USA Kilts

Tartan Talks Episode 5: House of Edgar

Rocky sits down with Bill and Simon from House of Edgar to talk about the textile industry in Scotland, the kilt business, and more!

 

If you wanna get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com

Kilts & Culture Cast Ep 7

On this Episode, the guys talk about yard work in a kilt, some different hats, the point of having fringe, and more!

 

Content originally aired in August 2019.

 

Join us every two weeks for another episode of one of our podcasts here on our channel or for our Live recording the first Friday of every month on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and TikTok. 

-Can you wear ghillie brogue laces with regular dress shoes?

-How much difference is there between a 16oz heavy weight kilt and a 11oz lightweight kilt in terms of warmth?

-Can you shorten a kilt if you have lost weight and now the kilt is riding lower on your body?

- Is it appropriate to wear a kilt to a funeral?

- Is there any significance to the number of tassels on a sporran? Or any of the other design features? Or is it all just fashion? How does a dress sporran cantle work?

- Why does a kilt apron have fringe?

- Would we ever offer an 18th century style jacket? Could this be an alternative to modern cut jackets if you want a more historical look for your kilt outfit?

- Can you wear a sgian dubh without flashes?

-Alternative hats with a kilt … Irish Walking Hat and Victorian Smoking Cap. 

- What about long kilts for men? Like mid-calf length?

-Is there a traditional-looking kilt that can handle rough work outdoors?

- When kilts get advertised, they might be called “light weight” or “medium weight”, made of different fabrics, and also either available as 5-yard or 8-yard. What do these terms mean in a sales pitch?

- A great kilt made of Polyester Viscose ... why or why not?

- What were the kilts of some of the New York regiments that wore them during the Civil War like? Since they wore kilts then, why is New York one of the only states without an official tartan now?

-What’s a reasonable price to dry clean a kilt? Can you, or should you, try to negotiate a price with a dry cleaner to get better service? What do you think is a fair price for cleaning and hand-ironing a 'proper' kilt?

- Is there an EMS tartan? Have you ever made one to represent a private ambulance service?

-Is a kilt inappropriate attire for church?

- Is there such a thing as formal morning dress with a kilt?

-I have decided to try to sew a kilt, partly as therapy for my hands. What would you recommend as a fabric to sew a first-time kilt? I figured I would use something cheap such as polyester or poly/cotton blends until I get the process down.

-What’s the best way to learn how to make a kilt?

-Construction update.

-When wearing the "white tie equivalent" of Highland Dress (lace cuffs, lace ascot, regulation doublet or sheriffmuir), should you wear a collared shirt and should you tie your ascot under the collar?

Haggis Hunting Ep3 featuring Ally the Piper

Ally the Piper visited us for a few days in March so we invited her to join us for a 'Haggis Hunting' recording. Join us as we discuss our experiences as digital content makers - the audiences, the challenges, the joys and the weirdness. 

Follow Ally: Ally the Piper’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PiperAlly Ally’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/piper.ally 

 

If you wanna get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com

Tartan Talks Episode 4: Kyle Dawson

SPECIAL NOTE: KILTS & CULTURE WILL BE ATTENDING TARTAN DAY IN NYC, 2023! LEARN MORE HERE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/49669...

Rocky sat down with Kyle Dawson; President of the National Tartan Day New York Committee.

This was a really fun interview! Grab a dram, relax and enjoy learning about what all goes into making one of the world's greatest celebrations of Scottish culture - New York City's Tartan Week!

From their site:

"The National Tartan Day New York Committee was formed in 2002 and obtained official nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in 2003 to organize the NYC Tartan Day Parade and all the associated activities that make up NYC Tartan Week. In following its mission to celebrate and spread awareness of the contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States, the committee continually partners with organizations throughout New York City, the United States, and Scotland to present opportunities for those who have or identify with Scottish heritage to connect through more than a dozen Scottish-themed events each year during NYC Tartan Week."

Learn more here: https://www.nyctartanweek.org/

Tartan Talks Episode 3: Dr. Rosie Waine

Rocky talks with Dr. Rosie Waine, Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland and author of ‘Highland Style c.1745-1845’.

Dr. Waine is an expert in historical textiles and the fashion history of the 18th and 19th centuries. Her work at NMS has centered around properly documenting and examining the evolution of Highland Dress during what some people consider its “Golden Age” of development.

Among many things, Rocky and Dr. Waine discuss the history of tartan as an artform and how Highland Dress went from a loose concept to the national dress of Scotland.

From The Book Description: “Ideas about the Scottish Highlands which took hold around the turn of the 19th century remain to the present day – for many people across the world Highland dress, bagpipes and Highland landscapes are the images of Scotland that first spring to mind. National Museums Scotland holds a significant collection of Highland dress and tartan clothing. The aim of Rosie Waine's two-year research project include a survey of the collection and an exploration of how such outfits became an integral part of Scottish identity on a global stage.”

If you want to get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com

Kilts & Culture Cast Ep 6

On this Episode, the guys talk about our Norse accessories, kilt storage, great kilts as formal outfits, and more!

 

Content originally aired on June 2019.

 

Join us every two weeks for another episode of one of our podcasts here on our channel or for our Live recording the first Friday of every month on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and TikTok. 

 

-USA Kilts New Norse Viking Range of Accessories!

-What are the differences between kilt hose flashes and garter ties? Is one better than the other? Is one more traditional than the other? And what is the deal with those “crazy wool fringed flashes”?

- What is a good shoe for a casual kilt outfit?

-What are shooting socks?

-If you’ve only ever worn utilikilts, but want to get into traditional kilts, where is a good place to start?

-Why do kilt belt buckles stand proud and at an angle?

