Seven days without a post makes one weak

[MacLowlife]

Since nobody else seems to have much to say, I will ask this question:

How much difference does it make to you that most Saxon waistcoats are cut a little longer than kilt-specific waistcoats? Do you wear them with your kilt anyway? Do you alter them in some fashion? If you ordinarily wear a "long" have you worn "regular" waistcoats with your kilt? Can anyone comment on the general lowering of men's waistlines (observed as opposed to actual) and the effect of this trend on waistcoats?

I have a couple of backless formal waistcoats that can be adjusted for height. I also have at least one that is not backless and not adjustable. I have worn it with my kilt even if it is a little too long.

Does the size and shape of one's belly affect the length at which one wears his waistcoat? I see pictures of young guys with waistcoats ending far enough above their trousers that their belt buckles are completely uncovered.

I have seen a similar look in rental kilt outfits, where it clearly looks wrong, especially with a hefty waistplate below the waistcoat.

Comments?

[Bugbear]

I turned the bottem edge up in a new, angled hem on my corduroy waistcoat, MacLowlife. Perhaps I should have turned it up to make a strait hem bottem because it made the points a little pointier No one said anything about it, but... it's probably wrong.

[gary meakin]

Not having a kilt waistcoat. I didn't know this was the case.
However, I got a suit from my brother who outgrew it.
Considering a conversion, I put the waistcoat on with my Argyle jacket and it came to the bottom of my jacket.
I saw a waistcoat here somewhere that someone had hemmed off on a straight line and I liked it. So that is my plan.
There is no size marking in the suit so I just thought it was a 44 long

[Tobus]

I have a very short torso, so I have to alter any waistcoat to fit me right anyway. But yes, I do prefer my kilt waistcoats to be shorter than their Saxon equivalents.

[xman]

I have a modern suit length waistcoat, but I don't wear it much with the kilt. It rides up and doesn't fit right. I ave been lucky enough to catch a few older style waistcoats when pants actually came up to the natural waist and they fit fine ... well, one's a little tight.

[Cygnus]

Looking at pictures of historical styles and men's dress, I can't help but think that up to 40 or 50 years ago men wore their trousers at their true waists, so waistcoat lengths appeared to be about the same as they were/are with kilts. There's a reason today's stereotypical "old geezer" (as seen in television media) wears his trousers high.

As trouser waist heights continue to move toward the ankles, it seems the few vests on the market have gotten longer to accommodate; though not fast enough, as almost all the men I see wearing waistcoats have at least a little of their shirt peeking out between the bottom edge of the waistcoat and the top of their trousers.

I can sometimes get by wearing a short sized waistcoat with a kilt, but my normal-length ones end up well behind the sporran so I tend not to wear them.

One thing that I would like to see is a return to wearing braces (suspenders) with trousers - particularly the button-on variety. They just seem classier than having one's belt sticking out below a waistcoat and more "grown up" than the clip-on variety. Not only that, but they help to prevent the "shirt gap" developing between trousers and waistcoats.

[Blake Roth]

I must confess to only having, at present, a matching highland green tweed argyll and waistcoat and a black dress vest from years ago. I really don't care for the very low waistline of the vest and would rather just donate it and get a new one made in a different tweed or else take a gamble and try one of the non-tweed types (ie. Gentleman's Emporium). If it would happen to be too long, I would use those latent, rudimentary sewing skills I have to correct it because as we all know, generally speaking, Long=Slovenly.

[creagdhubh]

I never have this problem. One of the benefits of owning bespoke garments - made to my EXACT measurements. And even some of my 'off-the-peg' items, specifically wasitcoats (42-44R), fit me almost as good as their bespoke counterparts.

Slainte,

[Zardoz]

Like Tobus, I'm 'short waisted' to start with and the kilt exaggerates that issue. So every waistcoat you see me wearing with a kilt, including Highlandwear ones, have been shortened to some degree.

I recently modified a couple of 5 button saxon vests, they were hemmed up about 2 inches at the bottom, and taken in about another 2 inches at the shoulder.

[Bugbear]

MacLowlife, I don't know that this thought belongs in the traditional kilt forum, and I think I've burned too many bridges here, but...

I was thinking it might look interesting to have curved rather than pointed bottoms on the waistcoat; a wide, flattened "W" shape of sorts. Perhaps it might look nice with the curved cutaway of the kilt jacket?