USAKilts Casual Kilt Review
I recently received my USAKilts Casual Kilt in the mail. Wishing to get it while it was still warm enough to wear an 11oz kilt, I sprang for the extra $25 rush charge. Sure enough, it was shipped in just under two weeks! The price, without the rush charge or shipping varies with hip size, from $99 to $140. The normal wait is 6 to 8 weeks. It is custom made to the buyer’s waist, hip and length measurements and represents an excellent value for a custom tailored kilt.
I chose the Ramsey tartan purely for its looks. Actually, from what I understand, this is a Ramsey Hunting tartan, the original Ramsey tartan being red rather than blue. I had it pleated to the black stripes to darken the appearance. I also had it made with oversize belt loops, normally it fits a 1.5″ wide trouser belt.
Being a casual style kilt, it is machine sewn. The pleats are sewn along the outer edge, which is unusual for a tartan kilt. The fell is sewn with those pleats exposed at the belt line. USAKilts calls this their “PermaPleat” system. The pleats certainly hold in well after a warm afternoon sitting on a leather office chair! For comparison, the pleats hold in noticeably better than on my Utilikilts Original, and much better than on my Stillwater Economy. The 11oz poly-viscose has a nice hand, and is teflon coated for stain-resistance.
The kilt closes with velcro, making it somewhat adjustable. The hem is tightly stitched with the edge frayed. For some reason there is a line of sewing holes directly above this bottom fray, only visible when inspecting it. There is a USAKilts patch where one would put a kilt-pin. This, I suppose, is meant to help weigh down the corner of the apron without the need for a dressy kilt pin.
This kilt is very comfortable and looks quite nice. It fits beautifully. It is light weight and cool, however it does not do very well in a breeze. As I have mentioned previously, where I live is often rather windy. Fortunately it is also remote because this kilt has flown up twice in wind gusts of just 15mph next to my cabin- think Marilyn Monroe. I would hesitate to wear it out on a windy day. There is, of course, a trade-off in terms of weight and wind-resistance. On a hot and wind-free day this would be the coolest piece or clothing I own.
Overall this kilt is well made, the pleats hold in very well, it is light weight, and very reasonably priced for a custom tailored garment. If you are looking for a light weight kilt for casual wear, it would be hard to go wrong with a USAKilts’ Casual Kilt.
Overall: A-
Service: A
Quality: A-
Comfort: A
Value: A-
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Long have men been subject to the poor and limited choices offered by the Trouser Tyrants. Pants are dead! Long Live the Kilt!
October 28th, 2007 at 10:53 am
[…] into my sporran, a Buzz Kidder Country Sporran which I purchased from USA Kilts when I bought my Casual Kilt from them. I was wearing it with the chain that was included, having disliked the sporran hangers I […]
November 16th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
This is a beautiful kilt!! I carry both Scot and Irish blood, and I think men in Kilts are very attractive. I applaud your choice of wardrobe, and you do a great job of accessorizing without overdoing it. Wish my man would get into kilts, but he’s more into Viking attire. LOL
February 3rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
[…] anything, so here is a sporran review. I bought this Buzz Kidder Celtic Knot Day Sporran with my Ramsey Casual from USA - Kilts last year. I have since worn it a couple dozen times. I previously blogged about […]
August 21st, 2008 at 11:12 am
It looks great! Seems like a good option as opposed to a stillwater. A bit more custom, but still a great price.
Thanks for the review!
November 21st, 2008 at 5:53 am
Velcro ?……..A kilt has buckles, and all the military ones I have, have 3. I have an unissued NATO kilt still in the plastic bag it was put into in 1967 and it has 3 leather straps. The cost of buckles is about 3 dollars a buckle. The would do better with the traditional buckles…..I think that is why I have not purchased one from them…..
November 21st, 2008 at 11:56 am
The velcro rather than buckles is one of the reasons that this is a casual kilt. It is meant to be worn where a man might were shorts or some other casual garment, and the velcro, I think, is fine for this.
But each to their own. It is nice to be able to choose from such a wide variety of modern kilts.