Extending use of my military kilt beyond formal events

[Allan Thomson]

If you're worried about the rise being too high one way to get round it is to fold your shirt or t shirt over the top to the level you think looks ok, can put a couple of pleats each side of the shirt or t shirt fold to gather it in more, and then put a wide belt over the top to mask the fold. I used to do this years ago as I used to wear an unissued Argyll's kilt which my Father had bought from an army surplus store when the regiment was going to disband (obviously it didn't) as the kilt was a little too long for me (waist fitted fine though). I never received any adverse comments from any fellow kilt wearer who saw it (though maybe someone will have something to say now?) .

[Tobus]

The high rise of a military kilt can look perfectly normal on some folks who have longer torsos, while it can make shorter people with higher hips and shorter torsos (like me) look out of proportion. For that reason, I usually will only wear my military kilt in the cooler months of the year when I can wear something over it: a waistcoat, light shell jacket/windbreaker, jumper/sweater or the like. In the hot months, that kilt is a little too warm for me to wear anyway, even with nothing over it. I'll be honest - it can be a real challenge to wear a military kilt due to that rise.

If you want to wear your military kilt in warm weather, or don't otherwise want to cover the top, it just takes some experimentation to find the right look. As others said, there's nothing inherently formal about a high-rise kilt, and I assume you just want the aesthetics or proportions to work for you. Certain types of shirts can work well with a military kilt since they can change the visual proportions. A khaki shirt with a back vent (known around here as a "fishing shirt") can tend to blouse out a little more than a traditional shirt, which is an interesting approach to making the high rise of the kilt stand out less.

I've found that wearing a high rise military kilt as a civilian often comes across better without a belt, and just a sporran. The belt tends to highlight the rise, where just a sporran tends to draw the eye a little lower, if that makes any sense. McMurdo posted some photos recently that stuck in my mind as a good example, and I know he's about my height. See this thread: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...lection-94134/

[MenOfTheNorth]

Thanks for the additional suggestions. As the first snows have landed on the tops of the Rocky Mountains just west of here - it's August, for Pete's sake - and morning temperatures are already into the single digits Celsius, being over-warm is less of an issue for this year now.

I'll try blousing my shirts, and skipping the belt as treatments.

[McMurdo]

This is a Military kilt and it looks just like any other with my jacket on, as for a belt I never bother with one, as the military kilts fit snug as it is, so like the suggestion of leaving it off. I do not however like to flounce my shirts, personal preference there but I do not mind the high waist of a military kilt.

[Ivor]

Now I am puzzled. What is the difference between everyday kilts and “military” kilts? I know that kilts are fitted to the natural waist, a little higher than trousers normally, but are “military” kilts higher again?

[Tobus]

Now I am puzzled. What is the difference between everyday kilts and “military” kilts? I know that kilts are fitted to the natural waist, a little higher than trousers normally, but are “military” kilts higher again?

The rise is the distance between the straps and the top of the kilt. A military kilt is designed to wear with the straps at the same place as a civilian kilt (the natural waist), but it extends higher up the rib cage than a civilian kilt. A typical civilian kilt may have a 1-1/2" rise above the straps, for example, where military kilts can have 3" or even 4" rise above the straps.

There are other differences too, such as the yardage, wool weight, pleating (usually a "military box pleat" which is much more complex than a knife-pleated civilian style kilt), buckle styles, etc.

[Tobus]

Ivor, this thread sort of died after my last post and I was wondering if your question was answered satisfactorily.

As I was looking at some photos I took last night, it occurred to me that this was a visual example of what I was talking about in previous posts in this thread. Specifically, the high rise of the military kilt (which I am wearing below). I tend to like to wear my military kilt with a waistcoat over it so the rise isn't so pronounced. But you can still see where the top of the kilt is in my photo by the way it "prints" through my waistcoat.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of rise above my natural waist (where the top straps are) and the top border of the kilt. It rides much higher than my civilian kilts. But on the bright side, one of the advantages of a military kilt is that the higher rise helps reduce the "muffin top" effect when you cinch your kilt down pretty tightly. I'm finding that to be very helpful these days...