I tried it on, and more questions

[AmateurKiltsmen]

Hi, i finally tried on my whole kilt last night and i have a few questions

1: Where exactly do i put the pin? where i have it at the moment it doesn't want to hang right and kept wrapping around my leg, i also don't want to move it too much as it does make holes in the kilt (and i may or may not have put the tip of the sword through too, whoops)

2: The kilt doesn't hang with a flare, there's also a string at the top and bottom of the pleats, do i cut those?


3: Sporran chain is too short, any chance i can extend it?

Thanks

[Troglodyte]

It would help us advise you better if you could show pictures of the pleats and sporran-chain, too.

My advice would be to hitch the kilt up a couple of inches (onto you natural waist) so that the top edge is above your navel, and pull the straps tighter if you can.

The kilt is intended to be worn close-fitting - much tighter and higher on the waist than you normally wear trousers.

The 'string' in the pleasts sounds as if it is basting thread that is there to hold the pleats secure until the kilt is worn for the first time. This need to be removed before wearing, to allow the pleats to hang correctly and move freely.

The sporran chain-strap is adjustable for only a few inches, to allow the hang of the sporran to be comfortable and loose, but not dangling too freely. If you can get the leather strap section positioned high into the small of your back with the chain portion slanting down toward the front, somewhat into the crease between yur leg and body when you sit of raise your knee, you should be able to position the sporran at the desired height. Somewhere covering the groin area is about right.

The sporran strap is not a belt to be worn tight around the hips, but as a loose strap that allows easy movement of the sporran - which is why having it placed high up at the back of the waist helps.

If the sporran chain-strap is too tight to allow this, you would be best off to get a larger (that is longer) size.

This video is as good as any for how-to kilt wearing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcv72NRFt6g - and should help you.

[ShaunMaxwell]

Hi, i finally tried on my whole kilt last night and i have a few questions

1: Where exactly do i put the pin? where i have it at the moment it doesn't want to hang right and kept wrapping around my leg, i also don't want to move it too much as it does make holes in the kilt (and i may or may not have put the tip of the sword through too, whoops)

The placement of the kilt pin is a matter of personal preference. Kind of depends on the type of pin being used as well. Opinions will vary. Here are a few photos of how I have placed different pins:








You might also spend some time looking through the photos here:

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...xamples-85511/

I'd say your pin is a bit low and could be moved a bit towards the center... A few inches from the edge.

Cheers,

SM

P.S. Some wear them a bit higher and it looks very nice. Also, consider running the pin (that's behind the apron) a few times through a portion of a rubber band once inserted through the tartan, and then fasten. It will prevent the loss of your kilt pin should it come unfastened. It has saved many a kilt pin...

[AmateurKiltsmen]

It would help us advise you better if you could show pictures of the pleats and sporran-chain, too.

My advice would be to hitch the kilt up a couple of inches (onto you natural waist) so that the top edge is above your navel, and pull the straps tighter if you can.

The kilt is intended to be worn close-fitting - much tighter and higher on the waist than you normally wear trousers.

The 'string' in the pleasts sounds as if it is basting thread that is there to hold the pleats secure until the kilt is worn for the first time. This need to be removed before wearing, to allow the pleats to hang correctly and move freely.

The sporran chain-strap is adjustable for only a few inches, to allow the hang of the sporran to be comfortable and loose, but not dangling too freely. If you can get the leather strap section positioned high into the small of your back with the chain portion slanting down toward the front, somewhat into the crease between yur leg and body when you sit of raise your knee, you should be able to position the sporran at the desired height. Somewhere covering the groin area is about right.

The sporran strap is not a belt to be worn tight around the hips, but as a loose strap that allows easy movement of the sporran - which is why having it placed high up at the back of the waist helps.

If the sporran chain-strap is too tight to allow this, you would be best off to get a larger (that is longer) size.

This video is as good as any for how-to kilt wearing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcv72NRFt6g - and should help you.

Thanks for the help, I’ll definitely try that, as well as making it tighter, I had it on pretty tight as it was, the sporran chain I couldn’t even get close, I know you can buy sporran chains so I might do it, I thought of Jerry rigging it with one of my trouser chains but that would ruin the look, the chain came with a cheap sporran so I was expecting that, my mom hates this sporran, it’s a semi-dress with horse hair and she thinks it needs more horsehair like a pipers sporran.

I have a picture of me trying to wear it that I can attach if you want

[AmateurKiltsmen]

The placement of the kilt pin is a matter of personal preference. Kind of depends on the type of pin being used as well. Opinions will vary. Here are a few photos of how I have placed different pins:










You might also spend some time looking through the photos here:

https://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/...xamples-85511/

I'd say your pin is a bit low and could be moved a bit towards the center... A few inches from the edge.

