Non-tapered utility kilts?

[eahuntley]

So, I'm built a little weird. In addition to being somewhat widely built*, I was apparently absent whatever day they handed out butts. The end result is that my waist measurement and hip measurements are almost identical. Should I just make my kilt without any taper at all? Or do I go ahead and add in a little taper anyway? Is my sort of build common?

*when I say wide, I literally mean wide. I have hardly any gut at all, and definitely nothing that needs special accommodations.

[plaid preacher]

So, I'm built a little weird. In addition to being somewhat widely built*, I was apparently absent whatever day they handed out butts. The end result is that my waist measurement and hip measurements are almost identical. Should I just make my kilt without any taper at all? Or do I go ahead and add in a little taper anyway? Is my sort of build common?

*when I say wide, I literally mean wide. I have hardly any gut at all, and definitely nothing that needs special accommodations.

Greetings brother. I too refer to myself as built like a building column. The trick is to slip your measurements. Imagine a line going straight up from the side seams on a pair of jeans. Measure at the waist and hips your front half, and then do the same for your back half. Normally, we are built larger at the front at the natural waist and larger toward the rear at the hips. Add those two figures together and use them as your hip measurement.... this should give you a little taper in the pleats.

Best of luck.

[eahuntley]

I re-measured myself using this method, and I'm still coming up with the same measurements(45" on both my hips and waist). Is there a minimum recommended taper? If I chose to not use any taper at all, would the kilt still fall(swish?) correctly?

[Pleater]

The taper is shaping, and is independent of the measurements.

If you stand against the edge of a door or other narrow upright edge, can you slide your fingers between the edge and your back at waist height?

Most people can, it is called the 'small of the back' as it is the narrowest part of the trunk.

The taper is to shape the kilt into that hollow, and it means the difference between a good fit and a wonky one.

If you have a long ruler try putting the top edge against the edge of the door and then put your smallest finger between ruler and door at about 8 or 9 inches from the top edge of the ruler. See how far out the lower edge is from the edge of the door? A kilt is usually about 24 inches long, so you can see how a straight pleat would be pushed out - but of course the fabric isn't rigid, so it will fall straight down from the point where it is no longer supported, like a broken fan - the sort which ladies flutter.

If you measure around your back, to about half way, whatever the width of your pleats will be, then the measurement of the pleats at hip level, will be vertically below those points. The pleats should be that measurement from the lower edge of the fell to the selvedge.

What you need to create is a row of straight vertical pleats which fall from the widest part behind, the end of the fell, and above that
the fell is shaped to lie smoothly and lightly into the small of the back. You should allow a little space for the thickness of garments inside the fell, what is known as ease. You aren't building a corset.

Now, though, the waist is too small by the amount of the taper, so you add that to the aprons. A kilt apron is not worked to be pulled flat against the body like trousers, it falls straight down from the waistband, and just as there is usually an inward curve in the back there is normally an outward curve in the front profile.

It might not be relevant to you, but for myself, being of the female persuasion and having a compressible waist, I make the aprons an inch larger than the waistband and use a couple of lines of stitching along the top of the aprons to narrow them to the correct measurements. It is a dressmaking technique rather than tailoring, as far as I know - tailoring has it's secrets - but as the waist of a kilt is reinforced and is strapped tight it could be useful to know that it is possible rather than straining the fabric below the waistband tight and it showing the stress it is under after a few wearings.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[eahuntley]

Ok, so what I should have asked was, is there a recommended minimum offset between the waist and hip measurement. All I'm trying to do right know is diagram the kilt, but since my waist and hip measurements are the same, I don't know how to proceed. I've tried measuring myself every way possible, and have had others do It for me. I'm sure the measurements are correct.

Does a 45" Waist and a 47" hip sound like it would be enough?

[Pleater]

As you are most likely using a plain fabric you could try leaving the edges of the aprons unfinished, and tack on the waistband, making them a few inches wider than you need according to your measurements. Do the minimum of sewing so that you can make adjustments if you find that the taper is too large or too small.

Once you have settled the pleats and the apron edges next to them use safety pins to secure the kilt and wear it around the house so you can see how it settles into place, if it feels tight etc. and then by gyrating in front of a mirror see how the waistband lies - is it level do the pleats hang correctly and so on.

You can then mark on the waistband where the edges should be, and finish off the sewing.

If you are doing a narrow apron remember that the under apron should go right to the left hip so you have enough overlap.

I have a photograph unsuitable for this forum which reveals the dangers of insufficient overlap - and a lot more besides.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: