Kilt Length ?

[JSFMACLJR]

I was just asking becuase my clan has just bought alot of Kilts and we could get them Cheap But they were NICE. only problem was they were only going to buy them in 23" .When I asked why they just said that is was a Proper length .I then kept seeing post on our website saying that the proper length of a kilt is 23" ,just out of the blue as if it were a reminder.

I am very curious as to what clan website this is?

[digitalR2]

Why does it afend some people if I wear my Kilt Below my knee?
I wear it right below my knee. But I keep seeing and hearing people say above
the knee!!! but I dont like the way it looks and feels.
Thank You

It's been a very interesting discussion. I was taught wearing a kilt just a little bit below of my knee centre line.



Here is one useful video on the topic."How to wear a kilt"

Cheers

[Dale Seago]

And given that you are 6' 2", I'd doubt that the 24" long kilt you are waiting on will be too long.

I would agree. All of my made-to-measure kilts, my girlfriend having done the measuring for the makers, are 23" and they're right at the top of my knee; and I'm 5'10". (Example, me on the left, in this post.) I also have "off the rack" kilts from different vendors which are standardised at 24": Those hit me a smidge above the center of my knee and are also in the "aesthetic range" of looking good length-wise.

At 6'2", I suspect that when your 24-incher arrives you're going to find yourself quite happy with the length. I expect that those who see you in it will be, too.

[Thomas H]

OK I did not ask this start an up roar, I just merely wanted to see what the rule was ,if there was one ,I do not want to upset peope ,and thuss ,why I asked in the first place .as you can see in my picture I dont wear my kilt wrong.

Its at mid knee, Yes I am very awear of the inportance of my Clans attire.

But Next time I will sensor what I ask ,If I ask anything .

thank you so much for your help.

[Thomas H]

I would agree. All of my made-to-measure kilts, my girlfriend having done the measuring for the makers, are 23" and they're right at the top of my knee; and I'm 5'10". (Example, me on the left, in this post.) I also have "off the rack" kilts from different vendors which are standardised at 24": Those hit me a smidge above the center of my knee and are also in the "aesthetic range" of looking good length-wise.

At 6'2", I suspect that when your 24-incher arrives you're going to find yourself quite happy with the length. I expect that those who see you in it will be, too.

Thank You- I feel I am wearing it at the right length. Thank You for your help

[Woodsman]

Thomas,
The bottom line (no pun intended) is that you wear it any way you think is best. Isn't the kilt grand?

[Thomas H]

Yes I enjoy my Kilts, I have turned more heads in a Kilt then I have in anything esle.

As far as the Length goes i just was wondering why My Clan made such a
big up roar about the length. But Now I know. its becuase they Can and if i
want to do as the Clan ,I will do as they ask. i am OK with that.

I am going to do what I can to never bring any shame or reproch to my God my Family and my Clan.

thank you so much for your kind words.

[Pleater]

These days people are a lot larger than they were when the kilt was standardised.

Where there is more to cover, you need more kilt, so the 'rule' for a skinny malinky can't safely be applied to a modern man of substance.

A kilt ending at mid knee, though, should be worn on fine days only, as it is a misery in the wet and wind to have the sodden fabric catching in the joint or sandpapering the skin off.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[JSFMACLJR]

OK I did not ask this start an up roar, I just merely wanted to see what the rule was ,if there was one ,I do not want to upset peope ,and thuss ,why I asked in the first place .as you can see in my picture I dont wear my kilt wrong.

Its at mid knee, Yes I am very awear of the inportance of my Clans attire.

But Next time I will sensor what I ask ,If I ask anything .

thank you so much for your help.

Relax, Thomas! I don't think you started an uproar at all. As you have now seen, there are no written "Rules" per se. Strong opinions, though, from people who know a few things about wearing the kilt.

I still would like to know what clan website makes any sort of claims to standardised kilt length. You have absolutely no obligation to follow the "directives" on the website regarding dress! The clan association has no authority in such matters. The chief of your clan certainly can say a thing or two about which tartans he wants his followers to wear, and he certainly can suggest how Highland attire ought to be worn, but we are no longer in the 17th and 18th centuries...he has no "power" or "authority" over you!

And please don't feel as if you must censor your questions. All questions are valid here.

Cheers.

[CMcG]

I think the critical thing here is that some skin be seen between the bottom of the kilt and the top of the hose.

I know there is a tendency among many (and I admit I am guilty of this at times) to wear the hose too high. High hose, combined with a long kilt, are what really look off.

M. A. C. Newsome is quite correct here that perceived kilt height is related to the hose as well. When my Scottish-born Auntie was introducing me to the kilt for my High School graduation, she insisted that showing off my knees was both traditional and appealing to the ladies

In the letter that Jock posted and Bugbear linked to, it suggested around 5 inches of skin showing between hose and kilt, which I suppose is also relative to the height of the wearer.

<snip> I will wear my kilts at the bottom of the knee when I am wearing boots and my hose scrunched down - when I am more traditional with a nice shirt and/or jacket and hose up with flashes, I will wear my kilt brushing the top of the knee or at mid-knee.

Aesthetically, Kevin80222's method appeals to me. It helps to maintain a more consistent amount of skin being shown regardless of whether the kilt is being worn in a traditional or modern way. Whether or not one SHOULD wear it any way other than traditional is another question entirely...