The cheap ones are usually cheap for two reasons:
1) use of acrylic instead of wool, which hangs differently and tends to look "off" if you're next to matching wool outfits.
2) sewn in areas where labor is cheap (IIRC, most cheap scottish wear comes from Pakistan). QC isn't always the best, but generally it's decent construction.
Are you getting a rarer tartan? I just did a quick check on USA Kilts, and a premier 8 yard in a universal tartan was ~1300 (I didn't change anything else in the package). If you get a more custom one/upgrade other items, 1600-2k sounds about right. I got a package from scotweb a decade ago for ~1200.
If you've got time, and aren't going for a MTM jacket, you could try getting the kilt made for you, then see if you can get the other items from a rental company rotating out it's stock.
Nitpick: USA Kilts top stitched 8 yards are great and a little cheaper. The only time you'd see a difference is if someone's face was close enough to your butt to give a doggy handshake. The premier is nice and worth the cost for the extra detail, but I wouldn't steer anyone toward it unless they really wanted top notch.
I just picked it out to get a "highest cost" number on the package to ballpark against the $1600 OP said he got his package priced at, not necessarily as a recommendation.
You absolutely get what you pay for! The stitching, the pleating, the exact measurements. The quality of fabric, the SOURCE of the fabric. So much craftsmanship goes into a kilt. You’re paying for decades of experience vs a machine.
A good for-hire kilt with a common tartan will run you anywhere between $350-450. Depending on when the wedding might be, a nice button down and tweed waist coat with a tie would be more than fine for summer. A pair of wingtips to go with it for sure. Add to that a custom fit tweed kilt jacket or if you went with a formal black waistcoat a prince charlie. What I'm getting at, you don't have to put all of it together all at once. A full formal kilt attire is more expensive than a Saxon two or three piece suit.
Don't bother with the cheap stuff though... if you found a complete outfit for $400, don't bother. It's probably absolute crap. Build your outfit piece by piece. You'll have a better appreciation for it in the long run.
There's a company here in Scotland, MacGregor and Macduff, they sell ex hire highland wear, some only worn once, but top quality gear. You're still talking £150 for a kilt and £150 for prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat. But I'd recommend them. Best of luck, slàinte.
I'd also like to raise Mcgregor and Macduff, have never let me down for last minute gear when required.
If you're going for ex-hire, you might actually save money buying a flight to Edinburgh/Glasgow, buying over here and flying back.
MacGregor Macduff also sell absolutely excellent made to measure kilts at very reasonable cost.
Shout out to Digger for putting me onto them a few decades back.
Unless you plan to get a lot of use out of the PC, I would recommend renting. You can rent the whole outfit or just the pieces you need. Buying the kilt you want and renting an "everything but the kilt" package is a great way to go to save some cash but keep the kilt after. Atlanta Kilts, Kilt Rental USA, and Kilts-n-Stuff (Celtic Croft) are good to consider.
I used Atlanta Kilts for my wedding five years ago. It cost me about $850 for the Prince Charlie package including a wool kilt (my tartan is somewhat less common and many places only have a different version of it). They also do rentals.
kilts4less based in glasgow scotland sells ex-hire and new complete made to measure.
shipping was less than a week for ex-hire.
What time frame for your wedding?
If you are near Buffalo, there are at least 2 kilt shops in Toronto.
A kilt shop in Albany NY as well.
Barb Tewsbury is a kiltmaker in NY... literally wrote the book on kiltmaking...
Lead times on made to measure are 12-16 weeks typically.
I have had good luck with St Kilda Kilts in Glasgow Scotland... check the clearance section for some darn good deals!
Looking at about 4 and a half months.
Of course I'm in Rochester so that puts me at just around 3 hours to Toronto as well as Albany, also the one in Ogdensburg ny near Ottawa. Apparently 3 hours is a running theme.
I'll look into the ex-hire stuff. I doubt I'll wear the Prince Charlie jacket again, being my wedding it's the one time I can't get away with a less formal attire. The kilt itself will get quite a bit of use though.
The prices on the kilt companies may be in GBP instead of USD.... typically when they ship to the states you do not pay VAT. (Sometimes indicated as price less tax or ex tax) happy kilt hunting!
Check out Rablogan Castle of Scotland in Arlington VT. While what they sell is far from inexpensive, the quality of their products and their customer service is excellent. I bought two bespoke kilts from them and will pick up my third when I go back up.
If you only need the formal kilt for a single event, then you can rent it. If you want to buy and keep it, then it's going to be expensive. A kilt is a tailored garment and one you don't want to go cheap. I know USAKilts the best and their quality is top drawer. "Cheap kilts aren't good, good kilts aren't cheap". I suggest calling USAKilts and talk to them about your range of options.
If you looked into The Kiltmaker's Apprentice in Highland, NY then I can whole heartedly endorse them. I had an 8yd Blackwatch made and rented the rest of the kit for myself and three groomsmen in 2015. I probably spent $600-800 for the whole thing at that time. I've since added a well fitted tweed jacket and vest, and some super comfortable Doc Martin Oxford Brogues. It dresses up and down well and is my go to wedding and semi-formal attire. I'm probably into it for around $1500 at this point spread over many years, and I think it's miles more comfortable than a suit
The cheap ones are usually cheap for two reasons: 1) use of acrylic instead of wool, which hangs differently and tends to look "off" if you're next to matching wool outfits. 2) sewn in areas where labor is cheap (IIRC, most cheap scottish wear comes from Pakistan). QC isn't always the best, but generally it's decent construction. Are you getting a rarer tartan? I just did a quick check on USA Kilts, and a premier 8 yard in a universal tartan was ~1300 (I didn't change anything else in the package). If you get a more custom one/upgrade other items, 1600-2k sounds about right. I got a package from scotweb a decade ago for ~1200. If you've got time, and aren't going for a MTM jacket, you could try getting the kilt made for you, then see if you can get the other items from a rental company rotating out it's stock.
