Belt Sizes and Styles

[imbrius]

I know that all the tent vendors at Highland Games and Ren Faires sell matching belt + waistplate combos (in 2", 2.25", and 2.5" sizes) but I've also seen folks wearing plain leather belts with round or D-ring buckles. Those tend to be a bit on the wider side as well. Is there a standard size for a belt that's worn on a kilt simply as a visual accessory?

I ask because I notice that my body shape looks much nicer with a belt if I'm not wearing a vest, regardless if I'm wearing a kilt or pants. I tend to look rather sausage-like without some sort of visual midpoint delineation.

The belt + waistplate combos tend to be a bit pricey and most of them are overly shiny. I'd ideally be looking for a more subdued option for the waistplate since it would generally be worn in a less-formal setting. It would be very nice if I could get just a plain brown or black leather belt and either add my own closure or get one with a dull metal D-ring or round buckle.

[ShaunMaxwell]

I've found that an open, rectangular shaped buckle is all I've needed (brass with brown and silver with black). I have one of each made some years ago by the now defunct Oconee Leatherworks (XMTS member CavScout, if I recall) that are very nice. I've never needed a fancy plate-type buckle, as if I'm going to be dressed up, I'll likely be wearing a waistcoat.

See photo below (Jack Daw is wearing one by the same maker!)



Freedom Kilts sells something similar (http://www.freedomkilts.com/kilt-buckles-and-belts/). See the Contemporary belt.

Hope that helps.

SM

[Richrail]

image00000327 - Edited.jpg being thrifty I purchased a leather tool belt from Harbor Freight tools for $8.00 cleaned the finish off with Isopropyl alcohol, then used brown boot dye and boot polish.
new_douglas - Edited (1).jpg

[Tobus]

I've wanted a buckle in the style ShaunMaxwell wears for a long time, but haven't been able to find one in that simple form at the right width.

I tend to prefer a waistcoat these days, or no belt at all, but if I do wear a belt it's usually the one below. The waistplate is pewter-ish looking, and doesn't stand out like a big rectangular chrome billboard. The belt itself is 2-1/4" or 2-1/2" wide (can't remember offhand), and was handmade by my wife. You can always find a local leather worker to make a custom belt for you if you find a buckle you like. Belts are very simple and inexpensive to make, and a lot of leather workers use them for fill-in work between real projects. Stamping and/or tooling will obviously cost more if you want it. A plain leather belt is just fine, but I wear this one just because my sweetie made it.

[kingandrew]

I also have one of the Oconee Leather Works belts (black, 3" wide, knotwork tooling) and it is great.

There are a number of vendors out there that sell belts like you are talking about.

Amerikilt offers just what you are talking about. Leather, 2 inches wide, square buckle. $38.
http://www.amerikilt.com/shop/belts_buckles/leather/

The "Pirate Belt" from Ravenswood Leather has a good look and is available in a couple of widths, a variety of colors, and also offers various decorative elements, if you are so inclined. Price $50-55, depending on width (plus cost for any add-ons you may want)
https://ravenswoodleather.com/belts_...e_belt_3_wide/

For a more budget approach, do a search for "tactical" belts and you'll find some wide, sturdy belts designed for police and security officers to hang their gear from. A visit to your local hardware or home improvement store will likely provide you with a choice of tool belts that are also sturdy, wide, and simple in style. Both of these alternatives can also look great with a kilt.

Happy hunting!

Andrew

[Singlemalt]

I am of modest height 5'8" and I find the standard kilt belts which are 2 1/4"- 2 1/2" wide look massive on me. To my eye they look fine on anyone who is approaching or over 6' but not on me. Years ago I found both a black and a brown belt that are nice leather and 1 3/4" wide. I have had them so long I honestly can't remember where I got them but they feel just right to me. These were not kilt belts but designed I think for work pants. I just changed the buckles on them to a couple of Celtic design buckles I already had.

I don't think it would take long on Google to find something if you are of similar stature.

[OC Richard]

I know that all the tent vendors at Highland Games and Ren Faires sell matching belt + waistplate combos (in 2", 2.25", and 2.5" sizes) but I've also seen folks wearing plain leather belts with round or D-ring buckles. Those tend to be a bit on the wider side as well. Is there a standard size for a belt that's worn on a kilt simply as a visual accessory?

It's one of those matters where there are norms in Traditional Highland Dress, but many people nowadays (through not knowing about and/or not being concerned with those norms) wear things borrowed from Ren-Faire costume, pirate costume, re-enactor garb of any period, ordinary Saxon dress, and so forth.

Of course any sort of belt can be worn. But you asked about "standard" which implies a tip of the cap to the tradition, so here goes!

Throughout the latter half of the 19th century much weaponry was worn with formal Highland Dress, a wide black leather dirk belt with white metal buckle to support the dirk, and a matching sword belt (or "cross belt") to support the sword. The standard width of the dirk belt was 2.5 inches.

The same belts were worn in civilian Highland Dress and by military pipers.

Then in the early 20th century the style of civilian Highland Evening Dress became more sleek and simplified and these belts and weapons were done away with. In civilian Highland Evening Dress waistcoats were worn under the evening Argyll jacket, Doublet, and Coatee, and no belt was worn. Likewise civilian Day Dress featured an Argyll jacket with waistcoat and it was standard to wear it without dirk and dirk belt.

Then the Montrose Doublet was invented, perhaps around 1920, and it was intended to be worn with a dirkless dirk belt, a "visual accessory" as you so well put it. A new (AFAIK) style of civilian Evening Dress belt appeared, narrower, around 2 inches wide, usually with a rectangular belt plate in white metal or silver.

Pipers' costumes continued to feature the older wide dirk belt and sword belt whether or not the weapons were worn.

