Tapered apron vs straight apron.

[Adventure Kilt]

I have just started to learn how to make kilts and I am about to start my third kilt.

I was thinking about making this kilt with a straight apron, instead of the tapered apron on tradition mens kilts.

I have two questions i am hoping to get help with.

1. Is there an advantage with a tapered apron vs a straight apron found on kilted skirts? Does it move better etc.

2. How many cm/inch should the bottom of the apron be more than the top on a tradition kilt?

[The Wizard of BC]

The reason for the taper to the apron is to allow the sides of the apron to hang vertically and not curl outward. If you look at a traditional style kilt from the side the apron edges appear to fall straight vertically but in fact are significantly wider at the hips than at the waist.

The straight aprons started with the very narrow "apron" used on a Utilikilt. (The original Utilikilt did not have any apron at all. It had a zipper fly front) It is only 7" wide and is supposed to curl so having taper would not be practical.

If you are making a kilt with a full width apron, or about 1/2 of the waist then you must have taper. How much is determined by the difference between the waist and hips.

The taper is not straight on a traditional wool kilt. It is an "S" curve. Wool can form some pretty incredible curves and when steamed will still lay flat. If you are using some fabric other than wool you may have to have straight sides to the apron.

Over the years many people have tried many different shapes to make a kilt fit, hang and swish well. The shape we use now has been worked on and perfected over many years and by many very talented kiltmakers.

If you are making a traditional style kilt may I suggest you find a copy of "The Art of Kiltmaking".
www.celticdragonpress.com if you can't find a copy locally. You will be buying direct from the co-author. She is a member here and goes by Barb T

[Barb T]

The amount of taper varies with the person's measurements and body shape. For a large guy with a belly, I've made kilts with very little taper in the apron (so that the apron hangs essentially straight down from the top band) and with all the shaping in the back of the kilt to pull the kilt in to the small of the back. For someone who is more trim and has a significant waist/hip differential, the apron will taper from the hips to the waist and needs to flare from the hips to the bottom of the apron, or the apron edge will flip forward (as Steve points out). The amount of flare depends on the shape of the waist/hip taper but typically is on the order of 1 1/4" to a bit more than 1 1/2". As Steve says, it's not a straight line making a triangle - it's a reverse curve below the bottom of the fell.

[tundramanq]

Great question!
Steve and Barb, thanks for solving this riddle for me. Didn't think it was just "fashion" but was unsure of it's effect. Is that 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 each side or both summed together. Mine are 5/8 to 1 inch per side. But my rump isn't very large.

[Barb T]

I meant 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" on each side. Sorry I didn't clarify.

[Grizzled Ian]

I'm sure the OP is clear in his mind, but I don't know if his question refers to only one of the 'taper' built into the kilt from waist to hips, or the 'flare' of the apron, from the bottom of the fell down to the hem.

In any case, both elements are involved in the resulting shape of the end of the apron; and the OP has the good oil about both from experienced kilt-makers.

Thanks again Barb and Steve

[Barb T]

It really involves both together. If the waist and hip measurements of the apron are equal, then there is no taper to the apron between the hip and the top of the kilt. That means you _also_ can't have any flare from the hips to the bottom of the kilt. The apron is simply a rectangle.