Conclusion: Pants lie. Kilts tell the truth.
Absolutely. We should burn all the pants for the liars they are!!!

Seriously, this is one issue that I never even realized until I bought my first kilt. I had no idea that my waist size was actually 34". All this time I'd been wearing size 33 pants. They were tricking me into thinking I was thinner than I actually am.

And to make matters worse, not all clothing manufacturers use the same method of subterfuge. Depending on brand, style, etc., I may wear two or three different waist sizes in pants. I guess some manufacturers take the 'lie' further than others. And the worst part is that people just put up with it, as if it's expected!

The same seems to go with shoes. Not that I think they're intentionally lying to me about the size of my foot, but I've found that there's a wild difference between makers of shoes. A size 7US isn't the same from one shoe maker to the next. It's maddening. And again, people just put up with it, as if it's expected!

Thankfully, the three kilts I've had made to my actual measurements (and another on the way) opened my eyes to the wonders of tailor-made garments. Even having custom hose made to my measurements has amazed me with the idea of buying something that actually fits me as if it were made for me! I'm now considering going this route on all my future clothing purchases, including shirts, trousers, and even boots/shoes.