clean only here even though it's an inexpensive kilt made from poly. Again, you're not going to get premium leather on a budget kilt, but they appear they will last a good while and replacement straps are always available from their website should the need arise. I also purchased an inexpensive sporran which was stiff and basic, but surprisingly decent for under $20. Be aware though, for people burly or thick like I am, this sporran may not fit as intended. It will need to be adjusted. On my 44"-46" waist, it was tight and comically straight across the belt line. OK, I'll need to add chain to that one. Luckily I bought an extra accessory. SWK sell "Kilt Sporran Hangers" which hang the sporran from the belt. This could be an essential accessory for larger gents like myself! Essentially, they are two leather loops with snaps that wrap around any belt and they have chains hooked to them. Very handy! Just a little side note. if you want a sporran from SWK, try their Nightstalker. I bought one and I will have a review specifically of it very soon. They are truly very nice. They go quickly however, so if you see one on the website and are on the fence but seriously contemplating getting one, snap it up! The opportunity only presents itself once or twice a year.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my purchase from Stillwater and they provide such a flattering price to my wallet! I plan to invest in one of their heavy "shadow tartan" kilts (bought -- will review soon) when they get some in later this year. I'd say, you can't go wrong if you're looking for a budget kilt by looking at Stillwater Kilts. Their unique line of accessories, especially their sporrans, give you enough budget options to really kit yourself out well for under $200. Maybe even less than $100 like I did. It certainly doesn't take the place of a kilt from a premium kilt maker, however these are much easier on the wallet and you just can't or wouldn't want to wear a $500 kilt for eveyday use!

8/18/2008 4:50:43 PM Christopher • Kilted Life