The first step in choosing your highland wear outfit is to choose your tartan.
Most Scottish clans have their own tartan, if not you will find that they are affiliated to a clan which does.
Some customers go with Surname, a family name, a partners name, a grandparents name, a name from far back in ther family tree
some people feel a connection to a particular clan or area of Scotland.
some people pick a tartan based on the colour or the design
there is no right or wrong choice
We have customers from all round the world
Highland dress looks smart and feels great to wear. It will open the doors where ever you go and is a natural conversation started
Most tartans have variations
Ancient - softer lighter colours
modern - strong darker colours
Muted - slightly faded, in between mod and ancient colours, really nice mix of blues and greens and reds
Weathered- Based on the traditional dyes, a lot of browns and reproduction blues and blacks - weathered tartans are different from most kilts you will see
Hunting - usually with lots of green / some browns - the myth was they were good for hunting and sneaking about. You get ancient Hunting which is lighter softer greens and modern hunting which is darker richer greens
Dress - A tartan with alot of white - traditionally a dancers tartan so judges could see the movement better
The weight of a tartan
16/17oz heavy weight - 75% of the kilts we make are heavy weight
Heavy weight sits and hangs the best and hold the pleats the best and is not any warmer than a 13oz medium weight
13oz - medium weight - 23% of the kilts we make are medium weight
some tartans are only woven in the 13oz
its a bit softer but still makes into a kilt well
Better for leaner guys up to 45 waist
11oz - lightweight - 2% of the kilts we make are in lightweight
this is very soft and light weight for a gents kilt
if you are going for a lightweight kilt we would recommend to fo for a bit more cloth in the kilt to give it a bit more body we will email more once order is placed
note some tartans only woven in 11oz
Need help? If you need help with your order, our friendly team are here to help...
In this Kilt Pack you will get a 8 yard pure new wool Kilt made in Scotland, All wool Jacket & Waistcoat, Dress Sporran & chain strap (You can pick between grey and black fur, advise in comments), Belt & Buckle, Kilt Pin, Sgian Dubh, Kilt Socks, Shoes(Choose between Ghillie or Normal Brogues, advise in comments), Tartan Flashes and a Suit bag and Clamp. You will also receive a free white shirt and a navy tweed tie with your order.
Super Machine Finish:
This kilt is 60% handmade and machined internally and is reinforced around the buckles, straps and belt loops. Finally all checked and hand finished and super pressed to keep the pleats nice and sharp, this is the kilt finish we use for all pipe bands and for the Royal Regiment of Scotland and all MOD. The kilt is cut for growth, adjustable 11/2 inches up and down(e.g. if you measure 33”, the kilt will go down to 311/2 – 341/2), it can be altered over the years a few inches by unstitching buckles and straps & repositioning them.
Super Hand Finish:
This kilt is 100% traditionally hand cut and made by kiltmakers who are passionate about their work and have over 25 years of experience, they take about a day and a half to two days to make a kilt, with about 7000 hand stitches per kilt. At the back of the top of the kilt you will see tight stitch work. The stitching of the buckles and straps are all reinforced for extra strength. These kiltmakers are a lot older with over 20 or 25 years of experience in the art of kiltmaking. The kilt is cut for growth, adjustable 11/2 inches up and down(e.g. if you measure 33”, the kilt will go down to 311/2 – 341/2 , it can be altered over the years a few inches by unstitching buckles and straps & repositioning them. This kilt can also be stripped down and remade entirely.
All kilts are made normal sett, this is where the pleats are set to repeat the tartan ( front and back of the kilt is the same, this is the most common option and about 80% of people will go for this).
Or we can make it regimental sett, which is where a predominant centre line in the tartan is repeated on every pleat on the back of the kilt. Please add in the comments section if you would prefer to go with this sett and which line to set it to.
We can also do a box pleat at £200 extra
We are a 4th Generation, family run business and we’ve been around since 1909 and have over 100 years of experience in the field of Kilt making. We export kilts worldwide and around half the outfits we make are shipped overseas. You can call any time & we are happy to help you.
At Houston Kiltmakers we aim to make the best kilts for our customers and provide the best accessories that would hopefully last you a lifetime.
All our Kilts are Made in Scotland. Our Kilts can be cut for growth so through time if you lose or gain weight your Kilt can be altered accordingly. We are experts and will check orders thoroughly & make sure in proportion and will look good.
Ewan or Ken will check over your order to make sure everything is correct and in proportion. They will also advise you if you have any questions.
Outfits will take 8-12 weeks to make as long as cloth and products are in stock.
It is best to place your order 6 months to 1 year ahead. Though if you are needing it faster you can contact us before you place your order. Once you have received your outfit, if something does not fit you can contact us and we can change over sizes.
We can express make if you need and cloth is in stock,
Express machine is +£100, about 2-3 weeks delivery
Express Handmade is +£150 3-4 weeks
Please don’t hesitate to contact if you are unsure about any sizing information. Also please see you guide on how to measure below or email us and we can send you videos on how to do so.
Ewans Top Tips:
Kilts are easy to adjust and all stock items can be swapped or returned/exchanged.
We will make sure jacket and kilt length are in proportion to your height.
Measure 3 times.
If unsure on sizing, take photos of yourself front, back and side and let us know what you weigh so we can get an idea of shape and posture and we can see if your sizing is accurate.
Once order is placed you can email if you want us to hold production until you are happy with size closer to the function date.
Self-measuring form:
Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLNvce862UI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbzwsGFqSME
Tips on wearing:
http://www.kiltmakers.com/media/brochures/pdf/2023/Top_Tips_for_wearing.pdf
We are the only kilt shop in the world where you can see every stock tartan, and we can special weave and design any tartan. We also have our own Bute Heather range of tartan for sale & hire.
We are a 4th generation family business, with customers coming to visit our shop from all over the world. Worldwide customers can benefit from international mail ordering and tax free shopping...
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Houston Kiltmakers
67 High street
Paisley
Renfrewshire
PA1 2AY
Scotland