Since around 1900 it's been a fashion to wear 18th century style sporrans and the associated dirk belt with Highland Day Dress, usually an open rectangular frame buckle, in white metal or brass.

That covers the common things seen in traditional modern civilian Highland Dress, pretty much.

Time for pretty pictures!

Civilian Evening Dress c1860 with a panoply of weapons and the supporting belts



This fellow wearing a dirk belt under his waistcoat to support his dirk



To give an idea of the styles one sees, here's a set made in the 1920s and 1930s, of German Silver, consisting of the dirk belt plate, crossbelt fitments, and plaid brooch. (They made a sporran cantle too.)



Some of these styles are still in standard production.

Here's the so-called "number 102" style. On the left is a modern chrome set, on the right is a vintage solid German silver set



Here is this set being worn. Note the waistbelt plates were made in both landscape and portrait orientation



In any case the new Highland Dress that appeared in the early 20th century did away with the weapons and belts and was modern and streamlined. Then the Montrose and Kenmore doublets appeared, intended to be worn with the new narrow Evening Dress belts (2.25 inches wide). Note the belt is still called a "dirk belt" though it has lost its dirk-support function.



Here's the Evening Dress buckles on offer in 1936



By the 1950s a standard pattern of these new narrower Evening Dress belt plates had won out. They were seen in solid German Silver, silver plate, and Sterling Silver. Later they were seen also in brass for Day Dress.



Here is this traditional Evening Dress buckle and belt currently offered by MacGregor and MacDuff

https://www.macgregorandmacduff.co.u...ng-description

This design wasn't an isolate but was part of a suite of Highland Evening Dress items including shoe buckles, dirks, etc.

Here's the sporran cantle that matches that buckle. Both the buckle and cantle are still in wide production today.



BTW the wide (2.5") dirk belts worn with both civilian and military Highland Dress in the 19th century, and with military and civilian pipers' costume ever since, are generally smooth leather. The narrow (2.25") 20th century Evening Dress belts designed for use with the Montrose Doublet (and its ilk) were generally textured leather and lined with red leather.

Personally I wear a brass 18th century style buckle that I bought in rural West Virginia in the 1970s. It's stamped Made In England.



Here I am wearing this belt in Day Dress

[Blaidd]

When you have found your preferred buckle, you can find various belt blanks on ebay, for example, of varying widths and finishes that are then easily made (with the most basic of DIY skills) into a nice belt.

[imbrius]

It's one of those matters where there are norms in Traditional Highland Dress, but many people nowadays (through not knowing about and/or not being concerned with those norms) wear things borrowed from Ren-Faire costume, pirate costume, re-enactor garb of any period, ordinary Saxon dress, and so forth.

This entire article is EXCELLENT. This is amazing, well-researched, well-documented, and extremely helpful. A better explanation of belt-wearing with kilts I could not have asked for. Bravo, good fellow!!

[OC Richard]

Thanks!

As far as currently available styles go, here's a photo from an Ebay listing which is pretty cool in showing so many different styles, old and new.



To the Highland Dress aficionado many of these have tales to tell.

All but two, as far as I know, are intended for the 20th century standard 2.25 inch wide civilian Evening Dress belt which was, as best I can tell, introduced c1920 in conjunction with the new "Montrose" Evening Dress jacket.

Top row L-R

1) new clip art.
2) "pattern #355" buckle for the wide 2.5 inch "pipers belt". There was a whole suite of #355 accoutrements including crossbelt hardware, shoe buckles, dirk, plaid brooch, etc.
3) and 4) new clip art, particularly crude.

Second row L-R

1-3) new clip art.
4) traditional "Runic" Evening Dress style dating back at least to the 1950s.

Third row L-R

1-4) new clip art but 3) is far better-executed than most.

Fourth row L-R

1) new design that appears to be specially made for the buckle rather than clip art. There's a matching sporran cantle too.
2) this design has a well-executed specially-made traditional look to it.
3) the standard 20th century civilian "Runic" Evening Dress buckle.
4) the standard 20th century civilian "Thistle" Evening Dress buckle.

Fifth row L-R

1) and 2) exceptionally crude clip-art designs.
3) traditional "pattern #102" large buckle for the 2.5 inch "pipers belt".
4) this appears to be a special-made design though somewhat crude; probably merely modified clip art.

Now what do I mean by "clip art"?

It's the bane of graphic design and product design in the computer age.

In the old days if you wanted a buckle design an artist/jeweler would sculpt an original design, specially made to fit the format.

Nowadays people grab pre-existing designs off the internet, change their size and orientation on a computer graphics program, and shove them into the format. The results rarely have the elegance and balance and relationship to format of original designs.

With Scottish buckles this can be seen with knotwork borders. The traditional "runic" Evening Dress buckle had the knotwork specially designed to fit the long and short sides of the buckle (Row Four number 3 and Row Two number 4).

Clip art buckles have the knotwork chopped to fit (Row One number 1 and Row Two number 2) or have something else superimposed over it (Row Three number 3) or has been squeezed or stretched by the computer program to fit (also Row Three number 3).

Also with thistle designs, notice that both of the thistle-pattern big "pipers belt" designs #355 and #102 were specially made designs to fit the format of the belt (Row One number 2 and Row Five number 3) and that likewise the traditional Evening Dress thistle buckle (Row Four number 4) had specially designed thistles for the short and long sides of the buckle.

BTW most of the Celtic knotwork clip art has been lifted (without acknowledgement) from Baines.

Here's the old tri-fold brochure of sporran styles used by numerous firms for decades in the second half of the 20th century showing the large piper's buckles #355 with rectangular opening and #102 with oval opening. The crossbelt is #102.