sitting issues

[sathor]

I've seen the video, but I still seem to have issues with 'fabric coverage' beneath me. What key element am I missing, like not to sit very far back into a chair or not getting the sweep right or should I really be feeling the chair 'that far up'?

[george7]

Maybe your kilt is too short. If you're girth is bigger, it might take more to make it around the bend in the back.

[sathor]

Maybe your kilt is too short. If you're girth is bigger, it might take more to make it around the bend in the back.

Might be, but its down at my knees to start with. I am getting better with it though, I think. Its still kinda weird. And makes me glad I am figuring this out at home instead of at a festival.

[Dirk Skene]

georgeblack7 made a good point. I don't know much about you buddy, but if your kilt is hitting at the right spot at your knee & you are wearing your sporran, you should be ok. For us US American men that are not used to kilts it does take a bit of getting used to. But trust me, after awhile it becomes old hat.

One thing you will need to perfect, if you haven't already, is 'sitting like a lady'. We call this 'sweeping the pleats'. I think Hamish has a video here on the forum about that.

[SteveB]

The shape of the kilt wearer, and the fabrication of the kilt both have a role in the sitting thing. I have Stillwater Thrifty that I wear to the top of my kneecap in the front, and due to the shape of my backside, hangs about two inches higher in the rear. When I sit the sweep puts as much fabric as is available under me. The curvature of my body sitting up straight means that the rear selvage is not visible if I lift my aprons and look down. I also own a Semi-traditional from USA Kilts. This kilt sits at the top of my knee in the front and hangs about half an inch lower in the rear. When I am seated in this kilt the rear selvage is quite visible when looking under the aprons. My Scottish wool kilt is rather protective of me and covers even more of the chair from me. According to the cold steel folding chair survey, on me the SWK Thrifty doesn't cover much, the USAK covers a bit more, and the Tank covers a lot more.
My nephew has almost no raer end, and is able to keep a lot more of his body away from contact with the chair in almost any kilt.
You may have noticed that the womenfolk are very fussy about the chair they sit in. This is related to the same effect with a dress or skirt.
Slainte

[The Wizard of BC]

Believe it or not a big factor in having a kilt cover the chair when you sit is the height you wear the waist.

I have found in fitting hundreds of guys in kilts that if the kilt is worn "Low Rise" it seems not to be long enough to cover the chair. But the same person in a "Full Rise" Kilt has no problem.

No one likes the surprise of a cold vinyl chair seat.

[Cassidy]

I dunno. I have a similar problem, and I chalk it up to my body shape. My kilt usually brushes the top of my knee, and I wear it well above the navel. Yet the thighs get a LOT of seat- to the point where sometimes I for the sake of the chair's owner regret going regimental.

I sweep the pleats as best I can, naturally.

[Standard]

I seem to have a similar problem and have chaulked it up to being a relatively new kilt wearer. The pleats are swept as best I can following Hamish's fine tutorial video, however as one poster stated there seems to be a lot of thigh touching the chair at times. Perhapse I too am not doing something correctly. My kilt falls to the top of the knee, is worn above the navel, and would be considered a 'tank' . Any advice from you long-term wearers, or is it just a matter that has to be gotten 'used to'? I can tell when I don't get the pleats swept correctly as I can feel the fabric bunching up under me at which time a slight rise and re-sweep will correct that problem.

[ChattanCat]

I find that if my knees are too far apart, the pleats seperate and it makes it hard to get a consistant thickness under the thighs. Not sure if this may explain the lack of material under the thighs because usually I get lumps.

If you are sitting in an arm chair, make sure you do not catch the pleats on the arm.

[sathor]

I kinda finally figured it out, mostly, and then my wife refuses to go out of the house with me in a kilt. I'm standing there hungry and she's in her pajamas refusing to get dressed until I change. F'in A man. Maybe after a day at the ren fest with me in it she'll change her mind, but geeze.