Too small - wear at hips or modify?

**kiltedrennie** · 15th July 13, 09:33 AM

I've searched the forums and found a few references with modification advice, but not many. Please forgive me if this has been beat to death as I'm sure it has. Perhaps my search-fu is weak. I'll humbly accept references to other threads if offered

My MacQueen kilt has shrunk! Well... no. In reality my natural waist has expanded more than I can adjust the kilt. It's not an expensive kilt. It's an off the rack PV with three buckles. And I've just aquired a correctly sized off the rack Heritage of Scotland tartan kilt, but I dearly love my first, and would love to continue wearing it.

As far as I can tell, my options are to modify the kilt by letting out a pleat to give me a proper waist size or wear the darn thing at my hips and cut/hem the bottom. It's been riding lower and lower and it's starting to look like a skirt. Below my natural waist I'm built like a cylinder, so I kinda think I might get away with wearing it at the hip. I'm concerned about the appearance of the lower buckle which I suppose I could/should remove.

I can post photographs wearing the darn thing either way if that would help.

Thanks in advance.

**sydnie7** · 15th July 13, 09:39 AM

How much ease is needed? There are extenders to lengthen the straps, but limited effective range. And I would get rid of the #3 buckle for sure.

Past that, best bet may be to sell it to someone who properly fits and use the proceeds toward your own, properly fitted replacement. Rebuilding is expensive.

**O'Searcaigh** · 15th July 13, 09:45 AM

A picture might help but usually the "solution" for shrinking as well as expanding waist bands is to simply move the buckle positions. This works fine if it doesn't have to be adjusted too much. I would think that wearing the kilt low (whether the lower right hand buckle was removed or not) so that the hem was below the middle of the knee would be the bigger issue as far as traditional looks is concerned. This may sound crazy, but wearing suspenders (braces for the non U.S. crowd) to hold the kilt at your true waist level and then wearing a vest/waistcoat over that would keep everything "where it should be" and wouldn't require a lot of modification to the kilt. Anyway, ' just some thoughts......

**kiltedrennie** · 15th July 13, 10:20 AM

Quite a bit. It's a 36" and the new one is a 42". I'm afraid belt adjusters wouldn't be sufficient.

I'm not afraid to make a modification myself. I have some sewing skills and posses a copy of the holy writ for kilt-makers (AoKM). I intend to make my own eventually or have one made for me. The simplest modification would be hem to the proper length after dropping to the hips.

It's more of a first-love issue. It's also is showing it's age a bit so I doubt anyone else would want it.

**The Wizard of BC** · 15th July 13, 12:10 PM

Rennie,

To fully answer your question would you please let us know who made your kilt, and post a photo or two of how it fits now.

This is what you get for hanging your kilt in the closet. Kilts are very temperamental. If you hang them in the closet and don't wear them they get petulant and shrink.

**kiltedrennie** · 15th July 13, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by The Wizard of BC

Rennie,

To fully answer your question would you please let us know who made your kilt, and post a photo or two of how it fits now.

This is what you get for hanging your kilt in the closet. Kilts are very temperamental. If you hang them in the closet and don't wear them they get petulant and shrink.

Ah, there's the rub! I don't know for sure who made it. It was a custom order from one vendor (due to the tartan), but when they could not deliver they "found" another supplier. It's an inexpensive off the rack PV so it might not make a difference. I have a good idea who the supplier is but cannot say for sure.

Here's the most recent photo from this weekend's Saline Celtic Festival

I'll provide a better "standing vertical" version tonight. As you can see it's too low/long and I'm afraid the panels would look odd if I spaced the buckles much farther apart or extended them. BTW, I placed third

**Carlo** · 15th July 13, 12:48 PM

Nice legs.

Sorry about the shrinking kilt.

**kiltedrennie** · 15th July 13, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Carlo

Nice legs.

Sorry about the shrinking kilt.

Thanks. Someone from the audience told me afterward I was cheated out of 1st because the criteria didn't include "traditionally worn".

**Chas** · 15th July 13, 02:52 PM

If what I am seeing is correct, I don't think you have enough under-apron to use extenders or move the buckle and strap.

Time to replace it I think - or lose those 6 inches.

Sorry.