You do not mention whether the kilt is to be pleated to the sett or to the stripe.

If pleated to the sett, the pattern of the tartan as it appears on the front apron will be replicated in pleated form at the rear, with the checks carefully and skillfully placed. If the kilt gets pulled even half and inch as you say either way, the non-alignment becomes glaringly obvious.

If waist expansion over the life of the kilt is an issue (a common problem), having the aprons made wider to accomodate this is something worth looking into. The under-apron would need to wrap further around to the left, with its strap being placed further in from the edge, while the outer-apron would wrap further around to the right, with its strap in the usual place but with the buckle further around to right.

To counter the ugly off-centre effect this would have on the sett, pleating to the stripe would be your best option, with the edge of the outer-apron covering maybe four of five of the pleats at the right.

As the need arises, the straps and buckles can be repositioned without the need to re-form the kilt.

If pleating to the sett is the preference, having extra material stored in the first pleat at either side would be a good idea, as this would allow them to be opened up in the future. The compromise would be at the edge-band at the top of the kilt, as, if in self tartan, the sett matching would be lost with adjustment. A plain, non-tartan binding material would be needed instead, which could be easily replaced at the later alteration stage.

Kilt-makers will no doubt round on me for suggesting this, but I have seen old military pleated-to-the-stripe kilts adjusted in just this way, with no obvious effect.

You may also consider having one single fastening strap - either the usual short type, or the now seldom seen longer style which passes through the slot at the left hip and runs from the under-apron around the back to fasten to a buckle attached to a short strap in the usual place on the edge of the outer-apron. This method allows for both aprons to be adjusted for the desired fit at the same time.

The alternative to all these options is simple - follow my wife's instructions to me, and lay off the pies..!