Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
This photo clearly shows what I was saying about the kilt conforming to the "small of the back".

Well-made hand-sewn kilts tend to have this advantage over cheaper more simply made kilts.
Is there any other way to taper the kilt other than tapering the pleats (on the back)?

With 'regular' clothing there are side-seams that can be used to create a taper, but with a kilt there are no side-seams. But I have heard about 'shaping' the apron so I wonder how that is done. Perhaps the first 'hidden apron deep pleat' is used for that? I suppose in terms of pattern design that would be just as usable as a seam to create a taper.

The usakilts website does specify "Proper tapering down the fell to conform to body shape" for the semi-traditional that I'm eyeing but I'm not sure if that means they are tapering all the pleats or if they only taper the first and last one (or the 'deep' inner/outer apron pleats if both of those exist). I'm also not sure how much that matters exactly, ie. does this mean their tapering does make it conform to the small of the back? Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Given the price point of usakilts' semi-traditional kilt and the fact that, according to one of their latest Youtube videos, one of their kiltmakers can do about 2.5 semi-traditional kilts per day (versus taking probably one or more days for a single kilt in the case of someone like Robert McDonald or any of the highly skilled kiltmakers on this forum), you cannot perhaps expect the same perfect tailoring for the cheaper kilt. You get what you pay for I suppose.

But on the other hand I have no idea if tapering the individual pleats is difficult and how much more time that adds so I don't know if that is one of the differences. But maybe it's more a matter of the kiltmakers skill and experience that allows him to use pictures in addition to measurements to fine-tune the tailoring beyond what can be done with just those few measurements.

It almost feels as if by the time I know enough about kilts to order one, I will also know enough to make the damn thing myself*.

*Not a chance in hell, I know