pant height kilt fit

[georgeetta]

dear folks
a past mailing talked about kilt slope then another fella ..talked about a sort of ..pants/shorts height and the kilt being cut higher in the back and lower in front .

the kilt being worn lower than normal ..at pants belt height .

is this a new cut to kilts in usa ..for wearing in hotter temps ??

I see these cotton/canvass util kilts ..why don't they ..have a normal "lap"/apron across the front to the side to side than the abbreviated ..flap looking thing ..other than they just don't ..is there a reason ?

th
d

[Terry1948]

Well, if I understand your question correctly, I think the answer is that a kilt can be made to fit at the natural waist -- so no slope is necessary -- or it can be made to fit at a lower point (below the natural waist but above the hip bones). In the latter case, the shape of the body in many people would make the kilt hang lower in the front than the back, which would probably look odd. So kiltmakers build in a slope from back to front (higher in the back than the front) to keep the hem of the kilt parallel to the ground. I don't think it has anything to do with the temperature, but personal preference on where to have the waistband sit (and body shape). And some cotton/canvas kilts have a narrower apron -- it is a design feature of that specific kiltmaker's kilt, but not general to all utility-style kilts.

[Benning Boy]

Go to the Freedom Kilt site, click on the ad at the top of the page, and all will be explained.

[The Wizard of BC]

Making clothing fit the human body is not something that is new or specific to any area or weather. It is simply making the clothing fit the person.

All kilts that are designed to be worn up around the ribs will have the top of the kilt fairly horizontal. All traditional kilts are made this way.

But, if you wish to wear your kilt any lower, even down around the belly button, the front of the kilt will sit lower than the back. This is just how the human body is.

Some kiltmakers take this into consideration when we design our product. This is not new, I am just the first to talk about it here. I have seen pictures of very high end kilts made for members of the Royal Family which have slope built into them.

If a gentleman has a bit of a belly this slope becomes very important. Even if they wear their kilt at the natural waist. If they choose to wear their kilt down at jeans waist the effect is greatly magnified. The Utilikilt company calls this "Beer gut cut".

I think there may be some confusion with terms here. Just because a kilt is made from fabric that is not Tartan wool does not mean it must be made differently from the old standard. Again the Utilikilt company was the start of the narrow apron look of many modern kilts. In fact the first Utilikilts had a trouser like zipper front and no overlapping aprons at all. (These are now highly sought collectors items.)

I make a kilt exactly the same regardless of the fabric I am using. They have full width aprons and if made from Tartan wool can pass the 8 yard test. They can look just like a kilt made by a traditional kiltmaker. Where I am different is that I build slope into every kilt I make. Sometimes that slope is very small and sometimes quite large. It depends on the shape of the person I am making the kilt for and where he wishes to wear the waist of his kilt.

Here is a very good example of this slope effect.



Both of these kilt are made with slope to the waist.