Why are 99% of kilts only available in 24" length?

[celticskunk]

Kilts are definitely not a one length fits all kind of garment. It's frustrating considering some folks wear kilts at their jeans waist and some up around their bellybutton & everything in between. Yet unless you're paying for a custom kilt your stuck with a 24" drop. So can kilts, whether tartan or utility be hemmed? Should they be hemmed? I just don't want to wear my kilt up to my tits to make the length hit right or wear it at my Jean's waist (which I prefer) & have it hit at mid calf. I can't afford a custom kilt so are there any solutions?

[Kiltedjohn]

No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I imagine the "standard" length is a way to facilitate mass production. I have bought a couple of low-price kilts of this kind; they have been hemmed, and I was able to have them shortened professionally. The snag is that, because of the yardage involved, the alteration doesn't come cheap!

[Michael Flemming]

Some vendors of these types of kilts offer 22 inches as a special order, which is good enough to put it in the top half of my knee.

[Riverkilt]

Sad. I only do business with kiltmakers who will sew or cut to my required length - 21"

IF....your kiltmaker doesn't offer sizes that fit you you're probably dealing with a cheapo vender.

Value is much more important than price.

Avoid kilt vendors who market on price.

You CAN afford a custom kilt. They are worth it.

[Michael Flemming]

While I agree with you, I still think that the cheapies have their place for Highland athletics, Ren Faires or as a first kilt for those not quite ready to take the plunge. For most people, an off-the-rack kilt in a 22 inch length will be a much better fit. I see far too many people at my local Ren Faire wearing these types of kilts well below the knee.

My primary Ren Faire kilt is a made-to-measure Usakilts semi-trad but I also have an off-the-rack just for some variety.

[The Celtic Croft]

The Celtic Croft specializing in custom kilts. We have a full range of pricing. From $75 to $750. We know that one size does not fit all, so instead of keeping a whole bunch of standard size kilts in stock, we make them to order.

https://www.kilts-n-stuff.com/produc...quality-kilts/

Kind regards,
Joseph
FSA Scot

[RGRatSea]

I can't afford a custom kilt so are there any solutions?

I have three bespoke kilts.
My first was sewn by my wife. She is a talented person who learned to sew as a young girl. She said, “I can sew a pleated skirt. How hard can it be?” As it turned out, with a little research into the general aspects of kilt construction, she did a very good job. The pleats were shallow, about two inches, but as we lived in the tropics the short amount of fabric made it comfortable in the heat and still looked the part. We ran around town to find leather and small buckles. With the two front aprons and a giant silver safety pin we were in business. It passed muster when my daughter received her PhD. and another father surveyed my kilt and said he wished he had worn his.

The second was sewn by a fine lady who had been sewing kilts for decades here in the US. She was a dedicated and talented seamstress and I believe we made her acquaintance at the Portland, OR Highland Games. She converted a Harris tweed jacket to a kilt jacket and sewed a kilt for me of Stewart Hunting PV. After that she said she had sewn her last stitch. It seems we are losing many kilt makers due to age.

My third, Fraser Modern 9-Yard Strom kilt was handsewn by the resident seamstress in Inverness’s Highland House of Fraser. It was not all that expensive and was completed in four days, 10 stitches to the inch. If you add in the price to get there, well, you know that might factor in as you calculate the cost. Might as well order it while you are there.

So there are three approaches, sew it yourself or have a skilled friend do it after reading as much as possible regarding the skilled approach, hire it out to an experienced local, or travel to Scotland and while there look over the kilt sewers in the area you visit. In Stirling our friends found a great kilt at a “charity shop” (thrift store) for 65 GBP. They do show up from time to time.

Happy kilting, from the Highlands of Oregon