How Do I Determine What Size Kilt To Buy?

[lschwartz]

bluethunder, see me comments in blue below.

Also, if your price range is around $100 or less, and that is what you are finding on Amazon, they will be made from acrylic. Even if they say it is acrylic wool it is still synthetic and not a wool blend. I would really suggest that you think about a USA Kilts Casual kilt to start out with. It will be in PV from Marton Mills, which is a harder finish/smoother fabric than a wool or acrylic wool fabric, but they look great and wear well. It will also let you get it made to your personal measurements. And all for $99.99.

I found a number of kilts on Amazon that are within my price range but when I started looking closely at them I discovered that I have no idea what a lot of the references mean in regard to what size kilt I should purchase.

What does a 3-yard kilt indicate versus a 5-yard kilt? As mentioned before, that is how many yards of material is used for the kilt. It has nothing to do with the height of the kilt. More yards means they can make the pleats deeper; or, they can put more pleats in the kilt, they will just be normal depth. More fabric also adds some bulk to the kilt. My wife says that I look better in a 5-yard kilt than an 8-yard kilt. I am 5'10" and 240 pounds.

I understand that 10 ounces versus 13 ounces indicate the weight of the fabric, but in practical application what does that really indicate and how does it apply to everyday wear? The main difference you will see in fabric weight is warmth and swish. The heavier weights are obviously going to warmer and better for cooler climates. A 10 ounce wool would be better for Hawaii, as would the PV fabrics as they are lighter in weight and not as warm as wool. As for the swish, or the swing of the kilt as you walk, the additional weight of the heavier fabrics helps it to swing as you walk, but the 10 ounce should work fine. Do a search on swish and swagger for more discussion on this point.

How does it apply to formal versus casual wear? You can use either weight for either type of wear. Heavier fabrics may result in a more formal/dressy appearance but lighter weight fabrics work too. Many people won't notice the difference.

I'm 6'2, around 210 pounds with long legs and a short torso, but my legs, my hamstrings, quads and glutes are fairly large do to heavy weightlifting, so how do I determine what length kilt I should buy? I've seen references to 22 inch kilts and 24 inch kilts.There are two things to think about here; where you want the kilt to hit you at the knee and length. Just like where you want your pants cuff to hit your shoe, it is all a matter of personal taste; there isn't a right or wrong answer, although some options just look better. You want it to hit around your knee but not up on your thigh or down along your shin. Top of the knee, middle of the knee or bottom of the knee all work fine. I prefer to have mine hit just below/bottom of the knee because it feels too short (to me) otherwise. Most people go for mid-knee and I think that looks the best overall. If you go with a Casual kilt like I suggested you can easily wear it a little higher or lower on your body to see which you prefer.

As for the length, when they say a kilt is 22" long they mean the length from the top of the kilt in front to where it stops at the knee is 22".

Another thing to consider is where you wear the kilt. Someone mentioned the "rise" of your kilt, and that refers to where you your torso you have the top edge of the kilt. The traditional location is just below your ribs, or full rise. Mid-rise is around the level of your belly button or at the top of your hip bone. Low-rise is where most people wear their jeans, which is lower on the hips. Mid-rise seems to be what most people wear, but pick the look that you like the best on your body.

Should my kilt hang below or above my knee?See the discussion above.

I know I just ask a lot of questions but I want to make sure that I do not look silly or wear the garment improperly when I purchased my first kilt.