Tapered apron vs straight apron.

[Barb T]

The amount of taper varies with the person's measurements and body shape. For a large guy with a belly, I've made kilts with very little taper in the apron (so that the apron hangs essentially straight down from the top band) and with all the shaping in the back of the kilt to pull the kilt in to the small of the back. For someone who is more trim and has a significant waist/hip differential, the apron will taper from the hips to the waist and needs to flare from the hips to the bottom of the apron, or the apron edge will flip forward (as Steve points out). The amount of flare depends on the shape of the waist/hip taper but typically is on the order of 1 1/4" to a bit more than 1 1/2". As Steve says, it's not a straight line making a triangle - it's a reverse curve below the bottom of the fell.

[tundramanq]

Great question!
Steve and Barb, thanks for solving this riddle for me. Didn't think it was just "fashion" but was unsure of it's effect. Is that 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 each side or both summed together. Mine are 5/8 to 1 inch per side. But my rump isn't very large.

[Barb T]

I meant 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" on each side. Sorry I didn't clarify.

[Grizzled Ian]

I'm sure the OP is clear in his mind, but I don't know if his question refers to only one of the 'taper' built into the kilt from waist to hips, or the 'flare' of the apron, from the bottom of the fell down to the hem.

In any case, both elements are involved in the resulting shape of the end of the apron; and the OP has the good oil about both from experienced kilt-makers.

Thanks again Barb and Steve

[Barb T]

It really involves both together. If the waist and hip measurements of the apron are equal, then there is no taper to the apron between the hip and the top of the kilt. That means you _also_ can't have any flare from the hips to the bottom of the kilt. The apron is simply a rectangle.