Military patches for rank on kilt?

[Teffer]

Newbie here with a specific question:

My stepdad, a retired Army Ranger, saw a man at the Alma, MI Highland Festival last year wearing what he recalls as a ultikilt with his rank badges sewn on his right thigh. We are attempting to remake this for him in secret for a Christmas present. I ordered a black kilt as per his preference, but I can't find pictures online anywhere of something like this to help me with attaching them to the kilt. Sadly, I didn't see that gentleman, so I'm trying to recreate it from hints plucked from his memory. Can the X-markers help me find pictures or give me some guidance? My Google-Fu has failed me.

[BobsYourUncle]

There is no "standard", or "rules" for what you suggest, if it looked good, go for it.

However, in Scottish regiments of the British Army, basic rank insignia have never been worn on the kilt itself, they are worn on whatever clothing covers the body or head, the tunic, or doublet, shell jacket, shirt, etc. The only rank insignia worn on the kilt itself are rosettes as in the Black Watch Officers, Senior NCOs or Pipers, or as in the former Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, embroidered kilt panel in front and two rosettes on a back pleat, again for Officers, Senior NCOs and Pipers. See the attached photos of the Argylls Kilt Panel and Rosettes, also the attached photo of Pipe Majors in India show the Black Watch PM on the far right, also showing the kilt Rosettes on his kilt. Pipers in some other regiments also wore Rosettes on the front kilt panel, but that was about all in the way of Rank insignia.

[ASinclair]

Hello, Teffer!



The only thing I have ever seen attached to the kilt is a kilt pin.

[Hawk]

I'd like to comment on this, but only as a Vet, here in the States. Is this something that he might wear only a few times a year, during Veterans ceremonies, or holidays?
I'm at work now and will comment more later today....

Hawk

[Downunder Kilt]

You are talking modern utikikilt style here, Most of those type kilts have a narrower apron than a a traditional style kilt. One has to decide whether you want the rank badges sewn on the right edge of the apron or a little further around to the right onto one of the pleats. Depending on the number of badges you are talking about, you could start about 3" from the bottom of the kilt and just go up in a vertical line from there. BobsYourUncle pics show where a line of badges would go on a traditionally made kilt

[ratspike]

Since it's a black kilt in what I'm assuming is a modern/cargo/utilikilt style, you might also consider a some velcro loop sewn on the kilt, then the patches or tabs could be stuck to it. Same idea as what you see on uniforms and tactical gear. On my camo kilts I sew a good sized piece of loop down in the bottom right corner of the apron, roughly where a kilt pin would go, but you could put it anywhere.

[Carl]

I've seen this done before by a paintball team here in Oregon a few years back that played in kilts. They sewed on patches (A team patch, event patches, name tapes and rank, etc.) to the front apron of their tartan kilts. I thought they looked rather good playing paintball in kilts but I just couldn't bring myself to sacrifice a kilt to do the same.
As a veteran I've gotta say I have never thought about doing something like this personally. But to each their own.