2 straps or 3 weigh in men! (and women)

[cessna152towser]

A two strap kilt is easier to get on and off if you have mobility limitations, otherwise I'd say go for three straps which looks much more traditional.

[McClef]

I have kilts with 2 and 3 straps. I prefer the 2 straps. I have made a few kilts now and make them with 2 straps (in the style of a Newsome). I like the idea that it is unnecessary to make a hole in the fabric.

I have not found that the third strap damages the fabric in any way.

[turpin]

All of the kilts that I have made do not have the third strap. They also don't have belt loops.

Good. Then my new kilt won't have the third strap. I like being able to do a quick, symmetrical two-handed kilt-doffing. I sometimes try it with a 3-strapper and bang! it doesn't come off.

As to making the apron lie flatter, a well-constructed apron should lie properly w/o a strap. 2 strap kilts allow for a bit more freedom of movement, and isn't freedom what it's all about?

[gilmore]

I very much prefer 2 straps. It's more comfortable than 3, doesn't tug as much. The 3rd strap really is useless, as has been noted.

[Rampant Lion]

I have one tank with 2 straps and another with 3, and I must say I prefer just 2 straps. I find that I fiddle with the 3rd strap way more than the others. Do I have it too tight? Is it making my apron look funny? Is it too loose, looking ridiculous?

Now, I think it was McClef that has a kilt made by the CCC and they used straps that had knotwork patterns on them. If the straps had that little bit of extra... well the straps looked awesome. I would get 3 just because of the little extra decoration. But for plain straps, I'd go with 2 if I had the choice.


Found the picture of the straps. I'd say if you can get straps like these, get three!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Speaking out on behalf of fuddy-duddyism, I would suggest that a three strap kilt, if properly made, has the edge on the 2 strap kilt. Here's why. Most kilts made today are cut a tad too low-- when wearing a Prince Charlie coatee gaps occur between the waistcoat and the side of the jacket allowing the white shirt to be seen, and this looks just awful. 9 times out of 10 this "gaposis" is caused by a kilt with insufficient rise being worn too low, in some instances riding on the hips like a pair of Levi 501s....

I also hate to see kilts that are ill fitting, or worn too low, but it seems to me that the problem you describe has to do mainly with kilts being made with a sufficient rise to them, rather than the number of straps holding them up.

You mention in a later post about your military kilt having two straps on the right hip and none on the left. If you read my blog posting on this topic, you will see that the origin of the third strap actually came from the military, whose kilts typically had about a 4" rise. One strap was at the waist, and one was at the top of the rise.

The problem comes when you try to put this third strap on a civilian kilt which typically has about a 2" rise. One still goes on the waist, but since the rise does not allow for another strap above it, it gets shifted down below at the hip where it serves absolutely no purpose but to get in the way.

If you have a kilt with a 4" rise and want two straps at the right hip to hold the thing up, go for it! But if you have a typical civillian kilt with a 2" rise, you'd do just as well to leave the superfluous strap alone.

Aye,
Matt
(who tends to prefer simplicity in his kilts, which is why they for the most part have only two straps, no belt loops, and no fringe on the apron edge).

[M. A. C. Newsome]

A two strap kilt is easier to get on and off if you have mobility limitations, otherwise I'd say go for three straps which looks much more traditional.

But that's just it. People tend to think they are "traditional" because it's the norm these days, and it is what people are used to seeing on a kilt. But really, the stronger tradition is to not have a lower hip strap. Most people just don't realize it's an option.

[JS Sanders]

I reckon I'm in the minority.

My first kilt was imported from Scotland with two straps. I didn't care for the 3rd strap on my next two kilts and removed them.

It really doesn't matter to me which you prefer, but I've seen many fellers cinch those 3rd straps enough to distort the whole right side of the kilt. That doesn't look so good and it must stress the stitching terribly.

[Clockwork John]

I have kilts that have three straps, and I have a kilt that has two straps. I think I prefer the three strap variety, but I make sure the hip strap is at least one hole/inch looser than the waist, so that it doesn't affect the way the apron hangs. I also like to wear my kilts a little higher than some, so that the lower strap is above my hip rather than on it.

On my Canadian military Black Watch, which is very high waisted, the third strap is not an option... it's a necessity. As Matt said, the lower strap is at my waist, and the upper strap is up on the rise, closer to my ribs.

[Bryan]

Definitely two straps for me!