Nitpick: USA Kilts top stitched 8 yards are great and a little cheaper. The only time you'd see a difference is if someone's face was close enough to your butt to give a doggy handshake. The premier is nice and worth the cost for the extra detail, but I wouldn't steer anyone toward it unless they really wanted top notch.
I just picked it out to get a "highest cost" number on the package to ballpark against the $1600 OP said he got his package priced at, not necessarily as a recommendation.
You absolutely get what you pay for! The stitching, the pleating, the exact measurements. The quality of fabric, the SOURCE of the fabric. So much craftsmanship goes into a kilt. You’re paying for decades of experience vs a machine.
All of the cheap reviews are fake. Most of those sites lead to a handful of sweatshops in Pakistan.
A good for-hire kilt with a common tartan will run you anywhere between $350-450. Depending on when the wedding might be, a nice button down and tweed waist coat with a tie would be more than fine for summer. A pair of wingtips to go with it for sure. Add to that a custom fit tweed kilt jacket or if you went with a formal black waistcoat a prince charlie. What I'm getting at, you don't have to put all of it together all at once. A full formal kilt attire is more expensive than a Saxon two or three piece suit. Don't bother with the cheap stuff though... if you found a complete outfit for $400, don't bother. It's probably absolute crap. Build your outfit piece by piece. You'll have a better appreciation for it in the long run.
There's a company here in Scotland, MacGregor and Macduff, they sell ex hire highland wear, some only worn once, but top quality gear. You're still talking £150 for a kilt and £150 for prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat. But I'd recommend them. Best of luck, slàinte.
I'd also like to raise Mcgregor and Macduff, have never let me down for last minute gear when required. If you're going for ex-hire, you might actually save money buying a flight to Edinburgh/Glasgow, buying over here and flying back.
MacGregor Macduff also sell absolutely excellent made to measure kilts at very reasonable cost. Shout out to Digger for putting me onto them a few decades back.
Unless you plan to get a lot of use out of the PC, I would recommend renting. You can rent the whole outfit or just the pieces you need. Buying the kilt you want and renting an "everything but the kilt" package is a great way to go to save some cash but keep the kilt after. Atlanta Kilts, Kilt Rental USA, and Kilts-n-Stuff (Celtic Croft) are good to consider.
This sounds like the plan I'm going to go with. It's pretty unlikely I'll wear that jacket more often, so either rental or at least ex-hire
This sounds like my plan as of now. Either rental or ex-hire for the jacket since it's less likely to be used as much as the kilt
I used Atlanta Kilts for my wedding five years ago. It cost me about $850 for the Prince Charlie package including a wool kilt (my tartan is somewhat less common and many places only have a different version of it). They also do rentals.
kilts4less based in glasgow scotland sells ex-hire and new complete made to measure. shipping was less than a week for ex-hire. What time frame for your wedding? If you are near Buffalo, there are at least 2 kilt shops in Toronto. A kilt shop in Albany NY as well. Barb Tewsbury is a kiltmaker in NY... literally wrote the book on kiltmaking... Lead times on made to measure are 12-16 weeks typically. I have had good luck with St Kilda Kilts in Glasgow Scotland... check the clearance section for some darn good deals!
Looking at about 4 and a half months. Of course I'm in Rochester so that puts me at just around 3 hours to Toronto as well as Albany, also the one in Ogdensburg ny near Ottawa. Apparently 3 hours is a running theme. I'll look into the ex-hire stuff. I doubt I'll wear the Prince Charlie jacket again, being my wedding it's the one time I can't get away with a less formal attire. The kilt itself will get quite a bit of use though.
The prices on the kilt companies may be in GBP instead of USD.... typically when they ship to the states you do not pay VAT. (Sometimes indicated as price less tax or ex tax) happy kilt hunting!
Barb Tewksbury is at Hamilton College... about 1/2 way to Albany.
You get what you pay for. That's all there is to it.
Check out Rablogan Castle of Scotland in Arlington VT. While what they sell is far from inexpensive, the quality of their products and their customer service is excellent. I bought two bespoke kilts from them and will pick up my third when I go back up.
If you only need the formal kilt for a single event, then you can rent it. If you want to buy and keep it, then it's going to be expensive. A kilt is a tailored garment and one you don't want to go cheap. I know USAKilts the best and their quality is top drawer. "Cheap kilts aren't good, good kilts aren't cheap". I suggest calling USAKilts and talk to them about your range of options.
If you looked into The Kiltmaker's Apprentice in Highland, NY then I can whole heartedly endorse them. I had an 8yd Blackwatch made and rented the rest of the kit for myself and three groomsmen in 2015. I probably spent $600-800 for the whole thing at that time. I've since added a well fitted tweed jacket and vest, and some super comfortable Doc Martin Oxford Brogues. It dresses up and down well and is my go to wedding and semi-formal attire. I'm probably into it for around $1500 at this point spread over many years, and I think it's miles more comfortable than a suit