gut bigger than hips.

[Matty Ross]

To the Kilted world

I am 5 foot 9 inches Tall and I weigh 240 pounds. My “natural waist” is 52 inches around and at the hips I am 42 inches.
By most standards I am over weight. I lost it 50 pounds back in the 90’s but gained most of it back.
When it comes to the subject of wearing kilts at waist or hips I become somewhat defensive. There are standards set by tradition and proclaimed by slim people that just do not measure up when it comes to some of us larger people. My true waist, all 52 inches of it is mostly FAT. I know what is I live with it every day. I have tried to wear a kilt up at the navel. For me personally this is practically Impossible. If I take a deep breath my stomach contracts to around 48 inches and the kilt falls OFF. My waist especially on the sides is very tender. I can NOT wear a belt tight enough to hold up a kilt the tissue is soft and sensitive. It hurts to wear a belt at that part of my waist. Therefore If I am going to wear a kilt I have to wear it down at my hips. I will never look as good as some people but I’m OK with that. I love wearing my kilts and wear them almost EVERY day. I wear kilts not to conform to anyone’s Standards, I wear Kilts to be different. I stand out in a crowd with or without a kilt. The kilt just makes it more fun. So I say wear your kilt how YOU like it NOT how anyone else thinks you should.
100_6558.jpg

[Riverkilt]

You called?? I have the same "situation." I'm an olde geezer and am past caring what it looks like to others....I wear my kilts on my underbelly waist - same as I wear my jeans. Kiltmakers make them that way for me and I wear them that way. Sure have hoisted them up onto my "natural" waist and it takes about 30 seconds for the kilt to relocate itself to where it wants to be - on my jeans waist....under my belly....

While we may not be up to snuff for the purists, we can wear our kilts in comfort and reassure each other.

[tundramanq]

The old military standard for kilt waist height is just that - the old military standard. Personally I think kilts look best at the jeans waist regardless of the persons girth. High waist p**ts and kilts with suspenders (braces) makes you look antique. For routine wear, the corset tight waist band that is required for unsupported high waist wear between the lower ribs and hip bones, when it doesn't want to rest there, is putting undue stress on the kilt straps and kilt and heavy pressure on your kidneys, heart and lungs preventing normal deep breathing - down right unhealthy and never comfy. Doing so will only weaken your abdominal "girdle" muscles further.

[BCAC]

The old military standard for kilt waist height is just that - the old military standard. Personally I think kilts look best at the jeans waist regardless of the persons girth. High waist p**ts and kilts with suspenders (braces) makes you look antique. For routine wear, the tight waist band that is needed for unsupported high waist wear between the lower ribs and hip bones is putting pressure on your kidneys, heart and lungs preventing normal deep breathing - down right unhealthy and never comfy. Doing so will only weaken your abdominal muscles and limit your activities further.

It is your right to say that. It is your right to believe that.

It is my right to say that I think what you stated is utter rubbish. Wearing a kilt at your natural waist is not bad for your health, neither will it "limit your activities further", neither is it putting pressure on your kidneys, heart and lungs and it does not prevent normal deep breathing.

Nonsense.

[Llama]

Just do whatever is comfortable and looks decent. If you're not used to wearing things above your belly, it will never be comfortable for you.

A lot of the "rules" don't work for many people because people are shaped different ways. If you have longer legs and a shorter torso, a high kilt will look ridiculous on you. Same for the reverse. It's all about proportions and figuring out what works best for you.

I wear mine above the navel, but that's only slightly higher than I wear my pants.

[flintstone]

You may be fat but definitely a great hunter. That is a real fox with you.

[David Thorpe]

Just do whatever is comfortable and looks decent.

It is quite evident that those two factors are in some cases mutually exclusive.

[O'Searcaigh]

My waist is only VERY slightly smaller than my hips -- which makes it very easy for me to make home made kilts because the "pleat" calculation "adjustments" are very easy - basically straight pleats -- and the length is easy to adjust too simply by how high or low I decide to wear the kilt which I do for comfort more than "looks." It seems to me that different people look better dressed differently depending not only on issues of "physique" but other factors as well. Since letting my hair and beard grow out (a la "Santa Claus" or a "hermit" depending on your point of view), I think I look down-right silly in my old business suits, but quite appropriate in a caftan or kilt (depending on other accouterments). Some people look great in bikinis, others, not so much. Some look better with high waisted garments (some women can wear an Empire dress, others, not so much) ... and some people look best with their kilt high and some low. And finally, I wear a kilt mostly for comfort. Start telling me I have to wear it in a way that is uncomfortable and I would have to stop wearing it!!!

[Dale Seago]

A lot of the "rules" don't work for many people because people are shaped different ways. If you have longer legs and a shorter torso, a high kilt will look ridiculous on you. Same for the reverse. It's all about proportions and figuring out what works best for you.

And this is why it's best to get something made for YOU by a good kiltmaker, not something off-the-rack.

I can do off the rack; but that's because when clothing designers came up with the the concept of a generic "size Medium" for off the rack garments, I'm the guy they were thinking of.

"Overall" proportions need to be considered. My own true waist is about an inch above my navel, and my kilts have a fairly low rise. coming up about an inch above that. I think that proportionally, for ME, it looks good:





I find that this is also high enough -- for me -- not to leave any shirt showing when I wear a waistcoat:

[Starhunter451]

Thank you all for your input. One thing we all agree on is, we all love our kilts.