Buttonhole for Straps on a Box Pleat Kilt

[tonycscott]

Regarding 4 yard box pleat kilts, is there an issue with having the inner strap go through a buttonhole versus having the strap and buckle on the inside?

For example, a kilt maker recently told me you have go through a pleat to enjoy a buttonhole. My first two kilts had buttonholes and to me this is "normal". Thanks.

[Grizzled Ian]

Briefly, yes there can be issues with the positioning of a button hole. If there is a problem, the solution is to have both the strap and the buckle inside the waistband of the kilt.

I have only one box-pleated kilt so far, by Barb Tewksbury. It has just the one strap and buckle, the one on the right side of course. The edge of the inner apron stays up quite successfully with no buckles, no Velcro, no pins, nothing. The force that holds it in place is friction, and it is my belt that provides the friction. As with all my kilts, I wear this one dancing, with nary a hint of a wardrobe malfunction.

Gentlemen, and Ladies, It Is Not Necessary To Have Buttonholes In The Waistband Of Your Kilts (generally speaking).

By the way, welcome to the forum!

[WillowEstate]

Gentlemen, and Ladies, It Is Not Necessary To Have Buttonholes In The Waistband Of Your Kilts (generally speaking).

I'll second that, my heavy ex-military kilt (22 oz) has no fastening on the inner apron. I've never had it slip, friction just keep it there. It is wool, though, not sure if a man-made fibre would be more prone to slipping, since they tend to be smoother.

[Pleater]

I think it is a purely individual choice, though for someone purchasing it is sometimes the choice of the maker rather than the eventual owner.

It is not a true buttonhole, in that there is no bar of thread through it to fix a button. The strain of fastening be taken by the fixing of the buckle and strap. Constructing a continuous line of reinforcement within the garment is important, and the slot could be a weak point.

I have used at various times a metal bar and hook fixed to elastic, a D ring and cord and a safety pin, as means to hold the inner apron, all on the inside, so the webbing I use as the strengthening in the waistband was not divided by making a slot.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Tartan Hiker]

I agree with the above. 4 yarders are so light that it doesn't take a lot to keep them in place. That's the beauty of the box-pleated kilt after all. I must admit, however, that I use Velcro tabs on the left side to ensure that things stay snug and lined up.

Not traditional, correct. But if Velcro had been available I bet early kiltmakers would have used it. If it's good enough for nearly every modern military force to hold their gear together, it's good enough for me. I use Velcro on both sides of my hiking kilts.

AND there is nothing more comfortable than having no straps and buckles under your belt.

[jhughes]

I used a hook and eye on the one I made.

[Barb T]

The main issue with putting a buttonhole in a box pleated kilt is that it can wind up being too far toward the back because the pleats tend to be bigger. The buttonhole in a knife-pleated kilt is between the 2nd and 3rd pleats, which, at the waist, puts the buttonhole typically only an inch and a half or less back from the apron edge. If you have a typical tartan sett size for a box pleated kilt, the buttonhole can be a couple inches to several inches back. That doesn't give you much strap length to run through the buckle.

[tonycscott]

Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough replies!

Regarding 4 yard box pleat kilts, is there an issue with having the inner strap go through a buttonhole versus having the strap and buckle on the inside?

For example, a kilt maker recently told me you have go through a pleat to enjoy a buttonhole. My first two kilts had buttonholes and to me this is "normal". Thanks.