Military Rolled Box Pleat Alterations

**Stitchwiz** · 26th February 15, 11:36 AM

Perhaps it is time to consider sending your kilt to the 'mainland' to have it done by those who do it for a living.

Please don't shoot the messenger, here. I know you want to wear it ... & you will have to wait ... again...

I always try to get a local to do what I can't do for myself, and it sounds like you do the same. But in this case, IMHO, you need a kilt maker, not a tailor or regular sewer or sewist (depending on who you talk to) unless they are willing to get TAOK and are willing to do it properly.

Good luck!

**WillowEstate** · 26th February 15, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by RCAnderson

I wear the kilt at the proper height of my natural waist, but I am only 5'7" and this particular kilt is marked that it was made for someone that is 6'2" tall. When I wear it just under my ribs it hangs below the tops of my hose.

Hmm, I'd agree with that, I'm 6' (long shins) and I'd struggle with anything longer than 25". Since you said in your original post that apart from the length, it "fits like a glove" if the top, when worn at your correct height and the fell are both correct, that might suggest taking some off the bottom. Otherwise, I'm sure Steve is correct and a rebuild from the top will produce the better result. Is there only the one kiltmaker in Hawaii? That would make either option difficult. Maybe you could ship it to Steve or someone on the US mainland?

**Pleater** · 26th February 15, 12:32 PM

When you say that the top part fits - is that with all the excess length above the waist? If so then the kilt really needs to have the top removed, because the fell is shaped into the waist and then out again.

You can't just hem up the bottom and then lower the top edge to your waist, the kilt will be the wrong shape. The > < part of it will be on the ( ) part of you - if you see what I mean.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Tobus** · 26th February 15, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by RCAnderson

I wear the kilt at the proper height of my natural waist, but I am only 5'7" and this particular kilt is marked that it was made for someone that is 6'2" tall. When I wear it just under my ribs it hangs below the tops of my hose.

Hmm, well, you obviously bought a kilt that wasn't the right size for you. As you've discovered, shortening a MBP kilt is no easy task. If you simply hem the bottom (even assuming you could get the pleats to look right at the hem), it will still leave the fell in the wrong place. It'll be too low. So you have a decision to make. Sell this one off and buy one that was intended for someone your height, or pour more money into it to have it virtually rebuilt from the top down. I would virtually guarantee that the second option is going to cost as much as you paid for the kilt to begin with, if not more.

My military kilt is marked with a height number of 170 cm, which is perfect for my height of 5'-7". But being a military-rise kilt, it still looks ridiculously high around my torso when compared to civilian-style kilts. I don't mind it so much, but my wife hates it. So if I wear it, I usually wear it with a waistcoat, sweater, or something else that covers up the top. I guess my point is, military kilts do end up much higher even when they're correct for your build. You either like it or you don't. If you don't, then stick with civilian style kilts.

**Nathan** · 26th February 15, 01:53 PM

In my Regiment, all the kilts had rolled pleats. My regimental kilt fits me the same as a civilian kilt, worn at the natural waist as to avoid any shirt peeking out.

There were also very long kilts originally meant for very tall soldiers that some guys got issued. One practice to deal with that was to move the buckles, straps and strap holeson the garment so that it would cinch in and buckle at the natural waist. The excess material was above the straps.

This was fine in winter dress when the excess material was covered by the tunic, but in summer dress when soldiers wear their shirt sleeves, this look was not ideal. Still, when you're on a limited clothing budget, you use what you have on hand and you don't cut it if you don't have to because the next man that gets it might be 6'5".

**RCAnderson** · 26th February 15, 02:00 PM

Anne,

The waist and fell are perfect just as they are. At my natural waist the widest part of the kilt is directly across the widest part of my hips which causes the pleats to hang straight down as they are supposed to. It fits just like the custom kilts that I have had made for my measurements, except for the drop being so long. Apparently whoever this was made for was my size with long giraffe legs, lol.

**Mike S** · 26th February 15, 02:21 PM

Part of the reason that military kilts were worn so high is because Victorian era medicine taught that good health required that the kidneys be kept covered and warm in inclement weather.

This is also where the mistaken belief that cold weather was itself a cause of flu and cold, rather than viruses and the increased proximity of human exposure vs. warmer seasons.

**The Wizard of BC** · 26th February 15, 02:46 PM

These kilts are the current Royal Regiment of Scotland Kilts with the military tags.

To those of you saying that these are old style high rise kilts I'm sorry but this is simply not the case. These kilts are fully modern construction.

I bought two of these. They were listed and sold as 23" drop.
In fact the drop on this kilt is 24.5" and it has a 3" rise. This gives a total length from hem to top of waistband of 27.5".
I am exactly 6 ft. tall and this kilt will not fit me. It is 2.5" longer than my Tewksbury.

This is totally modern construction. Note that the center of the strap hole is 2.5" below the top of the kilt. This top strap should cinch into the natural waist. There is no way to wear this kilt with the old style super high rise.

Also note that there is no flare above the top strap. I have tried this kilt on and it naturally wants to drop down till the smallest part of the kilt is at the smallest part of my body. The hem of this kilt drops down too. To about mid calf on me.

The kilt I altered now fits correctly. I closed up the original strap hole and cut 2.5" off the top of the kilt.
I then re-tapered the Fell to put the proper flare into the taper. I did not need to change the bottom of the Fell, the Steeking nor the hem in any way.

**RCAnderson** · 26th February 15, 03:41 PM

Steve,

Since you have experience with exactly what has to be done to fix this type of situation, how much would you charge to alter this one?

**Mike S** · 26th February 15, 05:15 PM

Steve,

There are two conversations going on at once. Some are discussing the older Military kilts from the last century and earlier that WERE constructed deliberately to rise to the bottom of the ribs and higher (such as the photo that I posted), while others are discussing how to alter these new MOD surplus kilts that are too long to fit a shorter stature, but are modern in construction and intended fit.