waist versus hips question

[Jerry]

When I was ready to purchase my "Tank" last year. I decided to make a "Pilgrimage" to the mountains of North Carolina and meet Matt in person at the Tartans Museum in Franklin, so that I would be sure the measurements were done correctly. Matt got them perfect, and even with my "middle aged spread", it is the best fitting kilt I own.

A Springtime weekend in the beautiful North Carolina mountains around $600

A beautiful Macneill tank in the ancient colors, another $600 or so

Meeting Matt and getting my measurements done properly, Priceless

[cloves]

I'm gonna have to get a professional to do the measuring then. It seems that every time I measure my partner she has a bigger belly than hips.

I, like most women carry all of my weight on my hips, butt, and upper thighs.
Even though I have a tree trunk like body, there is slight hourglassing going on, my waist is slighly smaller than my hip measurment.
Her on the other hand is completely the opposite (or so it seems to me) No butt or thighs to speak of but instead she carries her weight alot higher, around the belly and boobs.

*sigh* I fear I might have to make a road trip to have a real kiltmaker measure her instead of doing it myself.

[ccga3359]

As I was kilted last night I threw the tape measure on around my hips and came up with 40" as opposed to measuring sans clothing at 37". I needed the kilt in order to see how the kilt will hang from my waist and I think that the added thickness of my kilt will add a fudge factor to that measurement. Is not the waist measurement the most important with the hip measurement being a looser measurement?

[Dreadbelly]

ALWAYS SIT DOWN WHEN MEASURING YOUR HIPS.

Standing, your hips might be 40 inches. Sitting, you can expect to add several inches to this figure.

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

[ccga3359]

ALWAYS SIT DOWN WHEN MEASURING YOUR HIPS.

Standing, your hips might be 40 inches. Sitting, you can expect to add several inches to this figure.

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

I did that just now and it did expand 1/2". Man, I should've had my kilt maker measure me up when we met, but that may have looked strange to the other bar patrons!

[cloves]

ALWAYS SIT DOWN WHEN MEASURING YOUR HIPS.

Standing, your hips might be 40 inches. Sitting, you can expect to add several inches to this figure.

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

Dread, I see your point. Sitting down really does add to my own personal measurement. So why doesn't any kilt maker say to measure this way???
Do they just assume that the pleat depth will accomodate this fluctuation?? *now I'm really confused*

[ccga3359]

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

But the pleats would relieve that strain, is this not what the two deep side pleats are for?

[The Wizard of BC]

Some kiltmakers do ask you to sit down when you measure hips. It used to be on my website to take the hip measurement that way. We stopped because that system was so different from what other kiltmakers ask for it was confusing the customers. Much like you folks are confused.

I am working on a video that will walk you thru measuring. We will be doing a re-shoot this afternoon and I'll get something on-line as soon as I can.

HIP measurement is more important than waist measurement. You can't adjust hip as you can waist when you put the kilt on. It's built in. Hip measurement is also the most important to the kiltmaker because this is the measurement we use to determine how much fabric you kilt will need.

A hint for when measuring for the hip, Imagine there is a rigid tube wrapped around where you want the waist of the kilt to be. The tube touches your stomach in the front and your butt in the back. This simulates the hang of the aprons and pleats. They also form a cylinder hanging from the butt in the back and the stomach in the front.

Now imagine taking the hip measurement around the tube. Easy.

By using this imaginary tube idea your kilt will fit as it should. There should be no pulling of the aprons, and there should be plenty of room to sit without stressing anything.


disclaimer-------Please remember, your kiltmaker may have another system. USE THE SYSTEM OF THE PERSON WHO WILL ACTUALLY BE MAKING YOUR KILT!!!!!!!!!!!

If you measure for a kilt using my system and send those measurements to Barb, not even her magic is going to be able to make a kilt that will look and fit correctly.

[Nanook]

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

This is fine if the kilt is intended to fit best when seated. A properly fitting kilt should be quite snug. If its measured to hang around one's rear it will hang and not be snug. Kilts are not muumuus or burlap sacks. A kilt is a fitted garment. For best freedom of movement its best to have the kilt, as tradition puts them, sit high. This cut is generally ill-suited to women. It won't work. Forget it! Don't want to sound like a sound-bite from Al Bundy in "Married with Children" but..

[Barb T]

ALWAYS SIT DOWN WHEN MEASURING YOUR HIPS.

Standing, your hips might be 40 inches. Sitting, you can expect to add several inches to this figure.

If your kilt is measured to exactly 40 inches, sitting will place a lot of strain on the seams, and could cause some real problems.

Well, a kiltmaker takes this into consideration somewhat by measuring somewhat loosely at the hips over a pair of pants. The waist is measured somewhat more snugly over a light shirt.

As I said before, DO NOT fudge or adjust the measurements if a kiltmaker gives you specific measuring instructions. If you do, your kilt will not fit properly.

And there's really no strain on the fell when you sit down. How could there be? The only place that the kilt is held together is at the waist and hip buckle. The hip buckle is placed several inches about the bottom of the fell, so sitting really isn't a problem.

Barb