Cheers,

SM

P.S. Some wear them a bit higher and it looks very nice. Also, consider running the pin (that's behind the apron) a few times through a portion of a rubber band once inserted through the tartan, and then fasten. It will prevent the loss of your kilt pin should it come unfastened. It has saved many a kilt pin...

Again thanks for the helpful tips, I’ll try to move it inward a bit so it rests against my leg, any tips for getting it straight too?

[ShaunMaxwell]

Again thanks for the helpful tips, I’ll try to move it inward a bit so it rests against my leg, any tips for getting it straight too?

Follow the lines in the tartan. Maybe center it on a stripe or between stripes.

Cheers,

SM

[Tobus]

As others said, the strings on the back are the basting threads that should be carefully snipped out and removed entirely. They are holding your pleats from being able to open up, which is critical for movement. Otherwise you're wearing a tube that has no room for your legs to move as you walk.

Also, you mentioned your kilt pin was restricting movement. That's possibly a function of your pleats not being free, but also, make sure you're not pinning that kilt pin through both aprons. It should only be pinned to the outer apron as a decoration. It is not meant to connect the inner and outer aprons together.

[AmateurKiltsmen]

As others said, the strings on the back are the basting threads that should be carefully snipped out and removed entirely. They are holding your pleats from being able to open up, which is critical for movement. Otherwise you're wearing a tube that has no room for your legs to move as you walk.

Also, you mentioned your kilt pin was restricting movement. That's possibly a function of your pleats not being free, but also, make sure you're not pinning that kilt pin through both aprons. It should only be pinned to the outer apron as a decoration. It is not meant to connect the inner and outer aprons together.

Both threads or just the one at the bottom? It’s a tartanista kilt, i know that’s cheap but I’m a poor kid who lives no where near Scotland and it’s my only kilt that fits so I don’t want to ruin it.

Already noted, it would definitely rip if I put it through both aprons

[Tobus]

Both threads or just the one at the bottom? It’s a tartanista kilt, i know that’s cheap but I’m a poor kid who lives no where near Scotland and it’s my only kilt that fits so I don’t want to ruin it.

I don't know how they baste the pleats at Tartanista, but most kilt makers will have 2 or 3 rows of basting across the back. They usually use white thread that's easy to see and makes it obvious that it's to be removed. Without seeing a photo of your kilt, I'd just say that if there are threads there that are obviously not part of the kilt's construction (i.e. contrasting colour and zig-zagged across the back), they should be snipped and pulled out carefully.

Keep in mind, though, that the tops of the pleats should be stitched permanently at the "fell" area of the kilt where it transitions from being flat across your back to the free pleats. If the kilt is made traditionally, those stitches should be hidden. Some modern machine-sewn kilts may have visible stitching on the outside, but it should be somewhat obvious that they are part of the construction and not meant to be removed. They would use thread that matches the tartan colour for the permanent stitching.

Here's a photo (which gets posted often for humour) of a guy who wore his kilt out in public without removing the basting. I can't imagine how he managed to get all the way there without damaging his kilt, popping the basting, or even being able to walk. One would think it would be obvious that these aren't permanently part of the kilt, but apparently not!

[AmateurKiltsmen]

I don't know how they baste the pleats at Tartanista, but most kilt makers will have 2 or 3 rows of basting across the back. They usually use white thread that's easy to see and makes it obvious that it's to be removed. Without seeing a photo of your kilt, I'd just say that if there are threads there that are obviously not part of the kilt's construction (i.e. contrasting colour and zig-zagged across the back), they should be snipped and pulled out carefully.

Keep in mind, though, that the tops of the pleats should be stitched permanently at the "fell" area of the kilt where it transitions from being flat across your back to the free pleats. If the kilt is made traditionally, those stitches should be hidden. Some modern machine-sewn kilts may have visible stitching on the outside, but it should be somewhat obvious that they are part of the construction and not meant to be removed. They would use thread that matches the tartan colour for the permanent stitching.

Here's a photo (which gets posted often for humour) of a guy who wore his kilt out in public without removing the basting. I can't imagine how he managed to get all the way there without damaging his kilt, popping the basting, or even being able to walk. One would think it would be obvious that these aren't permanently part of the kilt, but apparently not!

I could imagine it with a kilt like mine but that’s really obvious lol

I removed the bottommost thread last night and it definitely freed the thing up but I still have problems, pins still not laying right despite me putting it more inward, the kilt itself just doesn’t fit right and it bunches up between the straps on the right, makes me wonder, should i just give up on kilts? Starting to think my body just doesn’t work with them.

Also please fix your website when it comes to uploading pictures from iPhones