Hi All! In this episode we try some Scotch...and somehow are still able to go on to answer a lot of questions. 

Our sponsor spot this week talks about our very own Wish List Tool. Here's the Link:https://www.usakilts.com/customer/account/login/

 

And here are the topics...

Scotch tasting - Lagavulin

Recommendations on packing kilts in luggage to minimize wrinkles when traveling?

What are good knocking about shoes to wear with a kilt?

What are the best shoes for a woman to wear with a kilt or kilted skirt?

What is the best option for a dress jacket for someone who is both large and also very tall?

What height / size were the tallest and biggest customers we have ever fitted for a kilt or jacket?

How do you combat the “front pleat popping out” problem? Or can you?

How can I get my own personal custom tartan? What is the average cost for tartan design service/assistance?

         Short Answer: 2 hours $150, 4 hours $300, Complete Design + Registration: $500

Is the Ulster tartan a universal tartan anyone can wear?

Is there any protocol or tradition to help you choose an appropriate kilt pin? Plus refresher on kilt pin placement.

Authentic shoes or ghillie brogues for wearing to the Renaissance faire or other historical events?

What are the colors of Celtic Iberia?

When buying a great kilt, does height come into play or just waist size?

Why are some tartans only available in certain “weights”. 13-oz or 16-oz but not both?

Head-wear options for Highland dress?

When you run errands, what is your outfit composed of?

Can you wear a newsboy cap with a kilt?

Do you watch Outlander?

If I wear a PV kilt, should I say it is not a real kilt but just an imitation to save money? Is a non-wool kilt a real kilt?

Differences between Kilt belts, Kilt straps, sporran chains and sporran straps.

What’s the history behind the Irish saffron kilt?

Kilt pins for men and women both? And how do you wear a kilt pin?

Origins of the kilt pin. Is it true that Queen Victoria is responsible for the kilt pin?

Fabric durability suggestions. How well do kilt fabrics hold up to rugged outdoor work?

What is the best way to keep your modesty in a kilt? Especially if you have to climb up a ladder in a kilt or get down on your hands and knees working on the floor?

I want to get a lapeled waistcoat in my family tartan. On your website it asks if is it is to be worn with a kilt or pants. What’s the difference?

Outerwear in the Northeast during winter.    --- peacoat/bomber/eisenhower tweeds

In this episode, we discuss balancing tradition with modern fashion and and modern thought about style. How do you express heritage while also expressing yourself? Can a traditional fashion be to much or over the top? Should you care? 

 

Should a husband and wife wear the same tartan? His tartan? Or should they / can they wear the tartans of their individual families?

Are there different types of sporrans? How do sporran types differ in terms of size, shape, capacity, etc?

Do you have to wear a Jabot with a Montrose Doublet or can you wear other types of ties?

Technical difficulties, Soccer and Erik sings the theme song!

What is the best way to size down a kilt if you’ve lost a considerable amount of weight?

Why there is sometimes extra cloth in a kilt?

Extra cloth, lifetime kilts and the state of kilt making as an industry.

Is it proper or improper to wear a tartan necktie with a tartan kilt?

Is it odd for a woman to wear a man’s kilt?

Can you mix brown and black leathers? Do my shoes need to match my kilt belt? Can I wear brown leathers (Sporran, belt, etc) with a kilt that’s primarily blue or some other bright color?

After you put on your kilt,  do you put on the sporran and then the belt, or do you put on the belt and then the Sporran?  Does the sporran strap go under or over the waist belt?

Can you wear spats as part of formal Highland wear?

Do Germans wear a kilt as traditional dress? What does German Heritage kilt mean?

Lucas is back for the second half of his visit with us in the studio. We cover a lot fo hoighland wear territory, but we also get some relly cool insights into the state of bagpiping in the modern age. Here we go.....

How difficult (what’s the cost) is it to “let out” a kilt? The first kilt I bought seems to have shrunk over the years. Can a kilt be expanded? Can you resize a kilt?

How well do highland pipe skills translate to playing other forms of bagpipe?

Is there such a thing as 16 oz poly-viscose?

Is it ok for someone without any celtic family history to wear a kilt? I’m mostly German, Italian and French ancestry. What a tartan is best for me to wear?

Best outfit options for a Scottish backyard wedding?

Are stock size kilt jackets ok for men who are bigger around the middle than the chest? Is a custom jacket better for a big guy?

Is there an electric set of pipes? Are there electronic bagpipes?

Is there any significance to the 'weathered' or 'muted' version of tartans? Or is it just a look/style type of thing?

Are Argyll jackets loser or more boxy than regular suit jackets?

I have large calves and have trouble finding kilt hose that stretch and fit. Any ideas?

What is the proper way to wear a kilt? Around the belly button or around the hips?

Can you wear a Sgian Dubh and Dirk at the same time?

What’s your preferred method and approach to practicing bagpipes on your own? (In other words, what do you recommend in terms of amount of time spent in practice, and what to focus on in that practice?)

Are there different mouth openings for different pipe chanters?

How many yards do you need to make a kilt?

