A "stabilizer" for belt loops?

[Grizzled Ian]

The only reason I don't take my belt loops off is that a subsequent wearer of my kilts should have the option to use them. That and the fact that I would probably destroy the kilts in the process.

[David Thorpe]

I've never understood why the "belt loops" are so long as to encourage their use to hold a belt, if their intended use is for the sporran strap only. I personally never lace either a belt or a strap through the loops.

One possible explanation is that the traditional sporran strap rig features a leather "plate" at the center back versus a buckle. The (plain) ends of the strap are threaded/folded through slots in the plate. Since the plate is considerably taller than either the strap or the buckle, the strap/belt loops need to be quite a bit taller than the width of the strap alone.

I never thread a kilt belt through the loops, but I do use the loops for the sporran strap.

[Pleater]

I do make my kilts very differently - the pleats are not sewn down for a start, it is a more primitive kilt than those using modern tailoring methods.

Behind the top edge I place a sturdy strip of webbing slightly wider than the belt I intend to wear with the kilt. I make belt loops at the edges of the row of pleats and then place two more each side of centre back, and one at the edge of the apron. I sew the straps in place and then bind the top edge.

Without the webbing the back droops and the pleats fan out - there is a gap of about 4 inches across my spine where the kilt waist is not in contact with me.

Until I found the really sturdy webbing there was a tendency for the top edge of the kilt to slide down, pulling the lower edge of the strap and the pleats, up the outer surface of the belt, even with a sturdy interfacing and sewing down a couple of inches of the pleats to try to stabilise the waist area.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: