Kilt Sizing - Argyll & Sutherland

[EndTheTrendNow]

My first Kilt came in yesterday and I have a sizing question. Unfortunately when looking for older kilts, the limited supply means I have limited options on which to buy. I decided to go for one that I though might be close.

Obviously from my wife's expression when I tried it on, I was a little off. She said I looked like I was wearing a dress. :-)

The kilt was made in 1948 and was made for a person 5-11" - 6 foot, at least according to the label. Waist is 32.

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Now since it was made in 48, I wasn't quite certain if a 32 was actually today's typical 32 which seems to have gotten bigger. I typically wear a size 30 US and I stand about 5'9"

When I tried the kilt on the kilt hung below my knees. Most pictures I see have the kilt above the knees.

I would say based on trying it on I would need a 2-4 inches taken off the bottom and probably could take about 3-5 inches taken off the waist.

My question is how big a job is this and what am I looking at cost wise to get it altered? I live in Austin, Texas, so if you have suggestions I am open to them.

[The Wizard of BC]

This is a very common thing that I see in the kilt shop on an almost daily basis.

Very few guys today actually know what their waist measurement is. They have never put a tape measure around themselves. They use their pants size.

The way kilts are measured is quite different.

To find your true waist size take a tape measure and measure in inches your natural waist. The natural waist is NOT were you wear your blue jeans. It is actually very high on the body.

To find your natural waist place a finger at your side right under your ribs. Bend in, towards your finger and you will feel it go into a hollow. This is almost up at kidney level.
If you were to put a strap up at your natural waist it would cover your short ribs in the back and be 3 to 4 fingers below your sternum or breast bone.
Notice that I have not referenced your naval. The position of the naval changes. A heavier man will have a naval significantly lower than a thin man.

A Traditional style of kilt like the old military ones are designed to have the top straps cinched into the natural waist. This means that the top banding of the kilt may be up, over your ribs and may be 2 to 4 inches above the natural waist.

Most of the old military kilts are made for 18 or 19 year old kids. This is why the sizing is usually so small.
To determine if your kilt is too small in the waist look to see if the outer apron overlaps the underapron fully. If you see any under-apron peeking out the kilt is too small in the waist.

If the kilt is too long and is below the top of your knee cap check the length of the bottom of the Fell. This is the area in the back of the kilt which is tapered and sewn down. The bottom of the Fell should be right at the crest or widest part of the hips and butt. It also happens to be about the same place as your hip joint.
If the bottom of the Fell is lower than your hip joint the kilt is too long in the waist or is being worn too low.

To alter one of these old military kilt is quite an operation. You cannot simply cut off the bottom. If you will notice there is no hem in your kilt. The bottom of the kilt is known as a Selvedge. That is the way it comes right off the loom. It will not fray and does not need a hem like a skirt does. This is one of the hallmarks of a kilt.

To shorten a kilt that is too long you do so from the top down. This usually involves a total re-build of the kilt because hidden inside the kilt under the lining you see inside is the whole secret to these garments.
Hidden behind the lining are the stabilizer and interfacings. The interfacings act to add vertical stiffness to the kilt helping it to stand up. The stabilizer gives the kilt horizontal strength so that strapping it on and the stress of wearing the kilt are not transferred to the stitching or the wool fabric itself. The outer Tartan fabric must be allowed to drape naturally.

In a kilt it is not the stitching or the outer fabric that gives the kilt is strength like in Blue Jean construction. A traditional kilt is the most complex garment next to a man's custom made suit coat.

If the kilt you purchased does not fit the best advice is to sell it and find one that does fit. To have one of these old kilts tailored to fit you really need the services of a kiltmaker who is familiar with this type of construction. The labor cost is usually as much, and possibly more, than to have another kilt made from scratch.

I'm sorry about the bad news but this is what kilts are. They are not simple skirts made from any plaid fabric. A kiltmaker who makes this type of kilt will spend between 40 and 80 man-hours to take one of these apart and re-build it. If you think about it realistically ask yourself what you get paid for 10 days work.

[EndTheTrendNow]

thanks for the info.

I was definitely thinking about selling it, but I got a reference to a kilt seamstress who has worked on kilts like mine for a very long time. I just got off the phone with her. Based on talking with her, it looks like she can do what needs to be done without a problem. She said it will definitely be under $200 and will be coming over to personally measure me and pick up the kilt.

I am hoping that when all is said in done I will not be more than $400 into it and will have a kilt that fits perfectly. I am also hoping that I will have a bunch of tartan swatches from the material that gets removed that I can sell.

I figured to try to find a kilt from WW2 era that is in really good condition and that would fit me, would be pretty tough.

[OC Richard]

"When I tried the kilt on the kilt hung below my knees. Most pictures I see have the kilt above the knees."

The kilt is correct (or nearly correct, your're 5'9" and the kilt was made for a 5'11" man) you're just wearing it far too low. Keep lifting it up until the bottom is around the tops of your knee-caps; this is the original correct height it was intended to be worn at.

Civilian kilts are supposed to be higher in the waist than trousers, far higher in the waist than blue jeans, and military kilts higher yet. Personally I think it's sad for a nice vintage military kilt to be cut up so that it sits low on the hips like pants.

The top buckle on the wearer's right, and the single buckle on the wearer's left, should be at your natural waist, not around the hips. The kilt probably has the traditional military 4-inch "rise" which is the distance between the buckles and the top of the kilt.

Here's the high rise of a military kilt; the top strap/buckle will be at the wearer's natural waist, rather above where the top of trousers are nowadays. And then the kilt goes 4" higher than that!

[Mike S]

I concur 100% with Richard. Although many resist the conventional rise on traditional kilts, it is in fact how they were originally designed to be worn.

And it would indeed be a shame to cut up a fine, older kilt unless it is truly the ONLY way that you can wear and enjoy it.

[EndTheTrendNow]

Found a pretty good picture showing some guys wearing older kilts. All of them way above the waist line and some showing suspenders. It seems the proper length would be to show the knee cap and some where below the chest, but not necessarily way below based on these pictures.

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