Where should the belt ride?

[The Wizard of BC]

A lot is going to depend on what type of kilt you have and where you are wearing it.

If you have a full traditional kilt it is meant to be worn very high. All traditional kilts are designed to be worn at the anatomical natural waist.
Strange as it may seem most guys today do not know where their waist is. Do not reference the navel. The navel will be in a different place on each guy. A guy with a belly will have a navel much lower than a thin guy. You must reference the skeleton. The anatomical natural waist is right under the ribs. In the back, up at kidney level, and in front three or four fingers below the bottom of the breastbone.

If you have a traditional kilt the smallest part of the kilt will be where the top straps are. The kilt will taper in from the hips to the top buckles and then flare out above them to fit up, over the bottom of the ribs.

The decorative Dirk Belt will settle naturally at the smallest part of the kilt. It should be centered over the top straps and buckles.

It sounds from your description that you have one of those kilts with no flare above the top straps. They are becoming more common. This type of kilt will not sit at the natural waist. It will slide down until the smallest part of the kilt fits at the smallest part of your body. This often causes the belt to ride up, above the top of the kilt. This is why many guys feel that must use the sporran loops at the back of the kilt as belt loops. This is actually wrong and will permanently distort the kilt over time. This is also one of the reasons you see so many guys with the hem so low and the bottom of the Fell below the crest of the hips resulting in the dread 'shower curtain' waves in the back of the kilt.

So yes, a photo of your kilt and belt would help us a lot.

[dougez1]

Ok, here is a photo that I have. Maybe this will help.

[Finistere]

Tradition says it should be level with the top of the kilt, not showing any tartan, but I'm sure someone will disagree with me. Kit

[Dughlas mor]

As far as I can tell, only the lower strap and buckle are exposed, the upper two seem to be covered by the belt, which is as it should be. I think you might want to try wearing the belt a bit higher on the kilt, and the kilt a bit higher on your waist, you could be showing a bit more knee, in my humble opinion. Overall, looking good!

[Todd Bradshaw]

I think you might want to try wearing the belt a bit higher on the kilt, and the kilt a bit higher on your waist, you could be showing a bit more knee

That's what it looks like to me as well. As to covering all the tartan at the top, if the kilt is built with a bit of flair at the top that may or may not work. Barb builds mine with flare and a waistband that is maybe 3/4" wide. Belts seem to sit well and stay put best with their tops about where the bottom of the waistband is, rather than trying to cover up all the flare and all the tartan. This belt is 3" wide, but if I wear a narrower one, the top of it is about in the same spot, right below the band. If the kilt is well made and well fitted to you, it's actually pretty amazing how well it stays put, without the need to continually be ooching it up or messing with it. It also really distributes the weight of all that heavy fabric very evenly.

[Katia]

Thanks for this! I've always wondered, with my band kilt (though, with jacket or waistcoat, it really doesn't matter that much, anyway). Mine tends to slide around, anyway (kilt too large, plus moving around shifts the belt), but I've always wondered where I should be aiming to have it. (In our band, they don't really give a prescribed way to wear the uniform, such as where/how to tie ghillie brogues, tilt of the balmoral, where to place flashes, etc. If it wasn't for all the reading I've done here, I would've had to ask a lot of questions... or guess. As some seem to have done...)

[slothead]

Ok, here is a photo that I have. Maybe this will help.

I can't tell exactly where the kilt top or the belt are in this photo because both are dark and in the shade, but it looks to me (from Steve Ashton's description and the barely visible 'step' on the viewer's right side of the torso) like this kilt is being worn a little too low.

[Canuck]

Given that you have a wide er than normal kilt belt, you may also consider wearing your sporran a touch closer to the waist then the typical hands breath below the buckle. Just a thought...

[tpa]

I can't tell exactly where the kilt top or the belt are in this photo because both are dark and in the shade.

Does this help?

[slothead]

Does this help?

It does - thanks. I am still of the opinion that the kilt is riding slightly low (this is all from my very newbie and unofficial opinion) but it looks to me like the belt is at the right height relative to the kilt.