'Civvy' vs ' Army' kilts
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- čas přidán 21. 03. 2018
- in which I show the difference between 'civilian' and 'army' kilt tailoring practices.
Some contractors (naming no names) are applying 'civilian' tailoring practices to military contracts - with the consequential higher cost to the Crown and thus also to the taxpayer.
They shouldn't do that.
Hello! I have a few questions about fabrics and kilts in general for you. I heard you mention Dalgleish (forgive me if my spelling is off) as a reputable fabric in another video. Is that a brand of fabric or a style of making the fabric?
As for my other questions, where does one go about buying fabric that is quality material? And is it more economical to have a kilt made than to make one on your own?
My dad is so proud of our Scottish roots, and he would really like to have a kilt. He's asked me to make one for him (I have experience sewing Civil War reenactment dresses), but I'm not sure that I am up to the task. What do you recommend?
Thank you for your enquiry, I refer to the firm of DC Dalgliesh Ltd (dcdalgliesh.co.uk/), who make the finest kilt-cloth available today.
- Which of course leads to your 2nd question to which my answer must be; If you can't find a retailer that offers cloth made by Dalgliesh then buy it from the mill yourself!
You'll receive a well-made** kilt If you have a kilt made for you - but you'll certainly pay more than if you do it yourself. Doing it yourself will cost less - and you'll learn as you go! (** IF you pick a good worker - I have my opinions about some others in the trade....)
please contact me through my website and we'll keep this discussion going there!
Best of luck!
Hello - Do you hem the fabric at the bottom or do you use the selvedge to avoid fraying at the bottom of the pleats?
I don't know much about kilts, I'm just getting interested, but I can tell that the 'apron' part, or the end of the fabric, is just ripped along the weave rather than cut and hemmed as would be done in modern times with any other garment.
I assume this is just what was traditionally done since tartans were extremely tightly woven by hand which would prevent fray - but it seems the bottoms of kilts do not have any fringe.
Do all modern kilt makers take advantage of the selvedge for this, or is hemming ever employed?
Thank you very much in advance for any responce, and thank you for providing historical information with this video.
Thank you for your question!
the lower edge of a properly-made kilt is NEVER hemmed but rather takes advantage of the selvedge edge.
the ends of the cloth are 'cut' at the mill before it is shipped, but I then rip the ends to get a perfectly-straight edge.
@@robertmacdonaldbespokekilt3063 Thank you so much for your fast reply, I will be sure to remember that a proper kilt should NEVER be hemmed - in case I ever attempt to make one.
I hope you have a good time of day whenever it is in Canada right now
- Best regards from Scandinavia.
@@lupa1445 Haha yes, I get quite worked-up about the subject of 'hems' on kilts!
Thank you - it's 17hr Pacific Time,. and there's a wee bit of cloud but it's fairly warm.
To hear you speak of a "pile of old Seaforth kilts behind me" saddens me. My maternal grandfather, a Scot, fought with the 1st Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders through the Great War. With the amalgamation of the Highland Regiments over the years, so much of the character of those units has been lost, and the Mackenzie tartan is no longer worn in the British Army. Here in Canada, we still have a "Seaforth Highland Regiment" active within our Reserves. I'd love to have one of those kilts... perhaps one day I will be able to afford to have a Mackenzie kilt, pleated to the stripe, made so that I can wear it in his memory...
No need to feel sad - that 'pile of old Seaforth kilts' were certainly 'old' (some dating to the 1930s) but not discarded - I had been hired by the Seaforth RQMS (Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant) to repair and refurbish them, they have since been returned to QM Stores of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (1SHC), whereupon they were issued to another generation of Seaforth soldiers.
BTW: the Seaforth of Canada are possibly unique in the Commonwealth in that they were not merely 'affiliated' with the (British) Seaforth Highlanders: RHQ Seaforth at Fort George was actively involved in the raising and equipping of the then 72nd Highlanders of Canada - even so far as to send a small cadre of Snr NCOs - including our first RSM, Mr. Nelson. It was not long after (during the Great War) that Fort George held the opinion that the Canadian Seaforth was a full member of the regimental family - that one battalion that just happened to be stationed in Vancouver. Indeed, when the Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders were amalgamated in 1961, Field-Marshal Sir James Cassels said to our Brigadier JA Clark "Now you are the last of us - the last of the Seaforth!"
@@robertmacdonaldbespokekilt3063 Thank you very much for that, sir. I do appreciate your reply. Shortly after commenting, I ran across another of your videos, specifically regarding the care and feeding of a refurbed Seaforths kilt, and deduced that you were in fact here in Canada rather than the UK as I had initially thought. (Your reference to the Cadets cemented that.) I am glad to see kilts with such heritage and history being passed on to a new generation.
I agree with your thoughts regarding the cost factors. While I DO find it a shame that we have to pinch pennies to outfit our troops in their proper dress uniforms and are essentially FORCED to pass down 80 year old kit to our soldiers, under our current political regime, I suppose we should just be happy they aren't still being issued Lee-Enfields. I am thrilled to see that there are those like yourself who have risen to the occasion and are ensuring that Canada's Highland Battalions, in their full regalia, continue to be a viable component of the CF. My wife, for the record, is an ex-Camerons CI. Thank you, sir, for all you do for the Seaforths... my grandfather would be quite proud to see it.
@@dalekidd420 Thank you for your kind remarks.
I have no problems with passing down 'antique' kit (when you amortize the cost of a kilt over that lifespan it becomes cheap at the cost) and at the risk of courting argument I'd rather a political environment that takes its military a bit for granted over one that lionizes it to the point of 'worship', as a certain English-speaking nation does to an unhealthy degree.