gut bigger than hips.

**BCAC** · 6th June 13, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by 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 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** · 6th June 13, 08:58 AM

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** · 6th June 13, 09:10 AM

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

**David Thorpe** · 6th June 13, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Llama

Just do whatever is comfortable and looks decent.

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

**O'Searcaigh** · 6th June 13, 10:22 AM

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!!!

**Nathan** · 6th June 13, 11:49 AM

I am a lean built man but I don't have a whole lot in the **** department. I also have a small gut which makes my waist and hips almost the same size and so the kilt tends to slip down on me regardless of how tight I make it. When I wear the kilt at my natural waist I find tucking in a shirt looks very odd. That's why I wear waistcoats so frequently, the bottom of the waistcoat ends close to where my pants usually come up and projects a more natural looking break between my torso and legs. If I wear a tshirt with my kilt, I have to leave it untucked for the same reason. With the straps tightly at my natural waist and the 2" rise above that leaves the top of my kilt 2" below my nipples so I feel like Steve Urkel with a tucked in shirt and no waistcoat.

For this reason, I'm considering having a kilt made with the top at the jeans waist so I can tuck things in and not have the selvedge too low.

That said, nothing looks worse to my eyes than the bottom of your shirt being visible below your waistcoat. For this reason there will always be a place for high waisted/traditional kilts in my wardrobe. For smart or formal wear they are really the only way to go.

**Dale Seago** · 6th June 13, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Llama

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** · 6th June 13, 07:28 PM

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

**Grizzly** · 6th June 13, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dale Seago

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:

Dale you are always a snappy dresser, I just can't see you in the second picture though.