-Is Erik wearing a Northumberland Check or Burns Check kilt?

-Besides a Jacobite shirt, what are some good shirts to wear with a Great Kilt on a regular basis?

 -Can a stag horn sgian dubh be used for formal wear?

-Is it better to leave a kilt pin on even when not wearing it?

-How do you take the measurements of an existing kilt that you have been given?

-What are the differences between the Rise, the Drop and the Length of a kilt?

-Can you wear a great kilt as part of a formal outfit?

-Does one kid of bagpipes sound better than the others? Which type of bagpipes is the best?

-If my pleats go haywire (like from sitting on them wrong or from driving) I will usually fix them by using a garment steam cleaner. I hang the kilt from a shower rod and tug each pleat down individually and gently steam each one straight. I let it fully air-dry. It looks great afterwards, BUT am I damaging the wool in any way by doing this?

-I’m a truck driver and am looking into getting kilts for daily wear and would be purchasing PV. Any suggestions for getting in and out of a Semi? Keeping the pleats crisp?

-I’m just starting to think about kilts. I’ve got varicose veins in my legs, and I have to wear a knee-high compression hose but I don’t want to look ridiculous. What do you think?

-My kilts seem to be multiplying like rabbits in my closet. How did I start off with a hiking kilt and end up with a dozen kilts hanging up in there? Inquiring minds want to know!

-Question about kilt storage...I don’t hear people mentioning the method of hanging the kilt on a peg using the two loops on the kilt liner. I think that’s how the Highland regiments store their kilts in the barracks. Do you guys see any potential problems with long-term storage of kilts in that manner?

-Tartans are recorded by color and thread count...so if you scaled the thread counts up or down evenly, does this then become a different tartan? Ex. Tartan A is 4 Blue, 2 White, 6 Green, 4 Red If Tartan B is 8 Blue, 4 White, 12 Green, 8 Red- then are they the same tartan or technically distinct?

-How is the USA Kilts New Store construction going?

-Why is there a little row of tiny holes in the bottom edge of my kilt?

-Tips for summer heat

-Is it proper to wear a Clan Crest Badge, or other Celtic-Style Brooch, as a Kilt Pin?

Haggis Hunting: ep 2

Today on Haggis Hunting the lads chat about some common myths and urban legends that come with the kilt, Highland Dress and Celtic/Gaelic culture generally. 

A roll of the dice resulted in us discussing:

 

* TARTAN myths.  “My G-G-Grandfather wore the Irish County Donegal tartan”

* Trusting old photographs for “historical evidence” (just a portrait studio with bog standard kit)

* Can’t put a sgian dubh back in it’s sheath without drawing blood

* Sgian dubh is worn on opposite side from your dominant hand as a symbol that you come in peace

* You’ll get beat up for wearing the wrong tartan (not fucking gang colors)

* Ancestry.com says I’m 12% Scottish

 

If you wanna get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com

Tartan Talks: Shaun Takes America

Rocky sits down with our friend Shaun Vlogs of Shaun Takes America to chat about travel in the USA, life in Scotland and what the Scottish identity means today. * Check out Shaun's content here: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaunTakesAmerica

 

If you wanna get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com

Kilts & Culture Cast Ep 5

On this episode, the guys talk about Viking tartans, choosing the right tie, and more!

 

Originally aired on May, 2019.

 

Join us every two weeks for another episode of Kilts & Culture or for our Live recording the first Friday of every month on Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and TikTok. 

Our theme music is Gold and Guns by the Kilmaine Saints. 

• What are the pros and cons of sporran belt hangers?
• Did the Vikings have tartans?
• How popular are utility kilts in the UK?
• For a festival, I am wearing a black utility kilt, clan crest t-shirt, tartan flashes and kilt hose - is this an acceptable look?
• Where did the Brian Boru jacket and vest come from? Is it traditional Irish dress?
• If you had to choose just one type of sporran for any and all occasions / outfits, what would it be?
• If you could have only one pair of shoes to wear with your kilt for any and all occasions, what would it be?
• How did weathered tartans come about? Are weathered tartans traditional?
• What is a dress tartan? Do you have to have a dress tartan for formal events?
• What is the difference between a tweed kilt and a traditional tartan kilt? Are tweed kilts traditional / legitimate Highland dress?
•  What is the best cleaning compound for a metal sporran cantle?
• Can you wear suspenders with a kilt?
• Is it wrong to wear Irish accessories with a Scottish tartan kilt?
• Is it OK to wear a turn-down collar shirt and bow tie with a Prince Charlie jacket and vest?
• What are “cheater pleats” in a great kilt? Do all great kilts have them?
• Where do you get the candies you put in every USA Kilts order???
• Should you always wear a kilt belt and sporran? Do always wear a kilt belt and sporran together?
• What tartan are you wearing today?
• Are spats just for bagpipe band uniforms or can anyone wear them? Can you wear spats with formal Highland wear?
• Should ghillies be tied in the front of the leg, off to the side, or somewhere in between?
• Rant about tying regular shoes as though they are ghillie brogues
• Best out-of-the-blue compliment you ever received whilst out and about kilted?
• When and where is it okay to forego the vest and just wear the Argyll jacket?
• Any advice on shirt and tie colour matching?
• What kind of kilt do you recommend for a stockier person?
• How is the USA Kilts building expansion going?
• How to differentiate between formal, dress, traditional, informal, etc.?

Tartan Talks Episode 1: Ally the Piper

In this episode of Tartan Talks we sit down with musician and TikToker Ally the Piper to talk about music, bagpipes, and more! 

 

If you wanna get social with other kilt enthusiasts, go check out the Kilts & Culture group over on Facebook. You can also find USA Kilts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or over at our website at usakilts.com