putting it on improperly

[figheadair]

He also looks half asleep. I wonder where it was taken?
Surely it’s a set up.

It was taken in London. Definitely not a set up. The video is available here.

[Jock Scot]

Oooooh Dear!

[Janner52]

It was taken in London. Definitely not a set up. The video is available here.

I wouldn’t want to be him after that.
Other than his general state, his general demeanour is poor like he’s half asleep. Possibly hungover.

[jsrnephdoc]

Aha! His kilt is on the loosest belt hole, and his stomach is larger than his pant waist. I don't think he could wear that kilt at the proper height if he wanted to. He needs kilt extender straps or a new kilt.

Of course, bands in the USA likely have limited budgets. It's interesting that even in the SAME band, the kilts can be different. His is pleated to the sett, his band-mate's to the stripe. And, he's cinched it to the TIGHTEST strap setting, not the loosest (unless the strap is long enough to circumnavigate that extensive waistline

Probably the issues might be solved by a set of suspenders hiding under his waistcoat. And, those budget constraints are suggested as well by his waistcoat, which is too SHORT for his frame (and everything dependent upon it.

[Pleater]

Over the years I have offered to do repairs, alterations, or to make something that actually fitted them for people wearing kilts, waistcoats and smocks and handed them my card - never got a single project.

I have seen smocks worn by some morris dancers deteriorate from amazingly well preserved to a badly repaired rag, kilts go from being too large to badly damaged by the use of safety pins or too small and the seams failing.

Now that I am 75 years old I have begun to tell people not to leave it too long as there are ever fewer people with skills around.
I had to tell someone looking for a horologist that our local man had died, the shop was sold and he was the last in the county.

I move buckles and straps, sewing by hand using black silk thread for five pounds so it can't be the price that is wrong.

Anne the Pleater

[OC Richard]

It was taken in London. Definitely not a set up. The video is available here.

That's so very strange.

Starting from the top, that's not the way I've seen Glengarries worn by RRS members.

The kilt isn't centred.

The sporran hangs at a slight angle. How can it do that?

Lastly the hose, the strangest thing. What on earth could have happened?

My mind goes to scenarios such as him having to wrestle a belligerent idiot into custody then immediately return to his post.

[OC Richard]

I move buckles and straps, sewing by hand using black silk thread for five pounds so it can't be the price that is wrong.

There have been many times that I've offered to do that for band-mates and they generally turn me down.

Recently two ex-band mates did ask me to do it. I had two happy people!

The other thing I've often offered, but have rarely been taken up on, is fixing bagpipe tuning chamber problems. The bores of the tuning chambers need to be perfectly parallel for the drones to tune properly.

Pipers always send their pipes off to a pipemaker to have them fixed. I did too, until one time when I was asking my pipemaker friend about sending a set of pipes to him, he said

"Why don't you just do it yourself? It's not like I put the drone-section on the lathe to do it, it's done with a hand tool. The tools aren't expensive."

And ever since I've done this job myself.

[Troglodyte]

Spotted this past weekend at the Las Vegas Highland Games, two bandmates demonstrating the proper and improper wearing of the kilt

This is frightful!

And on many levels.

The kilt is an easy-fitting garment and one of the simplest things to put on properly - and feels so much better when it is.

These characters have seemingly gone to great effort to get a slovenly look, which shows disrespect for themselves, their fellow band-members, the culture they are supposedly supporting, and the poor spectators who have to see them. There is no merit in this look at all, for all concerned.

The curious thing is, it takes the same effort to dress badly as it does to dress well - so why not dress well..?

[User]

...
And, he's cinched it to the TIGHTEST strap setting, not the loosest (unless the strap is long enough to circumnavigate that extensive waistline
...

There's only a small portion of the kilt strap visible poking out of the strap hole, which suggests it's being worn at a loose setting. (Although after zooming in, it may be on the second loosest setting.)
Perhaps your eyes were tricked into thinking the sporran strap was part of the kilt strap?
If I'm mistaken and missing something, please correct me.

kilt-buckle.png

[jsrnephdoc]

Perhaps your eyes were tricked into thinking the sporran strap was part of the kilt strap?

Exactly that. Sorry. So, if one were crafting a story based on the photo, one might conclude he's been in the band for years and put on weight since being fitted for his kilt. But his waistcoat is also too short, and I doubt he's grown vertically during his tenure.

So, it might be that the band's budget is small. I would guess (with NO confidence) that' a HUGE obstacle for Grade 3-5 bands, because both the uniforms and the instruments are very expensive (unless the kilts come from Pakistan). OCR would, I'm sure have lots of useful information on just how bands manage to deal with those constraints.