waist measurements for a woman's kilt

**plaid preacher** · 27th April 14, 04:27 PM

Hi folks,

I am all set to lay out my daughter's kilt (see my thread in the DIY showroom) but alas her measurements have me uncertain... and when you start ripping tartan is not the time to have second guesses. My question is that her waist is several inches above her navel which is at the second button down from the tape measure in the attached photo. At this waist, her kilt will be several inches longer than mine, even though I am 8-12 inches taller. What are your thoughts? IS there a special allowance that gets made for ladies' kilts? Thanks for your help.

Robert

IMG_20140427_190537.jpg

**Lorna** · 27th April 14, 05:48 PM

I think that depends on where and when your daughter intends to wear the kilt and perhaps personal preference. Does she mind a bit of bulk around the waist? Or would she prefer something a bit more modern and streamlined as in Barb T.'s post shown below?

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=75461

and here

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ur-life-76918/

**Tartan Tess** · 27th April 14, 06:19 PM

Take the measurement from where her true waist is....where she bends...look at her waist as she bends to the side, not her belly button. girls Femur leg bones are longer than mens. Welcome to the world of kilt making......Aarugggh!
Put a 2" hem in there just to start things off anyway. Good luck and have fun.

**Father Bill** · 27th April 14, 06:37 PM

Gee, that fits in with something I noticed about girls - they really are shaped differently from guys, aren't they!

**plaid preacher** · 27th April 14, 07:14 PM

Thanks Lorna and Tess. Lorna, I had forgotten about that post of Barb's. I think she is wanting something a little more traditional, but not sure that she would mind. Tess, I was thinking of cheating and making it a little longer. I don't think she is going to grow much more, but the great advantage you ladies have is anywhere around the knee looks okay... at the top of the knee it is like a kilt the guys would wear, and at the bottom of the knee it is a nice skirt type length.

and Bill I have noted that too! As Maurice Chevalier used to sing - "Thank haven't for little girls, they grow up in the most delightful ways."

**bonnie heather** · 28th April 14, 02:42 AM

I like to have as little bulk at the waist as possible for the kilts or kilt-skirts (5 - 6 yard) that I make for ladies. I measure from the natural waist (as Tess describes) down to the desired length. Instead of a 2" rise, I add 1/2" at the top for the waistband seam and at least 1" at the bottom for the hem, if the tartan is light weight.
I sew the apron strap at the waistline level with the buckle tab at the same level on the right hand side of the back of the kilt. I don't make a strap hole.
Then I use a large snap to secure the inner apron.
For some ladies, with a bit of a tummy, I make small darts not too far from the apron edges. That's not done for traditional kilts. I try to make them as inconspicuous as possible.
The other thing that is sometimes needed is a slight dip in the center of the apron...maybe 1/2" or 3/4". Instead of cutting to make that curves dip, I fold it over and enclose it within the waistband.
Here are photos of a knee length kilt-skirt and a mini-kilt.

**plaid preacher** · 28th April 14, 06:52 AM

Thanks, Bonnie. Nice kilts too, BTW. My plan is to make up a more or less traditional box-pleated skirt for my daughter. My fabric is Jura from Martin Mills with a kilting selvedge on it, so I wasn't thinking of a hem, but maybe making it just a titch longer than a man's kilt, so there is a little room in case she grows. (...but since she is already as tall as her older sister, I sure hope that doesn't happen or there will be war in our household.) I do like the idea of a shorter rise, as her top half will almost disappear.

More grist for the mill.

**tpa** · 28th April 14, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Gee, that fits in with something I noticed about girls - they really are shaped differently from guys, aren't they!

Have you only just noticed?

**Deesquared** · 28th April 14, 02:31 PM

The kilt I just made for my daughter had the same issue. She is really high-waisted, and then I added the 2" rise. So now she wears it pretty much just under the bustline.

Her dance teacher does not seem too impressed with it, but that's just the way it fits her. Luckily, she wears a vest with it when dancing, so it covers up the high waist.

I would definitely go with her natural waist measurement, but maybe not have such a high rise. The kilt in Barb's post looks very nice just at the natural waist!

**Barb T** · 29th April 14, 05:50 PM

If you're making a kilt for a woman or a girl, it's important to know how the kilt will be worn. If it's to be worn for piping or for Highland dancing, the 2" rise is important. For short-waisted girls, the kilt top will be up around the rib cage, but the vest covers that to give a balanced look. The rise is necessary so that the blouse doesn't pooch above the top of the kilt when a dancer raises her arms. A piper also needs the rise so that a kilt belt doesn't look bizarre and ride in the wrong place.

If the kilt is to be worn as a skirt for casual wear, those requirements disappear. No need for a full rise, and no reason that the kilt has to ride at the waist - the one mentioned by Deesquared in the previous post actually rides about 2" below the waist.