Quote Originally Posted by demobud View Post
I am sure I have seen an answer to this question but I couldn't get the search wording right to find it. The kilt hose I currently have is very tight around my calves and is pretty hard to pull up.
The problem is not just calf size but also shape: Highly muscular calves (and legs) versus fat and flabby. With muscular legs, I think, one is in the self-coloured hose better off with standard issue. In diced and tartan hose there is a bit more pattern distortion but it'll always show with muscle flex unless the hose is really baggy and ill-fitting so really only an issue for standing at attention and where uniformity is central. Standard hose are made, I think, to 38 cm (15") and there is enough stretch. Just pull harder and after a while the hose will stretch and mold to your leg shape. Unless you are a body builder, climber or sprinter with calves much larger than 41-42 cm (beyond 16 1/2") I'd keep to the standard and its natural stretch and fit. If you are a colossus I'd look to made-to-measure as even the wide calf models won't fit correctly.