Help with a sagging kilt pleatside

[meinfs]

Need advice on how to prevent the kilt's back side from drooping down making the kilt appear longer in the back.

I know that the best solution is a perfect fit or at least a correct hips-to-waist tapering. But even with a seemingly correct taper, I can't help but *feel* that the backside drops a little lower than the front.

Any thought or ideas?

[slohairt]

While a correct hip to waist taper is important, it is also equally important to ensure that there is NO taper from the waist to the top of the kilt. This makes the kilt fit snugly into the small of the back, eliminating the rear sag. If the taper is allowed to continue all the way to the top, the kilt will inevitably slide down until the top rests on the waist.

[ChattanCat]

Some dimensions of the kilt and your self would help.
Your Waist:
The measurement from the edge of the under apron to the farthest belt buckle where the under apron will buckle:
Picture of the pleated section to see if the top of the kilt is equal or bigger than the waist.
Total length of the kilt the same in the front and back?

Maybe we can figure it out together.

[george7]

Are you wearing a belt?

[sydnie7]

Are you wearing a belt?

I was fascinated to learn that, according to the Art of Kiltmaking, belts are supposed to be purely ornamental and should have no part in keeping the kilt in place. Loops are "sporran belt" loops, not "waist belt" loops and over time you can damage your kilt (even a tank, perhaps most especially a tank) if you thread a "waist belt" through them and then apply stress, such as sitting.

Perhaps a minority opinion, or certainly not well-known, based on the photos, observation, and discussion of belt loop sizing on other kiltmaker's sites I've seen.

[turpin]

Some OTR Kilts, such as SWK, taper all the way to the waistband, so I have to use a belt in the loops to keep it from sliding up off the back of the kilt. OTOH, my Tewksbury's need no such help.

[Deeluxkilts]

if the kilt is sagging at the back and it is proparly ballanced, chances are you have a flatter bottom than most, this should of been noticed by the assistant that took your order originaly, that means your kilt should of been hollowed out slightley at the back when it was being made, so fitting better into the curve of your back, fitting better.

to check your kilt is ballanced your front apron at the waist should be exactly half your waist measurment, same on the pleats at he back to the centre of your kilt buckle. again do the same process at the hip line , it should be half your hip size,
hope this helps.
DeeDee

[Aldisimo]

This is how I'd make this alteration on slacks or a skirt. I can't see why it wouldn't work with a kilt.

The idea is to remove the extra fabric from the top, rather than from the hem, so that the garment hangs correctly; you can't just shorten the hem in the back, whether it's a plaid or not. (I'm assuming this is one of the kilts that you've made for yourself.)

1. While you're wearing the kilt, have someone check to see how much sagging there is. I hope it's not more than about 1/2" so you don't disturb the drape of the garment.
2. Remove the waistband behind the aprons (the back waistband, over the pleated area).
3. Chalk a smooth curve from one side (where the waistband is attached) around to the center back and down as far as the sagging, and then up to the other side (where the waistband is attached). You're drawing a new seam line that eliminates the extra sag at the top of the pleated area. Be sure not to draw a line that goes to a point at the center back and then up again to the waistband. It's got to be a smooth curve that continues the seamline from the front, around the back, to the front again.
4. Baste the waistband on so that you can check the alteration.
5. Adjust if necessary. When it's perfect, trim off the excess at the top of the pleats and then re-attach the waistband, being sure to smooth out the whole seam. You might need to extend the re-sewing a little into the apron area.
6. Now that you've raised the back side, you've also raised the fell by the same amount. You have to measure down the amount of your fell from the new back waistline, and stitch the pleats down to that level. At center back the new fell should be exactly the amount that you cut out, and the new fell line should mirror that smooth curve you drew.

Keep a note about it so that you can make the adjustment on future projects before attaching the waistband.

P.S. I have the opposite problem. Because I've got a bubble-butt, whenever I've made slacks for myself I've had to add extra at the center back. If I don't, there's not enough fabric to go around the curve, so the waistband and belt get pulled down in the back. I'll probably need to do this with the kilts I'm making so they don't hike up at the bottom.

[ChattanCat]

This is how I'd make this alteration on slacks or a skirt. I can't see why it wouldn't work with a kilt.

The idea is to remove the extra fabric from the top, rather than from the hem, so that the garment hangs correctly; you can't just shorten the hem in the back, whether it's a plaid or not. (I'm assuming this is one of the kilts that you've made for yourself.)

1. While you're wearing the kilt, have someone check to see how much sagging there is. I hope it's not more than about 1/2" so you don't disturb the drape of the garment.
2. Remove the waistband behind the aprons (the back waistband, over the pleated area).
3. Chalk a smooth curve from one side (where the waistband is attached) around to the center back and down as far as the sagging, and then up to the other side (where the waistband is attached). You're drawing a new seam line that eliminates the extra sag at the top of the pleated area. Be sure not to draw a line that goes to a point at the center back and then up again to the waistband. It's got to be a smooth curve that continues the seamline from the front, around the back, to the front again.
4. Baste the waistband on so that you can check the alteration.
5. Adjust if necessary. When it's perfect, trim off the excess at the top of the pleats and then re-attach the waistband, being sure to smooth out the whole seam. You might need to extend the re-sewing a little into the apron area.
6. Now that you've raised the back side, you've also raised the fell by the same amount. You have to measure down the amount of your fell from the new back waistline, and stitch the pleats down to that level. At center back the new fell should be exactly the amount that you cut out, and the new fell line should mirror that smooth curve you drew.

Keep a note about it so that you can make the adjustment on future projects before attaching the waistband.

P.S. I have the opposite problem. Because I've got a bubble-butt, whenever I've made slacks for myself I've had to add extra at the center back. If I don't, there's not enough fabric to go around the curve, so the waistband and belt get pulled down in the back. I'll probably need to do this with the kilts I'm making so they don't hike up at the bottom.

This may work for slacks and skirts, but it will not work for a traditional knife pleated kilt. You must first start with understanding what is the root cause of the problem. Is the waist band equal to or bigger than the waist. Is the buckle in the proper position for the size of the waist. Was the kilt made by traditional method or is it a economy (shudder) kilt. Is the waist the same as the hips? Is the kilt tailored to the person or is it an off the shelf kilt?

We need more information before we can modify the kilt. Do not cut until you know the root cause of the problem.

[Aldisimo]

So Meinfs, did you resolve the problem? Please share what you did.