altered kilt on Ebay

[OC Richard]

This is a quality Burnett & Struths kilt.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323729332798?ul_noapp=true

I can see from the photo of the back that the buckles have been moved far from their original position to make the kilt fit a smaller person.

I think I can see in one photo that the kilt was hemmed up, what, 3 inches or so?

I asked the seller for some measurements, the rear pleated portion at the waist is 18 inches wide.

The kilt is said to now fit around a 32 to 34 inch waist.

My question is, what might the original size might have been? 36 inch waist and maybe 40 inch hips? That's only a few inches bigger, could that explain how far the buckles have been moved? Looks like 6 to 8 inches, just a guesstimate.

It would be great to have a kiltmaker's insight. Thanks!

[Me cousin Jack]

To me that kilt scales somewhere in the high 40’s low 50’s. If I counted the pleats right and they are .75”
26x.75=19.5 and two aprons at about the same day 18” plus 18” brings ti to 55” and change fudge factor...this is just a SWAG
Scientific wild azz guess.

[OC Richard]

Thanks!

That's exactly what I was wondering, what I was thinking, that the kilt was originally made for a much bigger size.

[Mike S]

I see by the ebay photos that the seller shares three other interests in common with myself, militaria, piping. and firearms/reloading. ;)

[Steve Ashton]

I don't think that this kilt has been sized down that much.
If you look at the under apron strap it appears to have been moved about 2-3 inches.
This is about the same that the right side buckles appear to have been moved.

It would be the hem that concerned me. To alter a kilt like this you would normally do it from the top down. This is so the bottom of the Fell stays at the crest of the hips and buttocks.
I suspect that the wearer wanted to wear this lower than it was designed to be worn.

If you let down a hem like this the crease will never completely go away. Especially if the hem has been in for a while.

And when the kilt was pressed after the hem was put in, whoever did the work did not keep the creases straight. I doubt that his kilt hangs as well now as it did when new. I will almost bet that the back of this kilt shows the 'shower curtain' folds that are so common on a poorly pressed kilt worn low.

[Highland Logan]

....'shower curtain' folds ....

I'm not familiar with that. Can you explain?

Frank

[Steve Ashton]

A kilt that is fitted, made, and worn well, should have the pleats in the back that hang completely straight, parallel and from a few feet away you should almost not be able to see individual pleats.



There are a couple of things that go into making a well fitted kilt.

The first is the hip circumference. A kilt that is too small in the hips will have the aprons gaping open.



But a kilt that is too large in the hips will look like this.



This is one example of the shower curtain folds.

Another example of something that will cause the shower curtain folds is wearing the kilt lower than where it was designed to be worn.
All of the kilts made in the iconic style (What some call traditional) will be designed so that the top strap cinches into the anatomical waist.

In the back, the part of the kilt that is tapered and sewn down is called "The Fell". The bottom of the Fell should hit right at the crest of the hips or buttocks.
If you lower the waist of the kilt and wear it like pants, the bottom of the Fell drops below the hips and you get the shower curtain folds in the back.



Now, there are other problems with this kilt and they are all due to it being worn other than how it was designed to be worn. The bottom of the Fell being worn low caused the pleat stitching to fail along with the hip strap being fastened too tight. Every time the guy would sit down too much stress was placed on the stitching.

If the Fell is too short you will see the pleats pulled and gaping open.



The shower curtain folds can also be seen in a kilt that was pressed incorrectly.
The creases of the pleats should follow the Tartan pattern all the way from the bottom of the Fell to the Selvedge. The Tartan pattern should be the same distance from the crease edge all the way down.

This is quite common when a dry cleaner who is not familiar with kilts tries to press pleats.

[Highland Logan]

Thanks Steve. Great explanation and accompanying photos.

Frank

[Steve Ashton]

There are other things like an improperly stitched Steeking line or improperly installed stabilizer or interfacing which can cause shower curtains, but as you can see, the primary causes are wearer induced.

I don't think I need to go into why this kilt will never hang properly. But a hint - There is no Fell at all.