Hi all!

I have been a fan of the kilt for years. The first time I saw Sir Sean Connery in a kilt, I knew for sure that I wanted to wear one. I have so far only worn one once, but I love the feeling of freedom, and I look forward to wearing one on more occasions.

I have ordered two kilts, the first one a gift from my godmother, is a custom ordered 8yrd wool kilt, in Ross Hunting. It should be here in time for my wedding day. I am very anxiously awaiting it. My fiancee is equally excited to see me with kilt and Prince Charlie jacket.

The second, an acrylic one in Pride of Scotland, I ordered to wear occasionally on a weekend, or to the Scottish Games, etc. This one came in extremely quick, less than a week after ordering.

I had read reviews of acrylic kilts, and I knew the general consensus was that you get what you pay for. I was impressed with the quick turn around time, and the kilt appeared to be higher quality that I expected.

However, it appeared to be a larger size than I ordered. I ordered a 46, which is what it says on the tag. However, with the straps pulled all the way tight I am still swimming in the kilt, it just drops to my knees. I really feel like I ordered the right size based on the instructions to measure at the navel. I even checked to see if somehow I lost weight since ordering, or if I somehow measured wrong... nope, I am still 46 in. My fiancee agrees that the tape measure reads 46in. I really feel like I did no wrong, but if I read the exchange policy correct I need to pay return shipping on this product, then pay shipping all over again to get a new one. Which is frustrating because I feel that I ordered correctly, and was shipping something too big.

Can someone explain what I may have done wrong [other than order a cheap kilt. I'm actually very happy with everything except the sizing]. Is there someway of measuring the kilt that would tell me if the kilt was mislabeled as a 46 instead of a larger size? I am also contemplating moving the buckles on my own, as that seems doable, and would save me the cost of shipping. Any advice on how to make sure I move them the correct distance to ensure the sizing is correct?

Last but not least:
How often do other people on here wear their kilts? I can't picture wearing the wool one often simply because I am nervous about the care. Are their any good articles about proper care? My sweet hart works in clothing retail so she already got me decent hangers for my kilts. I am curious do I need to dry clean the wool one? I don't own anything wool [not even a sweater, all my sweaters are synthetic]. I picture wearing the acrylic one at least once a month or more often. I intend to buy something else "non-wool" by the end of the year, probably either a Utilikilt, or something similar to one. I really want something with cargo pockets that I can use for hiking. Which I would likely wear most weekends.

Sorry for being so wordy. Thanks to whoever created this forum. I have already found some helpful discussions before I even registered.

--Ringo