0. On this page
1. Ready-made kilts
2. Custom kilts
Readymade kilt, Holyrood tartan
1. Ready-made kilts
When buying your first kilt or you just want a kilt to wear in situations where an expensive wool kilt would be overkill, a ready-made kilt might be a good choice.
Ready-made means that all you can choose is tartan and waist size. The length of the kilt shall with very few exceptions be 24" or 61 cm, take it or leave it. A kilt can be shortened but with five or eight yards hemline it is a bit moe complicated or at least more expensive than with trousers.
1a. Locally manufactured
Locally manufactured means that the kilts are sewn in the country where the vendor is situated.
United Kingdom
Highland Store 2 yard wool off-the-peg kilts
Kilts4less x-hire kilts
Eireland
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Readymade kilt in pure worsted wool by O'Neil of Dublin. The tartan, Stewart Navy, is no longer available.
O'Neil of DublinLightweight kilts in pure worsted wool. Four different tartans.
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Readymade imported kilt, Thompson Camel tartan; white kilt hose.
1b. Made in Pakistan
Readymade kilts typically are 8-yard kilts, sometimes 5-yard, made of PV or an acryllic fabric and 24" long and sell at £50-60.
Most of them come from Pakistan, but they might also come from other Far-East low labour cost countries, as will practically all clothing today, even expensive brands, so
per se it does not mean inferior quality.
That said,
some might give you less value for money, if any. The problem is first of all the fabric, even if sometimes the sewing quality could also be better. Cheap PV/acrylic fabrics often peel, making in no time the kilt useless. High quality PV fabrics do not.
Peeling fabric.
United Kingdom
Heritage of Scotland
8-yard ready-made kilt from Heritage of Scotland in Heritage of Scotland tartan. I have very good experience with kilts from Heritage of Scotland.
House of Scotland on ebay
Tartanista
Tartanista on ebay
The Scotland Kilt Company
The Scotland Kilt Company on ebay
Germany
In Germany there are a few places where you can buy a kilt off-the-peg kilts:
Irish Berlin Shop/retailer
Gr. Hamburger Str. 36A, 10115 Berlin
Dienstag - Freitag 13.00 bis 19.30 Uhr
Samstag 10.00 bis 16.00
Ein sehr kleiner Laden mit einer kleinen aber guten Auswahl von Kilts, die aus Schottland und Irland stammen. Die Inhaberin, die seit 25 Jahren das Geschäft treibt, ist sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit.
Scottish Things
Ludwina Helfert
Hauptstr. 5c
63457 Hanau - Großauheim
Di. & Do. 14:00 - 18:00 Uhr im Laden
Auch On-Line Verkauf, aber leider nicht mit Kreditkarte.
Sweden
Scottish House Stockholm
Spain
Galician Shop
The Netherlands
Celtic Webmerchant
USA
Kiltmart
Stillwater kilts
UT-Kilts
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Custom kilt, Caledonia tartan
2. Custom kilts
Wanting a kilt in wool, which really fits you when it comes to waist and length and where you'll have a lot of tartans to choose from, go for a kilt made to measure. It doesn't have to be that expensive. Only kiltmakers, giving you the option to order your kilt online and according to your measures, are listed below.
2a. Locally manufactured
Locally manufactured means that the kilts are sewn in the country where the vendor is situated, be it in Scotland, USA, Canada, Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland etc.
Custom kilt, Gunn Ancient tartan. The kilt is worn with an anorak.
United Kingdom
Clan, a major Scottish kilt vendor, earlier known as Scotweb, has a very well designed and functioning web site.
Clan has in 2022 1st half, increased their prices on all kilts by 20% or more.
Cheapest casual kilt, their
Essential Scotweb Casual Kilt is now £174 incl. British VAT. It is a 5 yard kilt sewn in Scotland to your measures in UK-made high quality poly viscose. You can choose between no less than 70 tartans.
Even if now less competive, also compared to other Scottish kilt suppliers, this might still be the kilt, I should go for as my first one (if not the USA Kilts Casual).
CLAN is also selling a five yard made-to-measure
Balmoral casual kilt "with a contemporary lower-waisted cut" which isn't a bad thing for a kilt to be worn casually. Prices start at around £230.
Clankilts
Donaldsons of Scotland
Geoffrey Tailor
Highland Store
Most interesting for casual or active wear might be their machine washable, made-to-measure
4x4 Sportskilt with invisible side pockets. The fabric is 12-13 oz. polyester/viscose.
At the same price you can have a
Casual kilt made of 4 yards pure new wool.
Their prices are without British VAT.
Houston Traditional Kiltmakers
Kilts4all
Kilts4less
Kilts 4 U
Kinloch Anderson
Lochcarron of Scotland
McCalls Highlandwear
Nicolson Kiltmakers
Paul Henry Kilts
ScotsConnection
Slanj Kilts
The Kilt Store
A 5-yard custom kilt in McGregor tartan. This one is made by Heritage of Scotland. Heritage of Scotland does no longer offer custom kilts.
