How long are kilt jackets supposed to be?

[OC Richard]

All the kilt jackets I've owned, vintage ones, a bespoke one, and several off-the-peg ones, had the body a tad shorter than the sleeves.

The "Saxon" suits I've owned had the body somewhat longer than the sleeves.

It caught my eye, at a recent Highland Games, when I noticed a few men wearing kilt jackets which had a body somewhat longer than the sleeves.

My first thought was that these jackets were conversions. But I studied them as best I could (without seeming creepy) and they had every appearance of being high quality Scottish made Argyll jackets, identical in every way to the Argyll jackets I've owned and seen for decades, but with a longer body.

One of the guys wearing these long Argyll jackets was a Scottish guy visiting here. His jacket was obviously a high quality tweed Argyll, but the body was a few inches longer than the sleeves.

Anybody know anything about this? Is this a recent trend?

I went back over my old images and it seems to me that kilt jacket length has been remarkably stable over the last 150 years, the body being the same length as the sleeves or a tad bit shorter.

Here's c1869



The famous piper John Wilson in 1927



The piper Archie MacPhedran in the 1950s



a kilted wedding in the 1950s (notice no black jacket!!!)



More recently, the piper Malcolm McRae



and a recently displayed jacket



And what about the Army

[Jordan]

I dont know much about trends but my kilt jacket I got from TFCK has a longer body than my other ones (it could almost work with trousers!).
It is actually that long that it can't be worn closed without hiding my sporran

Jordan

[Father Bill]

While many of us here at XMarks strive for authenticity, we assume that the word implies historicity as well, but I guess styles do (and always did) change. I like the look of the shorter ones, but I guess that with this new trend, when I order my tweed Argyle I'll have to ask to ensure that I get what I want.

Good tip-off!

[auld argonian]

I think that the length has a relationship to your build. Everybody has different proportions between body length, length of legs, broadness of chest, etc. That's why custom tailoring is so desirable...thes proportions are taken into consideration. I like the look of the jackets where the hems of the body and sleeve are even but as I look at the jackets I have, the sleeves are a tad longer than the body...have to get one that's even someday.

Best

AA

[MacMillans son]

It is my understanding that, in a custom tailored jacket, the tail of the jacket should go no lower than the bottom of the fell of the kilt (the stitched down part of the pleats). This allows for free movement of the pleats without interruption by the jacket. Mass produced jackets shoot for averages when dealing with sizes and shapes, and so it appears that the average man's arm length is somewhat longer than the point where the bottom of the fell typically occurs on most men. So, although they are related, the length of the jacket is set by the length of the fell not the relationship between sleeve and hem.

Me thinks that's the deal,

[creagdhubh]

It is my understanding that, in a custom tailored jacket, the tail of the jacket should go no lower than the bottom of the fell of the kilt (the stitched down part of the pleats). This allows for free movement of the pleats without interruption by the jacket. Mass produced jackets shoot for averages when dealing with sizes and shapes, and so it appears that the average man's arm length is somewhat longer than the point where the bottom of the fell typically occurs on most men. So, although they are related, the length of the jacket is set by the length of the fell not the relationship between sleeve and hem.

Me thinks that's the deal,

I completely agree with you, and your assessment, in my opinion is conclusive and correct. Thanks for your post mate!

Slainte,

[Dale Seago]

So, although they are related, the length of the jacket is set by the length of the fell not the relationship between sleeve and hem.

Me thinks that's the deal,

That makes excellent sense.

[longhuntr74]

Mac...you've nailed it.

What I wanted to add, though, is that I think jackets have gotten progressively longer over the past century+. There was a thread about doublets sometime last year that highlighted the fact that the waistline in many 19th century doublets (as based on photographic evidence), was somewhere around the elbows. If you look at many modern PCs, they ended about 3-4" (or possibly even more) lower than that. I think the same might be said of Argylls. They may have started above the sleeve, crept somewhat lower over the past 100 years...and now are getting longer still. Just a theory...I have nothing to back it up.