Traditional hand looms wove 'single width' fabric, and were two to three feet across. So double width would be four to six feet. The median I've seen is about 50" for a great kilt. Celtic Croft recommends 4 yards for thinner gentlemen, and six to nine yards for larger ones, depending on pleating style. With 44" waist, I'd start with six, and see if that's sufficient.

"The whole nine yards," by the bye, does not refer to kilt yardage -- it refers to the length of amunition belts for machine guns in WWI.