"Low rise" kilt question

**ConfusedPollock** · 25th July 07, 09:53 AM

Okay I have a good question I think. I prefer to wear my kilt on my hips. Yes the "wrong way" Now with a straight apron my 1st and last pleats pull out like 2" inches a side, with a 1" a side a-shape its like an 1 1/2" What would I need to do to get this to stop happening? I have kinda big legs. The upper part of my thighs in the front bulge out more than my back side, if that makes sense. I like a narrower apron with knife pleats. I've tried my hand on 2 black canvas ( 18" and 24" aprons), one heavy brown twill (12"apron), and an almost fair x-kilt. They all spread and roll out the first under side of the pleats over my front thighs. Should I just put a big taper there or a bigger a-shape?

**Archangel** · 25th July 07, 10:55 AM

Sounds like a job for R-kilt, or one of the other custom kilt makers.

Sorry, didn't notice this was the DIY section, carry on.

**Alan H** · 25th July 07, 11:12 AM

Try another X-Kilt, but make the over-apron narrower....like 9-10-11 inches at the waist. The under-apron pleat should be big, at least 4 inches. Then make the forward-facing folds of the first and last box pleats really deep...like 3 inches at least.

That'll help.

If you really want knife pleats, then make a full-width apron kilt, but make the under-apon pleat just killer...like 6 inches deep. Over on the right side, make the final pleat and the reverse pleat really deep as well. REALLY deep. That'll help.

Also, make the sides of the over-apron...NOT straight lines. Bow them out a bit. By this I mean that you should build in a little taper in the upper 6-7-8 inches of the over-apron, and then widen the over-apron down to mid-thigh length, and then drop it more-or less straight from there, to the hem. What you're doing is building in extra material in the upper half of the front of the kilt....tapering it to the waist, and dropping it straight down from mid-thigh to the knee.

Don't overdo it...3/4 on an ich to an inch..max on each side should be plenty.

This is the opinion and thoughts of a totally amateur kilt-maker who's willing to try anything, but knows exactly diddly.

**Pleater** · 25th July 07, 03:56 PM

You need more shaping - and possibly more width available for walking than would be designed into most kilts - from what I have seen.

I'm not sure that a box pleated kilt would be the easiest to adapt, I'd think that knife pleats and more opportunities for tapering would be the easier way to go.

A tapered apron, quite narrow, and lots of pleats with a fairly narrow reveal at the waist but generous depth will give you the best chance of having enough expansion available to create a more or less cone shape around you rather than the more D shaped cross section of the traditional kilt.

I'd take a generous length of material and start to pleat from the centre back, then keep on pleating right around to enclose the hip joints, and make the under apron pleats deep enough so they go right to the centre front - you don't want to be short of material when getting into a car or stepping over a low obstacle.

For a good fit I think you are going to need lots of material, but it should feel great to have it all moving around you, giving you space to move without restraint.

**Alan H** · 25th July 07, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Pleater

You need more shaping - and possibly more width available for walking than would be designed into most kilts - from what I have seen.

I'm not sure that a box pleated kilt would be the easiest to adapt, I'd think that knife pleats and more opportunities for tapering would be the easier way to go.

Pleater, what do you think about a Kinguisse style kilt for this? I've never made one, but maybe...

If I were thinking aloud, I'd say to try a Kinguisse with a narrow front apron ( this is starting to sound like a Utilikilt) and large, exceptionally deep pleats.

**ConfusedPollock** · 25th July 07, 06:26 PM

I do a 2" reveal with 3.5-4" under on the kilts I've made so far. That and 5+" under apron pleats. Pleater, I'll give that narrow tapered apron with small reveal on this next one. I have some $2 a yd from Wally World. I have 4 yds doublewidth to work with. Like 1.25-1.5"" pleats? Or 1"? Then 3-5" under? The movement thing is why I like the knife pleats better.

**Pleater** · 26th July 07, 04:58 PM

Just slipping out of my kilt - good thing this is text not vision!! I find that there are 22 pleat reveals. This is one of the first kilts I made and I now normally have 20 reveals.

The first reveal each side is that of a 17 inch under apron pleat - that is 17 inches from the fold at the edge of the apron to the fold of the next pleat.

The smaller pleats are 7 and 1/4 inches, 10 each side, and they meet in the centre back where there is an inverted box pleat 7 inches wide - perfection would have made it 1/4 inch wider, but the material is joined and the seams had to fall so they made the inner folds of pleats.

I find the optimum is to have the reveal of the under apron pleat lying along the top of the thigh when I step up.

I think you will need to experiment to find the best position of the last pleats - that is how many inches more than half your circumference you need to make pleated in order to have enough expansion so the kilt is not too narrow at the thigh.

I think that more, smaller pleats will be better than fewer deeper pleats - and it will not matter if the pleats are Kinguisse style or normal knife as long as there are enough of them and there is enough material in them for fit and movement.

Now I am really tired just at the moment, and it is almost oh one hundred hours - but I just thought - how about putting in extra pleats in the front - rather than one large under apron pleat have two or three, with shaping, so the pleated width is extended 4 or 6 inches, but then have the apron hide them - so there is more material at the front of the kilt, but not obviously so.

Would that help solve the problem?

**Alan H** · 27th July 07, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

Now I am really tired just at the moment, and it is almost oh one hundred hours - but I just thought - how about putting in extra pleats in the front - rather than one large under apron pleat have two or three, with shaping, so the pleated width is extended 4 or 6 inches, but then have the apron hide them - so there is more material at the front of the kilt, but not obviously so.

Would that help solve the problem?

I've thought about the notion of hiding an extra "accordion"...type box pleat under the over-apron to build in some extra "give". I haven't tried it, but it *might* work. This is similar to your idea.

Might be worth a shot, confusedpollak...

**Pleater** · 27th July 07, 06:25 PM

If you regard every pleat edge as an opportunity for shaping it seems logical to put extra pleats in when and where extra coverage is required.

**ConfusedPollock** · 28th July 07, 07:15 PM

I have an idea I think of what I'm going to try. I'm going to try to taper in the top 5-6" of the apron maybe 1" a side and go with 10-12" apron and 32 1.25" reveal with a 12" apron or maybe 26-28 1.5" and a 10 or 13" apron. Honestly I'm leaning more to the 1.5", 32 pleats are alot to stitch down. I prefer to have stitched down pleats for minimal maintenance.Possibly with double/accordian under apron pleats. It's my kilt, so I should be able to make it however I want, right. Following the main outline, deviate where needed...

I'll have absolute max expansion possible, I think, this way.