Kilt belt, does it interfere with kilt straps?

**RSHAW** · 14th December 14, 06:05 AM

Thank you.

**Father Bill** · 14th December 14, 07:09 AM

For all those who point out frequently that on a well-fitted kilt, the belt is utterly un-necessary, this is surely true with many excellent body shapes, but...

I don't have one of those.

Every human being is built differently. Despite my best efforts at weight and waist control, and in fact being only a shade overweight according to the BMI (Body-Mass Indicator) calculations that are so damnably popular and omnipresent these days, my gut remains an inch larger than my hips. I guess I'm just not a "hippie."

That means that when my kilt is properly tailored and properly adjusted, it's really, really easy to take it off at night - I just suck in my gut and voila -it's off! In my case, the extra belt, cinched within an inch of its (and my) life is a comfort to my fears, and a fine purveyor of confidence.

The constant finger waggling that suggests my kilts are improperly made or adjusted merely reminds me that I'm deformed. Ouch!

*Sigh*

**kiltedtom** · 14th December 14, 09:09 AM

Father Bill,

Are you and I related? I have the exact same type of build. Maybe I was adopted. My brother has told me that for years.

ith:

Happy holidaysto you and your entire family, Father.

Tom

**Dughlas mor** · 14th December 14, 11:13 AM

Good Father, you`re preaching to the choir!

**MinusHD** · 15th December 14, 09:32 AM

I clicked on this thread with great interest but it hasn't answered a related question/issue that I'm dealing with...

I have a wide leather belt I ordered from Sport Kilt, along with my first "kilt". I soon added a proper kilt to my wardrobe. When I wear this belt with my USA Kilts 8 yard 13oz wool kilt with 2 straps (one left, one right) it doesn't lay well against the kilt straps. I currently don't have any photographic evidence of this, but I thought I'd see if anyone else notices this happening. The belt seems to ride on top of the buckles, nor will it stay flush against the kilt in the back.

The belt has not seen a great deal of wear yet, and is still a bit stiff. It needs to be re-tightened occasionally when worn, as well. Perhaps some more break-in is necessary?

I try to wear the belt a little below the top of the kilt, and it tends to droop in front. This make sense to me given a natural "slope" (as Steve calls it) from front to back over the hips. The weight of the buckle also contributes to this a little bit. I do not run the belt through the two loops.

My waist is smaller than my hips, so there is some taper there, and I ware the top of the kilt at my belly button or slightly above. There may be other details I haven't thought to provide yet, but hopefully this is either normal, or someone will be able to help me solve the problem.

Thanks,
Minus

**Dughlas mor** · 15th December 14, 08:15 PM

It`s a bit difficult to visualize what`s going on there, but it sounds like you have a wide, thick belt that is pretty much riding where it wants to ride. Perhaps you could work the leather by rolling it along the length of the belt repeatedly, in both directions. I have no idea why the belt would need re-tightening once put on, but I think all kilt belts need to be adjusted as far as the position on the body through the course of a day. I think the belt needs to ride entirely on the waist, if it is partly on the hips, I could see where that could cause problems. Maybe a 3 " belt is just a bit too wide for you? Just some thoughts, hope it makes some sense.

**Jock Scot** · 16th December 14, 12:39 AM

On reading the posts, the thought occurs to me that you might be better to tighten the belt a tad more, for best advantage.

**OC Richard** · 16th December 14, 05:07 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

For all those who point out frequently that on a well-fitted kilt, the belt is utterly un-necessary, this is surely true with many excellent body shapes, but...

I don't have one of those.

I don't either, my body being utterly tubular, like a huge sausage, yet all of my kilts are quite secure and I often wear a kilt all day with no slippage.

Men have always had a variety of body shapes yet kilts have never had belts. The whole idea of a "kilt belt" worn through the loops to hold up a kilt seems to be rather recent, and my impression (talking to some kiltmakers on both sides of the Atlantic) is that it's always been more of an American thing (Scottish kiltmakers telling me that they put loops on kilts, per order, from American customers). This impression could well be wrong, given my small sample size.

My assumption has long been (and it could well be wrong) that the belt thing was driven by people not used to wearing kilts wanting a belt by analogy with trousers.

If the loops on a kilt were for a waistbelt and intended to support the kilt they wouldn't just be on the back! There would have to be loops on the front also, in fact going all around, like on trousers. It's obvious from the number and placement of loops that they're for the sporran strap.

**Father Bill** · 16th December 14, 05:25 AM

I agree with everything you say Richard, except for one: If I suck in my gut, the kilt falls off. Usually the sporran strap is enough to keep it on, but I confess that I do spend a lot of time hitching the kilt back up, (which is easier to do without a vest.)

**tpa** · 16th December 14, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

The whole idea of a "kilt belt" worn through the loops to hold up a kilt seems to be rather recent, and my impression (talking to some kiltmakers on both sides of the Atlantic) is that it's always been more of an American thing (Scottish kiltmakers telling me that they put loops on kilts, per order, from American customers). This impression could well be wrong, given my small sample size.

If the loops on a kilt were for a waist belt and intended to support the kilt they wouldn't just be on the back! There would have to be loops on the front also, in fact going all around, like on trousers. It's obvious from the number and placement of loops that they're for the sporran strap.

Both my Scottish made woollen kilts have 2 loops, one at either side and neither kilt was destined for the American market. If the loops were primarily for sporran straps, they would not need to be 2" wide. They certainly can contain sporran straps, yet is is quite unnecessary to feed sporran straps through loops. I never do and the sporrans do not fall off. In fact, especially with chains, it is much easier to move the sporran to one side, if need be, if not fed through loops. When I wear a belt, I do usually feed it through the loops to prevent it accidently riding up above the kilt, however it is only worn to simplify the carriage of a phone pouch, knife, camera, tape measure or other required item, not to support the kilt.