kilts cut to the jeans waist vs kilts cut with a rise to natural waist

[RockyR]

The critical thing is to wear a kilt where it was made to be worn. If a kilt is made with a traditional rise (typically 2"), it's made to be worn with the top edge of the kilt 2" above the waist (not 2" above jeans waist, but 2" above true waist). This is _a lot_ higher than guys wear their jeans. If you have a kilt made with a 2" rise and you wear it at your jeans waist (which is what lots of people do), the bottom of the kilt will graze the tops of your kilt hose, and you won't have any knee showing. This makes it look like you're wearing granny's skirt. In addition, the bottom of the fell (the stitched part of the pleats) will ride a couple inches below your butt cheeks, and your butt will look like a sausage stuffed into a pair of nylons. Not attractive.


Personally, I think that guys with a substantial "corporation" look slimmer when they wear their kilts around the belly than below it. I've made kilts for guys with 50"+ waists, and they look a lot slimmer in a kilt than they do in a pair of jeans, provided they wrap the kilt around the belly at the right level. Because the top edge of a trad kilt with a rise is the same "elevation" front and back (i.e., it's cut parallel to a horizontal stripe in the tartan), wearing the back at waist level and the front below the belly makes a big fold in the front of the kilt below the belly, which really accentuates the belly (at least in my estimation).

So, bottom line - a kilt will fit properly and be the right length if you wear it where it was made to be worn. If you don't want to wear it at that level, ask to have it made differently.

A BIG + 1 to everything Barb said. Also, just to clarify as I was a bit confused in an earlier post (and to verify my knowledge)... the "Fell" of the kilt is the upper portion of the kilt which is sewn down and tapered, correct Barb?

[Mainer In Exile]

Men today have never worn anything at their natural waist. All they know are jeans. It is true that when kilts were developed men wore their trousers at their natural waist, but say natural waist and all guys today can imagine are the photos of grandpa with his pants up, over his belly, and his tie about six inches long.

Some men may never have worn anything at their natural waist. But traditional bespoke tailors still dress plenty of men in suits with the trousers cut to be worn at the natural waist, with fishtail backs for braces. I might be wearing jeans today--with a high rise--but the suits in my closet are not worn low.

[Barb T]

A BIG + 1 to everything Barb said. Also, just to clarify as I was a bit confused in an earlier post (and to verify my knowledge)... the "Fell" of the kilt is the upper portion of the kilt which is sewn down and tapered, correct Barb?

The fell is the stitched portion of a pleat, yes. And you want the bottom of the fell to come just about the the widest part of the butt cheeks, not below, or the fell will hug the butt cheeks and look weird.

[AJBryant]

Now I have this little scenario running in my head of gentleman of substance wearing kilt, sauntering at his ease, attractive lady comes tripping along, G of S steps back, sucks in gut and - fwumff.

Anne, my dear, you've just voiced my greatest nightmare.

It's the curse of the pear-shaped tribe, I fear.

The other great terror I have is that, as a person of... er, substance... because of the buttal and guttal extension, my kilt sits out away from me farther than it would on my narrower (and flatter-tummied-and-tushed) cousins and that gives rise to more potential embarrassment, especially when sitting down. When you're rounder and you sit, your kilt rides up in back WAY more than when you're flat-butted and sit.


Tony

[tundramanq]

The real treachery is for those of us in the habit of bending over at the waist to pick things up off the floor or bottom shelf at the store instead of squatting. I have a kilt safety check I do - often. Bend at the waist your rear toward a mirror. Put one hand flat on the floor. Pick up the apron with the other hand and look at yourself in the mirror. If you only see your face in the mirror you are safe
I had to replace one cotton/poly kilt due to shrinkage in the wash. It fit right at the knee top before it shrank.
The dangly bits tend to get more dangly as the temperature rises. Hot days are for squatting.

[RockyR]

The fell is the stitched portion of a pleat, yes. And you want the bottom of the fell to come just about the the widest part of the butt cheeks, not below, or the fell will hug the butt cheeks and look weird.

I was just checking about the definition to make sure I was using the term correctly. To add to your point as well... you don't want the fell to be too LONG as it'll 'hug' your rear. You also don't want it too SHORT or it could put too much stress on the bottom of the fell when seated (or the pleats could bubble out right below the fell if the hips of the person wearing it are too big for the kilt's measurements).

[Pleater]

Everyone has been discussing gentlemen of substance, but is there a flattering way for us "skinny scots" to wear our kilts, or for the tall highlanders in the crowd?
Thanks

How about a good thick and long Aran jersey and a kilt worn with just two inches of rise, over the top of the jersey.

The textured knitting will give you more bulk.

Wearing the lower edge just a little above the knee - even an inch, can alter the way it looks - and remember that looking at yourself in a full length mirror from fairly close up gives an illusion of length.

A kilt made from heavy weight, 16 or 18 oz fabric will also look more masculine. I find that the heavy materials induce me to more feminine accessories to counteract the effect.

If having a kilt made for you, you might ask for there to be a couple more pleats than the standard split between pleats and apron, it is hardly going to push the amount of fabric required over the 8 yards, and for the pleats not to be cut out in the fell - for some that results in what I have seen called 'pillow butt' but in your case that might actually give the illusion of you having a rump from which to swing the pleats.

These days people are just not used to seeing slender people - if you could bottle what you have you'd make a fortune.

Any rumour of elven blood in the ancestry?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Pleater]

When you're rounder and you sit, your kilt rides up in back WAY more than when you're flat-butted and sit.
Tony

Adding a couple of inches to the length of the kilts you buy might help, if that is an option. It is likely to be more flattering and will not be so obvious as you might think, more importantly it could make you more at ease, which is the main thing.

As a maker of garments, costumes etc. I know that a good fit involves far more than the actual measurements.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[tundramanq]

I'll second Anne's going longer. For winter I use kilts 1.5 inches longer and it makes a difference in how "at ease" I am doing things in public. The longer apron drops faster and easier and the back is good for anything short of a cartwheel. The difference in look between the top and bottom of the kneecap really isn't that much and is well short of the "goth" look. The longer length is a more slimming look.

[Barb T]

You also don't want it too SHORT or it could put too much stress on the bottom of the fell when seated (or the pleats could bubble out right below the fell if the hips of the person wearing it are too big for the kilt's measurements).

True - and making the fell too short doesn't control the pleat swing/swish. If the fell is too short, the pleats are "flippy", rather than "swishy".