In this episode Erik is on vacation, so we are joined by our resident bagpipe expert, Lucas. Lucas is also our store manager here so he fields plenty of questons about highland dress as well as bagpipes. Here's what we covered this session:

 

I have an older set of pipes, lamb bag. The bag is stiff and brittle and they no longer play. I was given them years ago, and they sat for most of the time. How much does it cost to have the bag replaced and the pipes checked over?

What is an ancient kilt? Is an ancient kilt the same as a great kilt?

Who invented the short kilt? Was the modern kilt invented by an Englishman?

Have you designed any custom tartans for customers?

How can you tell if a tartan will look better to pleated to the stripe or the sett?

I would like to get a tweed jacket and kilt accessories (vest, tie, new hose, flashes and sporran) that compliment the kilt I already have. Do you offer consultation on what looks good with a kilt someone already owns?

Should pipe bands always have all the members using the same chanter reeds?

What steps should I take to learn the bagpipes?

What’s involved in making a kilt from a rare tartan? How do you price them?

I ordered my first kilt from you. Any words of wisdom or guidance?

How high should kilt hose be and how to you adjust the cuff? Especially if you are a shorter person -- what do you do with the excess fabric?

Is it OK to mix metals in accessories?

What is the proper way to wear a kilt?

What is formal headwear for Highland dress and when do you wear it?

Is a PV kilt warm enough to wear in the winter? How do you stay warm in a kilt? I would like to wear my kilt this winter. I live in upstate New York.

Can you play tunes from other countries on the highland bagpipes?

Can you wear the tartan of a different branch of your clan or tartans of other clans?

Tweed kilts and contemporary kilts with pockets such as 21st Century Kilts designs.

In this session we wound up answering a number of questions about accessory details. The watch-word for us is always "context." However it IS possible to go too casual or too "out there" with a kilted outfit. We also offer some basic advice on how to get your spouse to wear a kilt for the first time. 

Here's  the complete question list:

What kilt jacket can I use for my wedding and also other events afterwards?

What is a Piper Flex jacket?

What is a ruche tie and are they any good?

How often should you wash a kilt? How do you wash a Jacobite shirt?

How do you find a good dry cleaner?

What are some traditional Scottish headwear options?

Which is better for heat - a five-yard or eight-yard kilt?

Klt hose or no hose for casual summer wear - and do shoe types matter?

Are Jacobite shirts / Highland shirts / Ghillie shirts traditional or just a costume?

When does a shirt get too busy to wear with a kilt? Can you wear a striped shirt with a kilt?

Kilt hose for guys with thick calves?

Can you wear compression socks with a kilt?

How do I get my husband to wear a kilt?

Kilt with sandals?

A mini-episode we pulled together. Short and sweet and including the answer to why you don't see purple tartans in Scottish history.

Here's the order of questons for this week:

Any new USAK tartans coming out?

Can a kilt be altered after weight loss? / Can you resize and kilt? 

Where can I find the status of my USAK order?

Does USA Kilts offer Tartan Trews in Polyviscose? / What are tartan trews? 

What is a good kilt for playing golf? / Do you play golf in a kilt?

How can I get a custom tartan for personal or band use?

Do leather straps on a kilt matter?

Why don’t you see a lot of clan tartans with the color purple in them?

Are there Marvel superhero tartans?

Questions answered in this episode:

 

What tartans can I wear if my name doesn’t have one associated with it?

Can I wear a kilt belt with a Prince Charlie jacket?

When is it appropriate to wear a hackle on a Glengarry hat?

Why is the depth of pleats different from kilt to kilt?

Why would I need more than one kilt?

How did Rocky start in the kilt business?

How do you use a public restroom in a kilt?

How do you fit a kilt when the hip measurement is smaller than the waist measurement? Ie. If your belly is bigger than your hips or you have “no butt”.

Is it OK to wear a hat with my kilt? What kind of hat should I wear with my kilt?

Can you wear a Fly Plaid with a Tuxedo?

How do I plan a kilt outfit for my wedding?

In this episode:

When is a 5-yard kilt better than an 8-yard kilt?

How do you find your family tartan if the name is unusual?

What is a Scottish Bonnet / Balmoral / Tam?

Can you wear a dress word with a kilt?

What do we think of cargo pockets for kilts?

Why do we use Velcro on our Casual Kilts?

Why is a traditional kilt worn so high on the belly?

Are Sgian Dubhs sharp?

How do you determine what shoes to wear with a kilt? Do you wear athletic socks or kilt hose with hiking boots? Can you wear sneakers with a kilt?

What is your favorite black boot?

What is the proper placement of a Fly Plaid?

Does USA Kilts make solid color kilts?

Does USA Kilts make Day Plaids?

Sashes and Renn fair kilt outfits

Hi Guys!

A slightly shorter episode, but some good questions which were submitted to us from our customers and fans...

Do you have to be a bagpiper to wear a Piper’s plaid?

What’s the difference between a Scottish and an Irish kilt outfit?

What is a Brian Boru jacket?

How do you do a handfasting?

What’s the difference between a Dirk and a Sgian Dubh?

Does an 8-yard kilt really have 8 yards of cloth in it?

What is the difference between 13-oz and 16-oz tartan cloth?

Should I wear a tweed jacket to a wedding, or should I wear a Prince Charlie or Argyll ?

How do I choose which family tartan to wear?

When wearing a tie with a kilt, how long should it be?

Are some tartans harder to get than others?