Royal Regiment of Scotland kilt pics

[Retro Red]

As I posted in the original thread I received my Argyll kilt yesterday and it's too long as well. (I'm detecting a pattern here...) How / Where does one go about getting a kilt shortened?

Rather than shortening my RRS kilt, I'm thinking maybe I could use this explanation of why it's long... the kilt, that is...

[McClef]

I very amusing Donald McGill postcard but look where the waist is - too low down!

[Ayin McFye]

Real nice looking kilt red. I'm sure you wear your kilts out all the time, but now we have another reason to get kilted here soon. (Well as soon as you get the fix taken care of that is) I fear it's going to be at least 6 months before I will have the money to invest in a new kilt. I've been dieing for a top quality kilt for a long time. None of the 3 kilts I own are top dollar, just off the wall cheapies. Shoot me an PM once you finalize everything and we'll start planning another night out, even if it's just you and me. It'll probably have to wait until after the Highlands stuff coming up though, i've been saving my money for the trip. Anyways, i'm rambling, Cheers!

[sputnik]

old scottish proverb
if the kilt is above the knee your a boy
if it's at the knee your a man
if it's below the knee, your a liar

[way2fractious]

RR, first let me thank you for the pictures. I studied them for several minutes and arrived at a tentative conclusion - one that will need to be tried out by needle, thread and fabric.

In regards to your new purchase, there is the option of shortening the kilt - intolerable to any purist and "wrong-headed" to any sensible person - and creating a new selvedge. This could be done by machine or by hand and would have to be done perfectly. This new selvedge - not hemmed - would take the pleating just fine.

Before doing that, however, a fitting should be done to determine if the fell length (sewn down portion of the pleats) will still be correct. These military kilts with 2-inch rises ride really high. Get the horizontal center line of the top buckle up into your natural waist and see if the top part fits correctly by sticking your index fingers into the first pleat on each side (left and right) and slide them up to where the stitched part begins. Your fingertips should rest atop the point of your leg bone where it enters your hip bone (everyone sing along now!), or the pivot points when you lift your legs (one at a time, please. We don't need a new jumping Hamish pose. ) If the top part of your kilt fits O.K...

.. then we can talk about the length.

Hey, Bruce, I PM'd Barb T about the possiblity of hemming my RRS kilt, here's her reply -

I do know military box pleated kilts, and they would be extremely difficult to hem. It's possible to hem a heavy-weight, knife-pleated kilt, but a military box pleated kilt has too many little folds to hem well. I hate to say it, but I think you're stuck.

I agree with Barb's assessment on hemming an MBP kilt, even in the "lighter" weight 16 oz worsted - and totally impossible in the 18+ oz fabrics of yesteryear.

So, here is where we entered this conversation previously... There is the option of shortening the kilt - intolerable to any purist and "wrong-headed" to any sensible person - and creating a new selvedge. This could be done [by a non-sensible person.] This new selvedge - not hemmed - would take the pleating just fine.

w2f, one of many non-sensible persons on this forum.

[BruceK]

These military kilts with 2-inch rises ride really high.

So the military kilts ride even higher than a standard traditional kilt? I usually wear said traditional kilt so that the top of the kilt is 1-2" above my navel. Seems like the military kilt will wind up just under my armpits...

[TimC]

Hey RR, looks nice...I'd be dying having the kilt in my hot little hands and having it too long to wear. Hurry up and get it hemmed so we can get soem pic's of it being worn.

-Tim

[mudd]

You should have left those basting stitches in and just used one of those big paper cutters.

[turpin]

Yeah - and then fringe the raw end.

[Retro Red]

Actually, my friend, Graeme, who owns the fine local kilt emporium, Arizona Kilts [shameless plug], contacted the gal who does his kilt alterations & she recommended essentially take the kilt apart, shortening it the desired amount (in my case 2½ inches) from the top & then remaking the kilt.

Since I've taken a fancy to the unique character of this kilt & am already in for a fair amount (£239.50 / $485), I'm seriously considering this course of action.
.