Austria
Austrian tartan kilts and fashion.
Don't miss the .The link gives you access to by now 20 beautiful magazines. They are in German only, but if you don't understand the language, just enjoy the pictures.
In fact, no kilt maker or vendor I know of does so much as Rettl when it comes to promoting the kilt and making high quality kilts become fashion.
France
Lady Chrystel Kilts
Lady Chrystel is a specialist in making box pleated, double box pleated and kingussie pleated kilts.
Germany
Carlo Jösch, Köln
Celticcraft, Perchting
Kiltmaker Donald MacKenzie
Hamburg - nach Mass geschneidert
Kilts & More Europe
Mühlhausen bei Heidelberg
Hauptstraße 74
D-69242 Mühlhausen
Mo-Do: 10:00 bis 17:00 Uhr
Fr.-Sa. 10:00 bis 14:00 Uhr.
Kilts are made in Scotland.
Prices start at 195€, approx. £175, for a 6-yard PV 'Sports Kilt´ made to measure. Interesting might be a 4-yard
box-pleated kilt. Very few kiltmakers offer box pleated kilts.
The Netherlands
The World of Scotland
Lithunia
Linen Wedding Dress
A company making handcrafted wedding dresses in linen, but on top of that also men's made-to-measure kilts in the same fabric. They are not traditional kilts, but what you might call a new take on kilt design. Made by hand in Lithunia.
Switzerland
Gian-Andreaa
Canada
Burnett's & Struth
MacIsaac Kiltmakers
Tartantown
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Custom kilt, Farquharson tartan
USA
Affordable Kilts
Alexis Malcolm Kilts
Barb Tewksbury
Barb Tewksbury is not only a professor of geoscienties, but also a well-known kiltmaker and author of the book
The Art of Kiltmaking.
Got Kilt
J. Higgins
Kathy Lare
Kilts & more
Kiltshop.com
MacPhail
Linda Clifford
Being really light weight the Sport Kilt is just perfect in a hot climate. For informal occasions where you might otherwise feel comfortable in shorts, it is great – provided you don’t expect it to be a traditional kilt. I don’t. And it is not. It’s an unpretentious kilted garment of its own and for the mentioned purposes I can highly recommend it.
Sport Kilt, Loch Ness tartan.
The Celtic Croft
The Scottish Lion
The Scotland Yard
USA Kilts.com makes a very nice 4 yard kilt according to your measures, called USA Kilts Casual. Being closed by means of Velcro it is more flexible regarding waist size, and when a kilt is worn together with a wide belt no one can see that the buckles and straps are missing. The lack of metal parts also means that it shall set no alarms at airports.
And then it is washable, dries up in no time and needs very little ironing afterwards. Last not least, the USA Kilts Casual is practically indestructible.
High shipping costs from USA to Europe, customs and no VAT to deduct are the only problems I have with this kilt. But these additional costs make it more expensive to Europeans than the Clan Scotweb Essential with buckles and straps. Nevertheless, despite the high end price I really feel tempted to once buy another Casual kilt from USA Kilts.
USA KIlt Casual, American Heritage tartan. No kilt socks.
USA KIlt Casual, American Heritage tartan. White kilt socks go with most tartans.
UT-Kilts
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2b. Made-to-measure in Pakistan
Pakistani kilts used to be ready-made and many still are. Accordingly, they would not fit all men wanting to wear a kilt, those then having no other choice than having their kilt custom made – in Scotland or Canada or USA.
But since recently, you can have Pakistani sewn kilts customized to YOU, in the length you wish, and made to your waist and hip size, with the fell length you might prefer and in a lot of different tartans. The idea is brilliant. No need for neither manufacturer nor vendor to invest in inventory or worry about the best mix of kilts in ten different tartans and six sizes. Also, production to order is fine for environment. And you, the customer, shall get a kilt to really fit you.
Another good thing about these kilts is that they are basically 5-yard, which I think is much better for casual wear and on a hot summer day than 8-yard kilts, but should you want it 8-yard, it is possible too.
Many vendors in USA and UK, as well as in the EU-countries Germany and France - most relevant after UK is no longer member of the European Union - are now selling these kilts.
But are they good (enough)?
The quality probably is the same as for ready-made kilts, meaning going from rather bad over acceptable to good. No doubt, a wool kilt sewn in Scotland shall always be of better quality, but for most tasks, related to casual wear, the
good Pakistani kilts are good enough or even more than that.
A 5-yard Pakistani Kilt by Kilt & More made to measure. Moffat tartan. Being an EU-citizen I ordered the kilt from their German branch (EU), Schottenrock.com.de. Price 38€ = £35 = $44. Shipping 17€. The kilt arrived only 23 days after ordering. It was shipped to me by German UPS and I payed no taxes and fees on top.
