Beer Gut + Traditional Kilt = Barrel? Help!

[stvlange]

I need some advice gents, I have a beer gut. No sense stepping around it. I ordered a traditional SWK regular kilt. I measured an inch or two above the belly button as requested, ordered a 50" and its too big.

No problem, I can exchange. Here is the thing, if I wear it where I am supposed to wear it, because of my big *** gut, I look like Ed Grimley.

Is a kilt belt meant to be orn up high or at the pant level. I love the kilt, and maybe I am just being sensitive, but my wife was like -- you have got to pull that down some. The trouble of course if I do is that it goes below my belly.

I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer, if you have photos of what a traditional is supposed to look like on a big guy, I'd love to see em. If you think i need to forgo a traditional kilt, which would be sad for me because I want to wear it for historical reasons relating to scouting.

Sure appreciate the advice.

-Steve

[Monkey@Arms]

I am sure one of these members can help:
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/group.php?groupid=48

Best regards,

Jake

[dfmacliam]

I have a gut myself, and I wear my kilt just above the belly button. Below it at jeans waist it looks wrong, at mid and high waist they uhhh kind of hold the gut in. Yeah you get that Ed Grimely look, but it's better to hide it some than to accentuate it. I will say, I am no expert, but from my experiences, I know what feels more comfortable to me.

[ccga3359]

Beer+traditional kilt

Yeah so what's the problem?

Steve Ashton at Freedom Kilts has a beer gut cut to his kilts.

[Phogfan86]

My ample tum is somewhat minimized by wearing my kilt where it's supposed to be. I bet you don't look as goofy as you think you do. It also, according to my wife, creates the illusion of a longer leg line, which makes me look longer and thinner.

Or something like that.

[ForresterModern]

I too have the problem of not a lot of difference between my waist and hips making the trick of keeping the kilt up difficult, not to mention the belt. I wear a belt and use sporran hangers, as a chain really gets under the gut, and the sporran hangers tend to pull down on the belt making the whole thing want to submerge itself below my gut. My solution== suspenders, or braces as they are called in the UK. And yes, I often wear both together. Other solutions that have been mentioned are using a rubberized belt underneath your kilt to act as grippers to both the kilt and the shirt underneath, holding the kilt up as long as your shirt can stand the weight. The same thing can be done with the underside of your belt, and this would help the kilt grippers do their job. I personally have not tried this solution but may in the near future, as my kilt collection enlarges I am not wont to enlarge my suspender collection at the same time.
Good luck with that. And I think you ought to consider joining the social group "Gentlemen of Substance".

[Big Mikey]

The following is a link to a thread about this very thing. A few posts down you will find a "visual aid" of yours truly showing the difference between jeans waist and traditional height.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/j...x.html?t=45963

IMHO, a G of S looks mighty fine wearing the kilt at trad height.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

My ample tum is somewhat minimized by wearing my kilt where it's supposed to be. I bet you don't look as goofy as you think you do. It also, according to my wife, creates the illusion of a longer leg line, which makes me look longer and thinner.

Which is absolutely correct. Big guys in a properly fitting kilt look fine; the minute the kilt slips below the navel, the whole appearance takes on a slovenly look-- definately not the image you want to pass on to your Scouts.

As ForresterModern has suggested, if your kilt keeps giving in to gravity (and remember, it should be snug around the waist) then you need to consider using suspenders/braces.

Keeping the belt in place can be accomplished buy stitching two belt keepers to your kilt, one on each side. You can get these tiny hooks from most fraternal supply houses. You might try New London Regalia (www.newlondonregalia.com) or Los Angeles Fraternal Supply Co. (www.lafsco.com). They will be listed in the same section as Masonic Knight Templar regalia and uniform items.

These hooks are also excellent for locating your sporran chain (it brings them forward and several inches higher) and preventing them from slipping under your gut... sorry, tummy.

[stvlange]

Thanks guys! I guess its just something that I need to get used to (and my wife used to) more than anything else. Part of the problem right now is that the 50" I bought is just too big.

I am going to exchange for a 48" and hope its tight enough, as I understand it the belt is merely decorative.

[stvlange]

The following is a link to a thread about this very thing. A few posts down you will find a "visual aid" of yours truly showing the difference between jeans waist and traditional height.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/j...x.html?t=45963

IMHO, a G of S looks mighty fine wearing the kilt at trad height.

Mikey your photos helped a ton!!!!! I still think I need to get one size down but seeing that height really helps!