describe the general features of your "ideal" kilt

[Alan H]

...meaning a contemporary kilt.

Me.

Waistband much like a pair of levis..wider than a traditional waistband. Belt loops....not sporran loops, BELT loops for a 3 inch belt. Basically, like a Freedom kilt!

knife pleated, probably about 18 pleats on the backside of a 48 inch butt dude...thus about a 1.5 inch pleat reveal, 5.5 - 6 inches of cloth per pleat. Topstitched pleats are fine. Sew down the pleat edges.

The over apron is about 4 inches narrower than a traditional kilt, so the pleats wrap around a bit more, but I'm favoring that look over the uber-narrow pleats of my X-kilt these days. LOTS of overlap with the under-apron. This is basically like an R-Kilt.

Button closure, or velcro if I'm going to wear it under a backpack waist strap, taking 50 pounds of load. No straps\buckles. I invariably wear kilts with a belt.

length to to of knee, maybe top 1/3 of knee

Jury is still out on the pockets issue.

Material....I loved that hemp/recycled poly "denim" stuff I got for the earthkilt project, and that was "10 ounce" stuff, if I remember rightly. It was a charcoal gray and I loved it.

simple in layout and line....no doo-dads, hanging clips and D-rings, rivets for the gothmetal look or any of that. I don't even want any extra leather, just plain and simple kilt. You know, I don't own this kilt, yet. It's taken me nearly 4 years to envision this thing.

How about you?

[GDub]

Sounds good to me. When are you going into production? ('cause I want one! )

[sdc]

I'd also buy one like that, but having gotten used to a couple of UK Mockers, I would really miss pockets; they're big enough that I wouldn't need a fanny pack or anything else to carry extra stuff around, but you don't even really notice them otherwise.

[The Wizard of BC]

Hi Alan, My name is Steve and I think I know where you can get a Kilt just like that.

[NancyMan]

Oh I don't know. Maybe a black leather kilt with flannel Union Jack inserts in the pleats. Silver studs strewn hither and yon. Gusseted patch pockets with horn pin closures. A six inch waist band with a red lace corseted closure........... Oops! Excuse me, you said ideal, not fantasy didn't you? Sorry, wrong thread.

[Frank McGrath]

The one wrapped around my **** when I have a guinness in me hand.

[KiltedSkeleton]

Lightweight Cordura in MARPAT or CADPAT. High waist like a traditional. Box pleats. MOLLE straps. Some cargo pockets for odds and ends. This is what I want to play paintball in. Cordura for easy cleaning. CADPAT is my teams uniform but MARPAT is close. MOLLE for pod and tank pouches. The pockets for swabs, towels, cleaner...that sort of stuff.

[TheBlueCow]

Hmm... I think my ideal style for a casual, every day wear kind of kilt would be something like this:

• The top of the fell would be at the top of my hips, and I would do either no waistband and 1.75" belt loops (very casual) or more likely a 2" waistband with 2.25" belt loops. Because it would be a jeans-waist kilt, it would have to have a slope so the back would be higher than the front.
• I would want it to fall at about mid-knee.
• The apron would be 1/3 width (10" on my 30" waist)
• Symmetrical pleating. First and final pleats (rear-facing) would be 1/12 width each (on me that's about 2.5" each) and would finish up the front 1/2 of the kilt. The back 1/2 pleats would be symmetrical and forward facing, 6 pleats with a 2" reveal, and a rear center box pleat with a 3" reveal. Or maybe 8 pleats with a 1.5" reveal and a 3" rear center box pleat.
• Probably a snap closure. Though I'd like to add up to 2" of size adjustment for "fit"/waist variation
• Soft, mid-weight material that is preferably stain and wrinkle resistant.
• Front slant pockets, just for somewhere to put my hands.
• Side cargo pockets for my stuff.

Or something like that. I've been thinking about this for awhile myself

[Wompet]

For a contemporary kilt:

• hemp/cotton or hemp/recycled poly
• reverse kinguisse pleating with full aprons and sewn-down pleat edges
• length - traditional waist down to the knee
• side slash pockets and an underapron pocket
• large belt loops
• fastening - straps for adjustment, but non-leather for ease of care

Sounds like the offspring of a Freedom Kilt and a RKilt, doesn't it? But here's the kicker - to be my "Ideal" contemporary kilt, that hemp fabric has to be tartan.

[Jim W.]

have you checked out the Alpha kilt? Very close to what you are saying here.

Jim