How Wide Are My Hips?

[Eujeankilt]

What is this measurement?

Personally, I don't see the point in measuring over pants. You're not going to be wearing pants under your kilt. Take your actual hip measurement around what you'll be wearing under your kilt, whether it's underwear or your birthday suit. Any adjustment from there can then be made based on a real measurement, not one that's been 'fudged' by random pieces of clothing.

This one has bitten me. I've been making my own kilts for a little while and some I made came out too small. When you make a kilt, you are measuring the hip line on the outside of the kilt as you go. This isn't your hip size, it's the measurement of the outside of the kilt. Therefore, you should measure the outside of your p##nts. Robert of RK fame has a great page on measuring the hip. One I started measured the outside of my p#nts (with a little room to spare) I noticed my kilts fit better.

Dale

[Riverkilt]

Well...excuuuuuse me....

The point of getting someone else to measure is that when you self-measure you have to bend over, twist, etc. to see the results and there's just no way to stand natural and measure at the same time.

For some reason many kiltmaker's websites advise you to have someone else measure you...for accuracy...so you can be measured standing like you usually do, not contorting to get your own measurements.

When you walk into Freedom Kilts Steve doesn't toss you his measuring tape and ask you to measure yourself and let him know what the results are. He asks you to stand still and he measures you himself.

One reason my hand sewn kilts fit so well is Kathy has measured me herself.

If you can't have an expert do your measuring at least get SOMEONE ELSE if you want the most accurate results.

No, your hips aren't gonna change size - but what you think they are when you measure is probably gonna be different than what they are when someone else measures.

Jeez Louise....I thought that was pretty basic kilting info....????

[Hothir Ethelnor]

Well When I measure myself I just wrap the tape around while standing fairly straight. I use a finger to mark where the tape overlaps itself, and then I take the tape up in front of my face to see what it says... no weird bending to try and look at it as I'm measuring.

But for those who haven't been making clothes all their life and have never done it before it's quite recommended that you get some help.

[DougC]

I thought the questions was "does this kilt make my butt look big?"

[Ryan Ross]

Personally, I don't see the point in measuring over pants. You're not going to be wearing pants under your kilt. Take your actual hip measurement around what you'll be wearing under your kilt, whether it's underwear or your birthday suit. Any adjustment from there can then be made based on a real measurement, not one that's been 'fudged' by random pieces of clothing.

Eujeankilt said it best.

All the traditional kiltmaking wisdom that I've ever heard has suggested measuring the hips over p@nts AND adding ease. Considering that as the case, I feel it's conclusive that measuring over p@nts is the way to go.

[Tobus]

Eujeankilt said it best.

All the traditional kiltmaking wisdom that I've ever heard has suggested measuring the hips over p@nts AND adding ease. Considering that as the case, I feel it's conclusive that measuring over p@nts is the way to go.

I guess my point was that measuring over pants is a bad idea because it's a random measurement. As was pointed out earlier, if you measure over jeans you'll get a different measurement than if you measure over dress pants or shorts or what-have-you. Which is the correct measurement?

It seems to make sense to me that taking a true measurement of the hips, and then adding some adjustment to the known "true" measurement makes more sense. It will be a more uniform method.

But then again, I suppose each kiltmaker has his or her own tried-and-true methods. As long as it works, that's all that matters.

[MacBean]

Some months back Rocky had a misguided missile of a kilt for sale (36 waist and 46 hip), and no, he didn't make it and it wasn't his fault. As I happened to have already been thinking about that particular tartan and waist, so I went to look at it.

It turned out that an added 8" on the waist really didn't matter much. The wait of the kilt made it hang nicely. True, the slant of the front apron isn't quite vertical, and perhaps experts could find something amiss, but it really didn't make much difference.

[Ryan Ross]

I guess my point was that measuring over pants is a bad idea because it's a random measurement. As was pointed out earlier, if you measure over jeans you'll get a different measurement than if you measure over dress pants or shorts or what-have-you. Which is the correct measurement?

It seems to make sense to me that taking a true measurement of the hips, and then adding some adjustment to the known "true" measurement makes more sense. It will be a more uniform method.

But then again, I suppose each kiltmaker has his or her own tried-and-true methods. As long as it works, that's all that matters.

Yes, indeed. I guess it's important to remember that kilt making is an art, and not a science.

[Jerry]

Steve has a good video of the proper way to measure for your kilt here:

http://www.freedomkilts.com/fit.php

Scroll down to watch the video.