Today this kilt is 55€, but kilt prices in general have increased.
I very much like the tartan. Measures are as ordered. Sewing quality has proven to be very good. Pleating is fairly accurate, without being perfect. Important: Tartan quality seems to be far better than average for ‘affordable’ kilts. And it is not too heavy weight.
From a normal distance between people no one shall observe the few flaws in pleating, and should they, are all things in their own life, car, home etc. perfect?
Would I wear it to the opera house? No, but mostly because I have better kilts for such purposes.
Would I order another kilt from Kilt and More/Schottenrock.com.de? Yes, definitely. This is a kilt and a vendor I can and dare recommend.
Germany
France
Scottish Kilts
United Kingdom
Clan Kilt.co.uk
Euro Kilt
Kilt Experts You decide waist and length.
Tartan Kilt Co UK
UK Kilts
USA
Champion Kilts
A kilt from Champion Kilts has almost blown me away; so good is quality of fabric, sewing, and precision in pleating. Everything is not only better than on any other kilt from Pakistan, I know of; it also compares to much more expensive kilts, sewn in Scotland. Definitely a Best Buy and the company behind it thus has my highest recommendation.
Cheap Kilt
Custom Kilt
Fashion Kilt
Kiltailor
Kilt&Jacks
Kilt Experts You decide waist and length.
Kilts Shop
Liberty Kilts
Royal Kilt
Scottish Kilts
The Kilts Company
Ut Kiltstore
Pakistan
Kilt and Sporrans
Kilt Master
Prime Kilts
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Leather sporran in tan
3. Accessories
Most kilt vendors will also sell you all kinds of accessories to go with your kilt, like sporrans, belts, buckles, kilt pins, garter flashes, and kilt hose.
But you'll also find enterprises specializing in accessories.
Sporrans, belts & buckles
Day wear leather sporran.
Belt and buckle.
Artificer Custom Sporrans US
Centaur Design UK
Morrison Sporrans UK
Kilt hose/socks
Kilt hose by W. Brewin & Co.Belt and buckle.
W. Brewin & Co. Ltd. - WB Socks UK Kilt hose
This cpmpany sell some very nice kilt hose at a very favourable price and in several colours. Highly to recommend.
Under your kilt
Should you feel tempted to go commando but are also concerned about hygienic aspects, the solution is kind of "under kilt" or half slip, which - when worn under a kilt - is called a kilt liner.
Kilt liners are to have from
Activ Skin / G. Liebermann & Sons and come in two models:
Black nylon tricot
Sheer black nylon
The Black nylon tricot is opaque, the Sheer black nylon 'see through' and is therefore, I guess, coming clothest to going commando.
Webmaster's opinion
If it is ok with you that it is opaque, you might, instead of an authorized kilt liner, go with a
skater skirt, sometimes called a
circular skirt. It makes the perfect kilt liner or kilt protector. But you have to find it in women's stores. Or order it online. You could, of course, also just look for a short half slip.
If it is OK with you to wear something from the women's section, a skater skirt under your kilt makes a perfect kilt protector.
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4. Neo-traditional kilts
Solid coloured, patterns instead of tartans, other fabrics, or by design deviating from the traditional kilt.
United Kingdom
Expensive top quality kilts where innovation is based upon tradition.
According to
Howie R. Nicholsby, founder and owner of 21st Century Kilts, the kilt should be an alternative to trousers and for every man to use, casual or formal:
“My aim is to give men throughout the world a realistic alternative to trousers. Pioneering the next step of its evolution, 21st Century Kilts is true to the original kilt which was everyday clothing. Casual or formal a kilt should be an option for any man from anywhere who can realize they are part of the history of an international garment."
Paul Henry can not only make you a traditional tartan kilt sewn by hand but also kilts in tweed, linen, denim and cotton.
By Clan by Xcotweb you can buy some nice made-to-measure
Camouflage Casual Kilts in four different patterns. Or a
Denim Casual Kilt as well as a
tweed kilt.
France
Despite the brand name, indicating man skirts, the people behind Sous les Jupes des Hommes are positioning their products as kilts. Neo-traditional kilts they could be called, very well-designed and should definitely have future potential.
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5. B2B
Business to business
Thinking of making kilts a business?
Pakistan
Having had the opportunity to try on a utility kilt from UK Expo International I must say that I'm most impressed by the sewing quality, the fabric and overall design.
UK Expo International also makes tartan kilts and kilted skirts for the ladies.
Greenland Pipe Co,
Thistle Rose Enterprises
China
Many suppliers to chose from.
Order sizes from 1 to 1000+ kilts
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6. Tartan mills
D.C. Dalgleish
House of Edgar
Lochcarron
Marton Mills
Strathmore Woollen Co.
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7. Tartan finders
House of Tartan
The Scottish Register of Tartans
What counts
Wear your kilt
on a regular basis.
Meaning
casual-first.
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