Belt Question

[Iolaus]

Using belt loops can be a bad thing. A couple of days ago, my wife told me that I had a lump or something in the fabric, near the top of the kilt (below the belt); it turned out that the belt was pushing up at the top of the loop, thereby pulling up the bottom of the loop, and deforming how the fabric hung. It wasn't evident at first, because my sporran strap was outside of the loops and covered where the loop was pulling the fabric up.

I'll just not use the loops anymore; I hadn't at first anyway, but was trying it with the loops to see if there was any difference. I guess there was!

[Colin]

None of the loops on my Bear kilts were big enough for a Kilt belt and my traditional doesn't have any loops. I always (after some good advise from Todd and Hamish) just wore the belt over the kilt. I never had any issue with the belt moving out of place.

I have found that the kilts that sit on the hips often need a belt to help out, where as a traditional kilt seems to sit just fine without a belt.

[Randy]

There, I've learned something new today. I had just htought they all had belt loops. So with hiking and climbing on rocks I should make sure kilts have loops for the belt, and BBQ afterwards.

[bikercelt1]

I have found that the kilts that sit on the hips often need a belt to help out, where as a traditional kilt seems to sit just fine without a belt.

Colin hit the nail on the head! I used to wear my belt through the loops of my good wool Kilt, but it pulled one of the loops loose. Now I just wrap the belt around and cinch it. It does sometimes shift a bit but never to the point of being a problem. With my Utilikilts and some of my casual "hillwalker" type kilts I do use the loops because they ride much lower on my hips but with my traditional kilts? Never.

Jamie

[Irish in Tacoma]

Thanks folks. My kilt is a traditional wool kilt which rides high on the waist. It fits perfectly fine without the belt but it just looks like there is something missing.

[Robin]

I only wear a belt on my traditional kilts when it will show...when I'm wearing a sweater I mostly don't wear a belt.

[SumoKilt]

Great advice all the way around....

Will we see you at any of the games this year?

Josh

(Olympia)

[Pleater]

The answer is, it all depends - on some of my kilts the belt loops are at different heights - on the kilt I'm wearing at the moment the back loops extend above the waistline and the front ones are 'as normal' - I need to shape the waistline of kilts by an inch and this was my first kilt.

It had a belt but no belt loops at first, however, when I'd had to go back and pull it off a bush twice, it got the loops. Safety pins were just not 'man' enough out in the wild back garden here.

If the kilt extends above your narrowest level all way round and is self supporting then a belt should stay put, and so should the kilt underneath it with no need of loops.

I susupect that most garments distort to some extent at the waist, it is just not obvious, though belts often take on a distinct curve or twist after a time. The wide belts worn with kilts would tend to resist the deformation more than an ordinary narrow belt - putting strain on the loops or even on the body. If I wear a belt 'low slung' I get a back ache which is instantly eased by lifting the belt half an inch.

[Barb T]

Loops on traditional kilts started out as sporran loops, actually (to keep sporrans from sliding down on someone without much of a kiester, I guess), and were much smaller than the loops put on many kilts today. As Matt said, trad kilts didn't have belt loops. There's no need for belt loops, and I don't put them on any of the kilts I make unless someone specifically asks for them.

As Iolaus said, wearing a belt through loops can distort a kilt. The next time you go to a Highland gathering, surreptitiously check out kilts with belts through loops that look like they've been worn awhile (many band kilts are like this). The bottom edge of these kilt are commonly not nice and straight - they hike up directly below the belt loops. Ugh.

Barb

[Blu (Ontario)]

Personally, I've never had a problem with the belt loops. And I've never really questioned whether or not they were necessary. I just assumed that since the scottish kiltmakers put them on, they were to be used. Although where kilts are concerned, nothing surprises me any more. Like the sporran issue, I'll put beltloops in the "optional" category.

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