HELP! Kilt newbie needs advice to keep b***s off chairs!

**Blu (Ontario)** · 2nd November 04, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by magnus

... I measured from top of where I normally wear my jeans down to floor from a kneeling position. Came up with 21". He had 20" and 22" lengths. I ordered 20" thinking a 22" might cover my knees. On the contrary. 20" length really measures 19" and with the belt on it tightens up a little to 18" length....

Ooooh... thats a mini-kilt! As a general guide, I was told by one kiltmaker that proper kilt length should not be less that about 1/3 your overall height. I'm 6ft. so my kilts should be roughly 24" long.

**Magnus Sporrano** · 2nd November 04, 05:23 PM

Which is exactly why I'm thinking I should be professionally fitted for my first kilt and leave the guesswork up to a pro.

**zeytoun** · 2nd November 04, 05:51 PM

I'm also 6' and a 22-23" kilt seems to be ideal, as I have long torso/short legs. At that length it reaches top of my knee and sits at my naval. Even a difference of 1" shorter may very well make testicle-to-chair conact practically inevitable.

Even if you wear the kilt on your hips, a 22" is probably the shortest you should go.

Also, unless your kilt is very long, it is best to avoid sitting on the edge of the chair.....

**Will** · 2nd November 04, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by magnus

On the contrary. 20" length really measures 19" and with the belt on it tightens up a little to 18" length.

I know what you mean about the length. My Stillwater kilts say they are 24", but I am hard pressed to measure anything to be 24". But, at some places it seems close. I've had them hemmed up 3" ,so they are somewhere between 20-21". But a kilt maker at a Ren Faire did say my drop should be 20" (yes I am short).

Back to the sitting issue, I am working on the sweep as others have suggested. I often wind up with no kilt below me. Sometimes it is just bunched up in the back and I can sweep it down. I guess this takes practice.

**Rigged** · 2nd November 04, 06:07 PM

I like to recommend the movie, "Formula 51" where the main character (played by Samuel L. Jackson) wears a kilt through most of the movie. The movie is otherwise pretty awful, except for how Jackson wears his kilts. He does a very natural sweep when he sits that keeps the kilt smoothed under him.

Just fast-forward to those parts (with the sound off because there's lots of swearing).

**Mychael Sporrano** · 2nd November 04, 07:05 PM

Pardon the lecture, but... It seems to me that common sense and basic consideration dictate that something [be it pleats, skivvies, or a towel such as is used in the public areas of nudist colonies] should always separate "parts" and the places where others sit. Please folks, keep your "boys" to yourselves!

Mychael

**Jerry** · 2nd November 04, 07:10 PM

Both of my 13 oz casual kilts are 21 inches. I used to be 5'10", but now it's closer to 5'9". Anyhow the 21" seems perfect. As for how to sit, watch any woman as she sitts down wearing a skirt or dress. I know we don't like comparing kilts to woman's wear, but they have been sitting in skirted garments for many many years longer than us.

**Magnus Sporrano** · 2nd November 04, 07:46 PM

I think the problem I'm having with my first kilt is being resolved tomorrow. If everything works out according to plan I'll have some big kudos to give to a kiltmaker tomorrow.

**Mike n NC** · 2nd November 04, 07:58 PM

Fortunatly, or unfortunatly as the case may be, I'm old enough to have been watching the girls back when pleated skirts were in. I remember them scooping the pleats with Both hands then keeping them in place as they sat.

Worked pretty good for them way back then, works very well for me now. Oh, and I'm just a shade over 6'1" and my kilts are 24" long. They hit right at the top of my knee. Haven't gotten a "cold one" yet.

Mike

**Riverkilt** · 2nd November 04, 08:15 PM

I'm about the same size as you Magnus. I have 4 AKs, 2 PKs, 2 FKs, 4 UKs and 2 SportKilts...all about the same size drop 21 1/2 to 22".

I wear them under my belly without the beer gut cut. They hang well.

I had the same problem with my first kilt...had to learn. It took a while to feel comfortable doing the "butt sweep" in public. But, when I do the butt sweep I wind up sitting on my kilt. When I don't do the butt sweep its bare chair, or half bare chair.

So, I do the butt sweep. I finally figured out, if I have the huevos to go kilted in public I should dang well have the huevos to do the butt sweep before I sit down.

As someone pointed out on an earlier thread about this, the kilted military types do the butt sweep before they sit down...if they can, I can.

Thanks for the Formula 51 tip Rigged, I'll get that.

Went all the way through Rob Roy looking for how they sat and couldn't find it shown..go figure.

Ron