How low is the waistcoat supposed to fall?

[The Wizard of BC]

Well, first of all let's assume that you are wearing your Kilt at Traditional waist height.

To find your natural waist place your hand with the fingertips just at your spine and about the height of your kidneys. Your thumb should be along your side just under the ribs . Now bend into your hand and you will feel an indentation where your thumb goes in just under your ribs. That is your natural waist and that is where the top straps of your kilt cinch into. It is also the height of the Kilt Belt.

Now strap on your Waistbelt at that level. Then put on your Waistcoat. The front notches of the Waistcoat should come to just the bottom of the Belt buckle.
(If you don't have a traditional Waistbelt and Waistplate use any belt and measure down about 1.5" below the center of the belt.)

Now to the position of the sporran. Remember, the sporran is not a crotch protector. It should rest lightly on the stomach. If it is worn too low the strap will catch under your belly and cause a pucker in the aprons. When worn properly the top of the sporran should be about at the level of the naval. This allows the sporran to hang free from the belly and not ride under it.

[Fit2BKilted]

Well, first of all let's assume that you are wearing your Kilt at Traditional waist height.

To find your natural waist place your hand with the fingertips just at your spine and about the height of your kidneys. Your thumb should be along your side just under the ribs . Now bend into your hand and you will feel an indentation where your thumb goes in just under your ribs. That is your natural waist and that is where the top straps of your kilt cinch into. It is also the height of the Kilt Belt.

Now strap on your Waistbelt at that level. Then put on your Waistcoat. The front notches of the Waistcoat should come to just the bottom of the Belt buckle.
(If you don't have a traditional Waistbelt and Waistplate use any belt and measure down about 1.5" below the center of the belt.)

Now to the position of the sporran. Remember, the sporran is not a crotch protector. It should rest lightly on the stomach. If it is worn too low the strap will catch under your belly and cause a pucker in the aprons. When worn properly the top of the sporran should be about at the level of the naval. This allows the sporran to hang free from the belly and not ride under it.

Well, you've assumed correctly for the most part, I imagine... When my Heavyweight SWK falls to my mid-knee, the top is nearly 3" above my navel---about 1" or so above my natural waist (I have a long torso). Now... Do you mean the 'points' of the waistcoat's front notch should be at the bottom edge of my standard belt [if I chose to wear it in the conventional manner]? I *do* tend to wear my sporran rather high (by modern standards?) with the strap resting just below my navel---any lower and, given the usual mass of its contents, I'd be liable to injure myself were I to move at anything more than a stately pace [quite the opposite of a 'crotch protector']. Perhaps I'll have time to take some photos, shortly, to better illustrate the issue; but, I don't have any available just now.

[Riverkilt]

For odd sized guys (like us beer belly types) you can have your waistcoat made-to-measure. Lochcarron and House of Edgar come to mind, and I'm sure there are many more vendors who will make a waistcoat to measure.

[Zardoz]

I think what we need to take away from this is that the kilt and sporran should not be worn any differently because a waistcoat is added. How they are gonna fit out of the box is going to depend on your proportions, personally I fall sort of in-between "short" and "regular" with jacket lengths (depending on the maker) but I've found even the 'short' waistcoats to a bit long. If the bottom (tips, notches ?) of the w/coat is/are too low compared to your sporran in it's normal position, I feel the w/coat should be altered. I generally get away with just shortening the 'tips' at the bottom, making the w/coat more horizontal across the front.

[kiltedsawyer]

Having purchased an "off the rack argyll and waistcoat" this past year I have been wondering about this very question. Can a tailor shorten a waistcoat while maintaining the look? Thanks,
David

[piperdbh]

Can a tailor shorten a waistcoat while maintaining the look? Thanks,
David

Yes, a competent tailor should be able to do this. I'd suggest wearing your kilt when you take the waistcoat to the tailor's, so he/she can see exactly how long you want the finished waistcoat to be.

[ThistleDown]

Pictures and thousands of words, but these two were taken roughly a hundred years apart and show exceptionally well the "correct" length for the kilt, the "correct" position for the day sporran, and the "correct" manner in which to wear a waistcoat, albeit in different styles.

[SoulFyre777]

*gasp!* Prince Charles has buttoned his bottom button!! Quick! What's 911 for the Kilt Police???

[OC Richard]

*gasp!* Prince Charles has buttoned his bottom button!! Quick! What's 911 for the Kilt Police???

I have many dozens of images of people in Highland Dress, mostly late 19th and early 20th century, and I can't think of one where the bottom button isn't buttoned. It's always been the usual way in Highland Dress. I'll go back and look through them though...

[SoulFyre777]

Interesting... I just read a post recently (I believe) saying that you should never button the bottom button of a waistcoat... I have no opinion on the matter, really. Now I'm curious which is more accurate and where the opposing ideas have come from...