Location of Waist?

[kiltedtom]

I ordered my first, and so far only, kilt two weeks ago. According to the instructions, I measured for the wasit slightly above my naval--about an inch. When I see photos of guys in kilts, in most of the photos, guys seem to be wearing the kilts more toward the waistline used for pants.

Is this the new style, or did I measure in the wrong place to start? Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Whatever the result, I wish I did not have to wait for the kilt to get here! LOL

Tom

[Father Bill]

If you measured where your kilt supplier said to measure, then you measured in the right place. What you describe is indeed your waist. Some guys are wearing kilts on their hips. This is not traditional and does not often work well with either a belt or kilt jacket.

[kiltedtom]

Father Bill,

Thanks for the info. By the way, having read another posting, I just want to say that I think you are a great person. You are very understanding and helping with others. Having been a hard core Baptist, ( and I still hold to many of those beliefs), and a Roman Catholic confrere (Remdemptorist) for three years, and acutally confirmed Ukrainian Orthodox before Roman, I enjoy and admire men and women who know what they believe and can help others without being obnoxious about it. I am always interested in learning new things about the Divine Being from others who have had different paths.

Anyway, thinks again for the info.

Tom

[Father Bill]

You're more than welcome, and thanks for the kind compliments! Hang in there, and enjoy your new kilt when it gets to you!

[jhockin]

Some wear kilts at "jeans waist", because their kilt(s) were meant to be worn there, some because they are more comfortable wearing it there, and some because they don't know traditional kilts are meant to be worn at the "natural waist", and some wear it at "jeans waist" because the kilt doesn't fit at natural waist.

[unixken]

The thing to remember is that the waist is not the only important measurement in the construction of the kilt. There's also the point around the buttocks where the pleats are stitched closed/together (the distance from the waist to this line of stitching is "the fell"), and the overall length of the kilt, from top to bottom. (There's also the "rise", which is the distance between the waist straps and the very top of the kilt, which generally also flairs out just enough to keep the top of the kilt from digging into the rib cage. Some makers factor this into the "length" measurement, others treat the length measurement as beginning at the waist, and factor the rise in afterward.)

When a traditional kilt, tailored for wear at the natural waist, is then incorrectly worn at the pants waist, this pushes the fell down well past the butt (and several inches down the length of the thigh), so that the pleats don't hang and sway as designed. Additionally, since the fell is tailored to the widest point of the buttocks, wearing that widest part of the kilt too low (below the widest point of the butt) makes the butt too tight, since the part made to the measurement of the waist is now constricting around the butt, putting unwanted stresses on the straps. It also gives an awful "full diaper" look to the back of the kilt.

Finally, the bottom of the kilt is meant to be worn above the kneecap, not down around mid shin-bone. Wearing the kilt lower than it was designed skews the whole thing.

On the other hand, there ARE kilts that are DESIGNED to be worn "at pants waist." They have a shorter fell so there's no diaper look (the butt measurement of the kilt is worn at the butt, where it belongs), the waist straps are worn where they were measured to be worn, and the kilt shows the knees, as it was designed to.

When in doubt, talk to the kilt maker, ask them how THEY want the measurements taken, and then take them in that way. If you later go to another kilt maker for your next kilt, do not recycle the old measurements... have the same conversation with the new kilt maker, find out how THEY want the measurements taken, and take them in that way. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[Joseph]

I have a 46" waist and 56" belly. If I wore the kilt around my belly it would like a huge curtain. And if I loose any weight at all it wont fit anymore and my investment into the garment is gone.

I ordered mine by my hip measurement because that is where I wear it. I strapped it on and went to the local Irish fest and then the local Scotfest. I was shocked to see nearly everyone else there (male or female) had theirs on the same as mine. Including the old timers who had been doing it forever.

[MacLowlife]

Bear in mind- kilts are like trousers in that they are subject to the laws of physics, specifically gravity. Many a man has left the house with his kilt in proper position only to have it sag as the day wears on. I believe this is particularly true for gentlemen whose waists are broader than the area just below their hips, i.e., men who are conically shaped rather than hourglass-shaped. This may account for some men's choice of suspenders/ braces to hold up their kilts.

[kiltedtom]

Many thanks to all of you for your kind help and information about measurements. I, definitely, do not have an hour glass type figure. My waiste is 43"; my trouser's waist is 38"; my hips measure 41.5". Not sure what kind of figure that is, but maybe someone good at geometry can figure out the volume in me. LOL

Thanks again,

Tom

[Father Bill]

Hm! Not pear shaped; ...Moldavian zucchini!