21st Century kilts, or Utilikilts?

[SF Jeff]

Those are some beautiful sporrans, especially the one on the right. Any close up photos of that?

[bookish]

I'm 6 foot 3 and I have my kilts made in a length of 25.5 inches.

Same here, actually. Though a nurse told me recently that I wasn't quite 6'3". I'll still round up! My torso is a little shorter relative to my leg length. A 25.5 length kilt sits at mid-knee for me, and looks quite long. I don't yet have a good kilt belt, and I'm sure that would break up that length which I use waiscoats and jackets to do. I wonder what 21st c. kilt pockets would look like on me. I don't think I see much or hear much talking about body proportions when discussing kilt wearing/styling outfits, but that's a topic for another day.

[Canadian Vet]

Same here, actually. Though a nurse told me recently that I wasn't quite 6'3". I'll still round up! My torso is a little shorter relative to my leg length. A 25.5 length kilt sits at mid-knee for me, and looks quite long. I don't yet have a good kilt belt, and I'm sure that would break up that length which I use waiscoats and jackets to do. I wonder what 21st c. kilt pockets would look like on me. I don't think I see much or hear much talking about body proportions when discussing kilt wearing/styling outfits, but that's a topic for another day.

I'm an inch taller but I'm all torso. My kilts are made to 23-1/2 inches (and yes, they fit properly).

[OC Richard]

At two of the local Highland Games, they search sporrans to check for smuggled alcohol (probably expecting flasks instead of cans)

Those people!

It's well known that Pipe Band people can demonstrate ingenuity in this regard.

At one Games, as I approached the gate with several cans of beer in my pipe case, I saw that the Security people were rummaging through all the pipers' pipe cases.

Just as I was about to head back to my car the Chieftain of the Games, a lifelong piper, flew up in a golf cart and began dressing down the Security people. "Don't put your hands on their bagpipes! Those are worth thousands of dollars!"

Thus the opening of pipe cases ended, and I proceeded through the gate unmolested.

Drummers, not to be outdone, discovered that Security wasn't opening drum cases either, and our Bass Drummer waddled through the gate carrying his Bass Drum in one hand and pulling his huge drum case, which has telescoping handle and wheels, behind him, water dripping out. It was full of beer and ice.

[OC Richard]

Those are some beautiful sporrans, especially the one on the right. Any close up photos of that?

I'm pretty sure that's a Ferguson Britt sporran.

His work is gorgeous. Note that he doesn't use any metal in his sporrans- the cantles are leather as is seen here.

There have been many discussions about his sporrans on Xmarks, and many photos, but I just checked and the photo links are mostly dead now.

[RGM1]

I always had the sense Scots believed in smuggling or at least getting around the tax man. I know the Scotch Irish I knew growing up in the American south had this view.

[OC Richard]

Same here, actually. Though a nurse told me recently that I wasn't quite 6'3". I'll still round up! My torso is a little shorter relative to my leg length. A 25.5 length kilt sits at mid-knee for me, and looks quite long.

I was 6 foot 4 from 8th Grade up until recently, but now in my late 60's I'm shrinking a bit.

Last time I was officially measured I was around 6 foot 3 and a half.

I'm more leg than torso too I think. For me 25.5 is just right, the kilt sitting in the traditional place at top and covering a bit of my kneecap at bottom, which is generally where kilts have been worn for a couple hundred years now.

I was in a pipe band where the only kilt they had for me was 24" and it was just too short. I hated having to have the kilt down around my hips and having a bit of a gap between waistcoat and kilt.

I bought my own band kilt, which I still wear regularly.

[OC Richard]

I'm all torso.

You and a famous 19th century American General.

He was a hair under 6 foot but long in the torso and short in the legs, so that when seated at a meeting, or on horseback, he looked well over 6 feet, and was so described by many who met him.

[User]

I'm pretty sure that's a Ferguson Britt sporran.

His work is gorgeous. Note that he doesn't use any metal in his sporrans- the cantles are leather as is seen here.

There have been many discussions about his sporrans on Xmarks, and many photos, but I just checked and the photo links are mostly dead now.

Oh, that is lovely. Thank you for sharing!

[TheVintageLibertine]

I read some Nicholsby interviews and he's said things to the effect that his kilts are traditionally made kilts, but made from nontraditional fabrics.

I've got on my soapbox repeatedly about the issue of men wearing their kilts too low at the hips, and then noticing that their knees are covered and having their kilts shortened to compensate.

This results in adult kilts being made in lengths which up until recently would only have been seen in kilts made for youths.

So I was very pleased to hear Nicholsby say that "for a man around six foot a kilt should be 24 or 25 inches" which is in the realm of traditional kilt lengths.

I'm 6 foot 3 and I have my kilts made in a length of 25.5 inches.

The length of traditional civilian kilts always surprises me. I’m a comparatively short 5’8” but all my kilts are about 24” long, yet sit above my knees. When discussing measurements while having my last kilt made, I realized that’s because I wear kilts unusually high (at the ribcage). My first kilt was a loaner from a pipe and drum band I was in as a teenager. They had an inventory of surplus military kilts that were ludicrously long on my teenage frame’ and ever since I wear kilt higher on my body by habit.