length adjustment?

[DWFII]

I started off looking hard at Stillwater Kilts. I wanted to purchase one of their heavyweights. Then I rented a kilt to wear to my daughters wedding. It was made by LochCarron. It measured 22" from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the selvage and fit me perfectly when I wore the kilt up under my ribcage.

So...you all know that Stillwater Kilts are all 24" long...period....no exceptions, according to the emails I have received from them.

What I am wondering (inspired by another thread) is what would happen if the buckles were moved downward?

Wouldn't that force the kilt to ride higher on the body?

If military kilts were worn high and higher as a means of adjusting the length, wouldn't forcing a civilian kilt to ride higher on the torso be the same principle?

Or, is there something I'm not seeing that faults this theory?

[Galician]

I have seen in other posts that the owner of Stillwater (Larry?) does indeed make adjusts in the length of the kilt on a special order basis. I myself haven't checked into this because it hasn't been clear to me if there is an extra charge involved.

So if you get any information, please post it here!

[Finn]

Actually, Jerry stopped tailoring them. He tells customers to have them hemmed. I know because I asked him.
DWFII~ I don't have an answer for you. Sorry.

[Bugbear]

DWFII, I can say without a doubt that only moving the buckles downward on the kilt will not work. First, there is a strap hole in the overapron for the left strap. Second the StillWater kilt is tapered all the way to the top, has no stabilizer, and carries some of the buckle/strap tention in the waistband at the top. The whole top of the kilt would need to be rebuilt, and a rise and stabilizer added at the very least.

That being said, I only know what I have read from Barb and the Wizard. I have absolutely no kiltmaking skills, and if one or all of our kiltmakers wants to say I am wrong, I will happily apologize and say I am wrong.

* Guess you would also need to adjust the steeking line at the bottom of the fell in the rebuild...Probably other stuff too...

[svc40bt]

You would have to close up the old "buttonhole" for the left strap and create a new one. Also, I believe (although I have no personal experience with a Stillwater) that the waist is tapered, so you would probably need to adjust the pleat stitching as well.

I am sure someone with more experience and expertise will be along shortly to give you a better idea of the feasibility and time required.

[Spc. Scott]

I have a bit of the same problem and had mine hemmed. It doesn't seem to detract from the way the pleats swing at all and as you can imagine you can only hike one up so far and then it's going to be uncomfortable.

I tried it first on a thrifty and the bit of extra weight on the bottom feels like it helps a bit against the wind. So I ended up do it to all of the ones I have.

Hope this helps.

[Carolina Kiltman]

Just to throw in my tuppence worth, hemming up (shortening) a kilt is not too hard a job, just takes a bit of patience. Any competent seamstress could be able to do it. (be prepared to pay for hand work, as I have never seen a sewing machine that can blind stitch as unobtrusively as when done by hand.)

Good Luck.