Troublesome pleat at the edges of the apron.

[Baeau]

I have not contacted Rocky, as my assumption is, I'm simply doing something wrong in putting it on.

In a past life, I sold hundreds (no joke) of custom made racing suits. Multi-later Nomex (up to 3), worn with Nomex 'long johns", underneath. We implored the customer to call if they had any issue, no matter how trivial. Sometimes, the customer had their own idea how something should be. Sometimes things just didn't meet their expectation. And on the odd occasion, there was an issue. The one that sticks to my mind, the customer would get choked while trying to climb into the window of his Corvette. Which is a challenge on a good day. Turns out, with help from the seamstress at the manufacturer, the customers back length stretched several inches when he bent. More that the average. Happily, he came to us, & didn't slam us for not knowing what we were doing. We got him taken care of in the week. Please note, I'm not saying , nor would I, that is your case. I had customers that were not so nice.

To end my drivel...never be afraid of contacting a manufacturer, or kilt maker, with a question. It tends to be the fastest way to an answer. Or, to find out if you might be doing something wrong, it's body shape, or simply the nature of the beast.

[The Wizard of BC]

And please remember to send Rocky good photos. Front, side, and rear with details of the area that concerns you.

You are correct that you may, or may not, be wearing it the way it was designed to be worn, But Rocky is the single best source of information and help for wearing his product.

I don't know how many times over the past 14 years that I have heard through some third source that a customer was saying that they felt they had a problem with one of my kilts.
I always find it strange that they never even considered contacting me about those concerns.

Perhaps because we live in a world where you do not usually know the person who made your clothing.

But you have all of Rocky's contact information. His website, his email address and even a phone number where you can make a call and Rocky himself will probably answer the phone.

It just does not get any better than that.

[The Wizard of BC]

One of the unique features of X Marks is that every one of the companies and individuals, that choose to advertiser here, have their own dedicated forum section.

Within that section the company may, if they choose, post company news, new products, sales and just about anything they wish or feel may be of interest to their clients.

These same sections also offer customers and potential customers a direct line of communication to these fine companies. Anyone may ask questions or voice concerns about a product or about the company in general. Customers can post reviews, post photos, and comment on the level of customer service.

And each time a post is made within a companies dedicated forum section, the owner or representative of that company gets an email letting them know. It is quite common for that post to be answered in just a couple of hours.

If the OP of this thread has posted his inquiry to the USA Kilt dedicated forum section, Rocky would have received an email and he is famous for responding very quickly.


Others, such as myself, would also have easily seen that this concern was about a specific kilt. A USA Kilts Casual model kilt. Most of the other advertisers here respect each other. We don't usually butt into another advertisers section because we have come to trust that the owners will respond.

To the OP, and to Rocky, I offer an apology for butting into a topic about his product.

[tripleblessed]

So, this can actually be more of an issue for someone who is trim and athletic.

Thanks for pointing this out.

With my 71st coming up, I'm hardly as trim as I once was, but the thigh issue has been with me from early teens. A paper route
with a lot of customers combined with being the smallest boy in my class gave me larger thighs than most kids my height and weight.
Levi's had to be bought four inches larger than waist my size, football pants always floppy at the waist even when cinched to the max.
It is the case with my casual kilts, as well. My semitraditional PV and my five yard wool do not behave the same way. I have thought
it to be just my non-standard body in combination with the slightly different design and construction of the different styles. It does not
affect the function or wear, and folk have never complained.

[Barb T]

Yup - good description. A kilt is constructed with very simple measurements, and those of use with non-standard body shapes just strap it on and carry on!

Honestly? I care a lot more about whether I'm piping well than that my first couple of pleats open up a bit.....

[Jumpmonkey]

Although it could be that the hips are too small, the body shape issue that I was alluding to actually involves thighs. Muscular thighs can cause the front of a kilt to pull forward a bit, opening the first pleat on the apron edge. This isn't an issue for someone with a bit of a pot belly, because the kilt goes around the tum, and there's plenty of room for muscular thighs underneath the belly. So, this can actually be more of an issue for someone who is trim and athletic.

The same thing can happen if a person has chubbins on the outside of the thighs (this is a problem for many women who wear kilts) - the kilt has to go farther around below the bottom of the fell, but the pleats are straight below the bottom of the fell, so the first pleat or two tend to pull open to go around the extra circumference. That's the problem I have with my own kilt - see below:

If either of these is the reason why your first pleat opens up, there's not much you can do about it.

Well, finally over (or over enough anyway) the wretched virus which beset my home and family last week. I noticed during my daily ablutions that indeed my gut protrudes forward, but not so much to the sides, and right where my pleats are acting up, my thighs indeed jut outward a bit. After putting on the kilt I've little doubt they're the cause of my trouble.

Part of me wonders about trying to iron out the bottom of the pleats so they mostly lay flat when worn. Perhaps this would make way for my weird body-shape. Or perhaps I shall grin and bear it. They are lovely kilts any-which-way.

[Jumpmonkey]

Wizard of BC,

No worries mate. I forgot that the USA Kilts has a section here. I guess the approach I take to the whole topic... Well, I think of myself like a novice who just bought a rifle to take up target shooting and didn't shoot well. I could call the manufacturer and trouble them about the gun. But, most likely, what I really need is a bit of instruction on stance, breath, and trigger control, and I'm apt to get a good hand from a fellow at the range, without troubling the manufacturer. I honestly just felt the expertise of the kilt-wearing community suited the occasion better than approaching the manufacturer. I want Rocky to be able to stay busy keeping us in kilts, rather than troubling over my ignorance in putting it on.

[tundramanq]

I have about a dozen USA Casuals that I wear at jeans waist height and have found that when ordering if I add 4 inches to my hip measurement the kilt will fit well without pleats bucking. On the kilts that I have before I figured this out I steam iron out (Iron on polyester rayon heat setting) and reposition the under edge of the offending pleat, always using a pressing cloth, and iron so the pleat doesn't stand. Press the new pleat lightly and try on the kilt. Move the edge and try on as needed until it's "Just right". Then hard press the pleat with the steam iron and cloth and let it cool on the table before disturbing.

Kilts really drape from the from the hip down. Above the hips in the taper from the waist the pleats are sewn. So things need to be a little loose where the pleats go free to drape correctly.