Kilt to long. Help?

[Jaeson]

Okay so i got an 18oz Heavy Weight Wool 8 yard Military Kilt and it's about 3 inches to long for me? Thoughts? Alterations? Sell it?
Waist 35 inches. Length 27 inches.

[Paul Henry]

others will chime in as well, but the first thing to check on is... are you wearing it at the correct place, if it's a true military style kilt it would be expected to be 2 or more inches above the navel, check that before anything else!

[Jaeson]

others will chime in as well, but the first thing to check on is... are you wearing it at the correct place, if it's a true military style kilt it would be expected to be 2 or more inches above the navel, check that before anything else!

Yup. right below my ribcage....the pleats haven't even been unstitched yet. it's a beautiful kilt.

[BobsYourUncle]

Yup, right below the rib cage, sometimes cosseting a couple of lower ribs--sounds like your kilt doesn't need any adjusting. Wear it strong and proud.

[The Wizard of BC]

A Military Kilt is designed to be worn VERY high. The top straps should be cinched into your natural waist. This is just under your ribcage at the side of your body. The top of the Kilt will cover your short ribs at the spine.

This is not the place most men expect the Kilt to fit. With blue jeans worn so low today the waistband is down over the hip bones and most men today think that that is where you measure the waist for a Kilt. Not so with a Traditional Kilt. And particularly with old Military Kilts.

Many of the Old Military Kilt were all the same length. About 27" long. You put the kilt on so that the hem was at the top of the knee cap and let it ride up as high as it is long. So on a short man the top of the Kilt could be almost at nipple level. Of course you don't see this in the old military photos because you almost always wore a tunic over the Kilt.

If the Kilt still seems to be too long but is fine in the waist and hip measurements you can find a kiltmaker willing to re-build it for you. They will take off the waistband and cut the top of the Kilt off. Re-position the Straps & buckles, re-taper the Fell, and replace the stabilizer and hair canvas and liner. It's almost a complete re-build of the Kilt from the Steeking line up.

[Jaeson]

A Military Kilt is designed to be worn VERY high. The top straps should be cinched into your natural waist. This is just under your ribcage at the side of your body. The top of the Kilt will cover your short ribs at the spine.

This is not the place most men expect the Kilt to fit. With blue jeans worn so low today the waistband is down over the hip bones and most men today think that that is where you measure the waist for a Kilt. Not so with a Traditional Kilt. And particularly with old Military Kilts.

Many of the Old Military Kilt were all the same length. About 27" long. You put the kilt on so that the hem was at the top of the knee cap and let it ride up as high as it is long. So on a short man the top of the Kilt could be almost at nipple level. Of course you don't see this in the old military photos because you almost always wore a tunic over the Kilt.

If the Kilt still seems to be too long but is fine in the waist and hip measurements you can find a kiltmaker willing to re-build it for you. They will take off the waistband and cut the top of the Kilt off. Re-position the Straps & buckles, re-taper the Fell, and replace the stabilizer and hair canvas and liner. It's almost a complete re-build of the Kilt from the Steeking line up.

Cost wise does anyone know what that would be?

[sydnie7]

OK, I'll ask the silly question.

Where does it say that this kilt is too long for him ** at the top ** ?

My first thought was. . . hem it!

If I've read this wrong, I'd appreciate being clued in as to where his description lead you to think it was too long at the top. . . thanks!

[Jaeson]

OK, I'll ask the silly question.

Where does it say that this kilt is too long for him ** at the top ** ?

My first thought was. . . hem it!

If I've read this wrong, I'd appreciate being clued in as to where his description lead you to think it was too long at the top. . . thanks!

I do wear my kilts above the belly button at the Natural Waist Line, however the kilt falls about 3 inches lower then my middle of knee line. The site has kilts with varying degrees of length and the kilt is not that old, judging by the date on the kilt label i'd say Falkland War. What i need to know is how to go about fixing it if possible....or sell it.

[The Wizard of BC]

It's not a silly question at all Sydie.

A Traditional Kilt is made with no rolled or folded hem. The bottom of the kilt uses the selvedge edge of the fabric as its hem.

When the Kilt is being made all the measurements are taken from the Selvedge and work up. The excess fabric is then removed from the top.

In older style military kilts all the fabric was the same width. (approx 27")with a selvedge on both sides. Each service member would be given a length of fabric and shown how to make their own kilt. Many kilts did not have the pleats in the Fell area cut away and essentially could be unstitched if necessary, the fabric reversed inside out and re-made. If the hem were torn or excessivly worn the fabric could be reversed top to bottom and the kilt re-made yet again.

In these military kilts the length from the soldiers knee cap to his natural waist would be taken and that length used to locate the top straps & buckles. Above the waist the kilt is allowed to taper back out to allow the kilt to fit above the waist.

Putting a rolled or folded hem into the bottom of an 18oz. kilt would cause the bottom to be really thick and cumbersome. It would lessen the swish of the pleats too.
A hem is sometimes put into a child's kilt to allow growth. They are also sometimes put into a dancers kilt that is made from light weight fabric to give the pleats so added weight. Other than these few times Traditional Kiltmakers do not fold or roll a hem.

The only other time I can think of when a hem is put into a kilt on purpose is when the fabric used for the kilt does not have a Kilt Selvedge. Some P/V fabrics have a fringed selvedge. Most Poly/Cotton fabrics do not have an attractive selvedge . Even some supposed kilt Wool has a less than attractive selvedge.

Not to sound harsh, but to a kiltmaker, seeing a kilt with a folded hem is a dead give away that some one took a short cut when altering the kilt or the person did not know how to take apart the kilt and do the alteration as a kilt maker would.

[Splash_4]

The military style kilt is worn above the short ribs. About 2-3 inches higher than a standard kilt that might be worn above the navel.

As an example, I wear a 22 inch kilt with a 2 inch rise (the magical 24 inch kilt from Stillwater), and with a WPG kilt, it is close to 27 inches overall.