Kilt Strap Extenders

[cainam]

Hello all, I have just bought myself a used 21st Century Kilt and kilt pin for what I think is a bargain at £60. I knew that when I bought it that the kilt wouldn't fit as it's around a 30 waist and I'm a 34. In truth I only really bought it because I wanted the kilt pin and I thought I could just sell the kilt separately. However, I would really love to keep the kilt as it's made from a beautiful black wool and it's in super condition. I saw that it would be possible to use kilt strap extenders, does anyone have experience of using them and do they detract from the kilt.
Thanks

[The Wizard of BC]

A general rule of thumb when buying a used kilt is - It is preferable to buy one too large over buying one too small.

The reason for this is that on a kilt that is too large the outer apron can simply overlap the the pleats on the right side.
If the kilt is too small the outer apron will not completely cover the under apron. This is usually OK for the first inch or so as the under apron will look just like one more pleat.
But if the under apron shows much more than 2 inches it is very visually obvious that the under apron is showing and looks unsightly.

Kilt extenders themselves are fine. They are usually hidden under the belt and no one will usually even notice them.

[cainam]

Ok thanks Steve, I think I'll try the extenders and see how it looks. It will only be used on a casual basis and I'm hoping that the gap you speak of won't be quite so obvious since the kilt is plain black.

[Riverkilt]

Be sure to order the correct width kilt extenders...they come in various sizes to match various widths of kilt straps.

[JohntheBiker]

They're OK in the short term and for occasional use. If you find that you are wearing the kilt more frequently, you may wish to have it altered. Given what you paid for the kilt, this may be a reasonable investment. I have used them, but not enthusiastically.

[Barb T]

A general rule of thumb when buying a used kilt is - It is preferable to buy one too large over buying one too small.

The reason for this is that on a kilt that is too large the outer apron can simply overlap the the pleats on the right side.
If the kilt is too small the outer apron will not completely cover the under apron. This is usually OK for the first inch or so as the under apron will look just like one more pleat.
But if the under apron shows much more than 2 inches it is very visually obvious that the under apron is showing and looks unsightly.

I agree with Steve that too big is better than too small. For a trad tartan kilt that has an inverted pleat at the underapron edge of the pleats (which most do), the underapron commonly looks quite different from the pleats because it folds the other way. Even if only 1/4" of the underapron shows, it's pretty obvious that the kilt is too small. If a kilt doesn't have an inverted pleat, it is a bit less obvious, although the underapron edge is typically flared and not parallel to the tartan stripes, which all of the other pleats are. So my view is that there is very little forgiveness in the "too small" direction.