To each his own - like Rex, I don my hose, garters, sgian dhu, and shoes before the kilt.

Also, for suits, I'm very used to measuring my long tie in relation to the length of my arm so that I always get the front length perfect. But for the kilt, as Matt says, the tie front should be much shorter. Since each arm is different, I'll avoid specifics on what one should use to determine where to tie the knot. For me, the narrow back end tends to be longer than the front, regardless, I suppose because of my choice of knot; so, I tuck it into the shirt between a couple of the button holes to keep it from sticking out from under the front part of the tie and/or the waistcoat.