Basics of vests

[OC Richard]

As far as the length of a waistcoat goes, I suppose I'm being Captain Obvious by saying that it needs to be suited to the height of your kilt.

I'm a Pipe Band person and the bane of Pipe Band kits are people (usually the younger band members) wearing their kilts too low, so the top of their kilt is down around their hips rather than at their waist. If they have normal vests this creates a gap of white shirt showing.

So rather than pulling their kilts up, what many people in the US pipe band world do is order longer and longer vests. Most of the bands around here get their vests from Higgins, who make regular length vests, extra long vests, and extra extra long vests that come down to your crotch. Personally I think it's hideous.

[Jock Scot]

As far as the length of a waistcoat goes, I suppose I'm being Captain Obvious by saying that it needs to be suited to the height of your kilt.

I'm a Pipe Band person and the bane of Pipe Band kits are people (usually the younger band members) wearing their kilts too low, so the top of their kilt is down around their hips rather than at their waist. If they have normal vests this creates a gap of white shirt showing.

So rather than pulling their kilts up, what many people in the US pipe band world do is order longer and longer vests. Most of the bands around here get their vests from Higgins, who make regular length vests, extra long vests, and extra extra long vests that come down to your crotch. Personally I think it's hideous.

You raise very pertinent points there OCR.

[McMurdo]

The basics as others have said depends on your proportions, this one is from 1931 and would be far too short to wear with modern trousers



This one from 1894 would most likely also be too short to wear any other way than with the kilt



When I had my tartan kilt suit made I asked for a 4 button waistcoat, I thought this was the best of both worlds enabling it to be worn both for day wear and with swappable buttons for evening wear as well



Had this waistcoat shortened as it was too long when I purchased it and it always bothered me that it interfered with the sporran.

Before:


After:


When I purchased my latest jacket and waistcoat I immediately had the waistcoat altered to a straight bottom


My point about the alterations is that you should always get what you want and the waistcoat you purchase may not be right for kilt wear, better to take it to you tailor and get what you want rather than not wear it.

[OC Richard]

Great photos there! A thousand words as they say.

Here's a photo of, I do believe, proper things worn improperly. (For sure the vest and kilt on the left are both plenty long.)

If they pulled up their kilts all would be well.

But in our local Pipe Band alternate reality what happens is that somebody will tell them they need longer vests.



By the way this issue also happens with the piper's doublets still worn by some civilian pipe bands.

Here's an actual military doublet (Scots Guards issue). Note that the body of the doublet ends at the waist, more or less at your elbows when your arms are hanging at your sides. That's where the wide piper's waistbelt is worn.



Which makes these doublets far too short for the American pipe band people who wear their kilts super low!

The doublet makers in Pakistan are happy to oblige.

[McMurdo]

The issue with lowering everything is the proportions are all off, you end up looking like someone with a 4 foot torso and afoot or so of leg.

[Queenslander]

In Australia, the sleeveless undershirt is called a singlet. A waistcoat buttons up and a vest is a pullover.

[jhockin]

I never wear a kilt pin that goes through both aprons; does anyone?

[Father Bill]

I never wear a kilt pin that goes through both aprons; does anyone?

Nope. The general advice here on the forum is not to. Which makes one wonder about the rest of the advice given here.

[OC Richard]

I never wear a kilt pin that goes through both aprons; does anyone?

I've never done. But I rarely wear a kilt pin anyway.

I've tried to sheer off all unnecessary do-dads from my piping kit. My only pin of any sort is my cap-badge, and that's because I think the bonnet looks bare without it.

[jhockin]

I've never done. But I rarely wear a kilt pin anyway.

I've tried to sheer off all unnecessary do-dads from my piping kit. My only pin of any sort is my cap-badge, and that's because I think the bonnet looks bare without it.

The above quoted page refers to securing both aprons together, with the kilt pin ( as did another page you previously posted, in a different thread). I believe doing so would damage a kilt. I can’t think of any reason to pin both aprons together with any type of kilt pin.