Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
Taking the long view of things, this is something that's been fairly stable over the centuries until rather recently, when people (especially Americans, it seems to me) started to pull their socks up right to the kneecap. *Snip!*
I have been pondering why this should be, and have a few ideas that I'll just throw out there to see what others think.

I wonder if hose height was relatively static when hose were hand-knitted and therefore usually custom-made for the wearer. Once hose (and socks more generally) became mass-produced, they may have become longer in an attempt to satisfy all sizes (better too long than too short), or alternatively to be the correct length for wearing with breeches/plus fours/shorts, which were presumably a numerically larger market.

I also wonder if it's because someone not used to kilt wearing feels exposed and so consciously or subconsciously pulls their hose up high.

As for kilt height, again, similar possibilities. Maybe the wearer feels exposed and so lowers the kilt.

Maybe they are unused to the relatively high position of the waist, and so wear it lower than intended by the maker.

Finally, I think the "kilt should just brush the floor when kneeling" thing is still present, and in fact was trotted out by the woman in the BBC radio 3 clip that was posted on these forums a few days ago. I don't know where it comes from, but I hear it over and over again. I believe one method of measuring for a kilt involves measuring from floor to navel when kneeling so maybe that's where it comes from, but as a rule for wearing a kilt it leaves something to be desired.