Interesting letter

**Frank McGrath** · 17th October 07, 07:39 PM

I wear mine too long, only because i bought it sight unseen without a fitting. My new Rocky-made will be has been measured to fit. Being built for comfort and not for speed has been a drawback my whole life.

**jmercier** · 17th October 07, 07:54 PM

I wear mine mid-knee, and usualy try to keep my kilt hose the width of 4 fingers below the bottom of my kilt. This is what i was told was 'proper'

That said, when i'm wearing my utilikilt or either of my 2 amerikilts, i tend to wear those slightly longer, about half an inch lower to just cover the knee cap, because they look better like that, and you dont wear kilt hose with them. Not sure if it's right, but it just seems to look more proper for the non-traditinal type

**davidlpope** · 17th October 07, 07:54 PM

Nothing scientific to back up my point, but I think the real problem is not that the kilts themselves are too long, but that men wear the top of the kilt too low on their body. It seems to me that mens' clothing, including pants, used to be worn much higher at the natural waist, instead of the hips. Compare the length of kilts from the MOD to most stock kilts. The stock kilts are usually 24", the MOD kilts seemed to be around 26"-27". Still, modern photos of kilted men show the kilt riding lower, even though the rise is less. Also, since many kilts are not properly fitted to the small of the back/rump area, they tend to creep down when one is wearing them, resulting in the "trollopy" look.

Cordially,
David

**Larry124** · 17th October 07, 08:21 PM

I've wanted to post on this but hesitated because I’m relatively new to kilts.
Maybe there was something that I had not yet learned.
But I have noticed that “to my eyes” many kilts are worn too low.

Maybe I’m just fortunate in that at my six-foot height the twenty-four inch length of SWK (stock) and AK (measured) falls just above my kneecap – provided that I position the waist at or above the navel.

I can think of a few reasons for low kilts:
The kilt moves around. Sometimes I have to hike it up. Nothing special there. It happens with trousers and shorts too. Few I think wear their belt tight enough to prevent that.
Some gents have a “navel to knees” length that just doesn’t correspond to stock lengths.
I read somewhere that gents “with a belly” should not attempt wear the kilt below that belly.
Likely difficult in that trousers are usually worn below the gut. And high waist trousers are portrayed in the entertainment media as funny looking – nerds or old men. And “on the belly” may be uncomfortable.

Some may prefer high hose and low kilt. For warmth.
But if to “fill the gap” – expose the least skin – then maybe kilt-wearing confidence is awkward, hesitant, not yet complete?
May as well wear trousers, eh?
That’s not a jab. I know about it. My own kilted persona is not yet fully developed.

**arrogcow** · 17th October 07, 08:35 PM

My first kilt (and Tank) was measured for me in the shop of Thomas Gordon and Sons. It hits me right in the middle of the knee cap. You'd think a kiltmaker with decades of work to their name would get it right

. The only kilt I have that is up to the top of the knee is my RKilt, and my wife complains that it looks too short.

Adam

**emolas** · 17th October 07, 09:36 PM

As far as the "correct" length of a kilt, I wear it where it feels most comfortable - anywhere from the an inch or so above the top of my knee to mid-knee depending on what feels right at the time. If someone thinks it's too short or too long then they don't have to wear theirs that way but I'll wear mine where it feels best. On a related note, I have always wondered about the "correct" length of the great kilt. In many of the paintings I have seen they come down just below mid-thigh and a good 4 inches above the knee.

**Arlen** · 18th October 07, 04:27 AM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Your Aunt's comment is what I would expect a lowland Scot (no offence meant)to say.I don't want to start up a "Kilt myth" thing here and most certainly I don't want to start up a Highland v Lowland type discussion,but I have always been led to believe(rightly or wrongly)that as the kilt was origonally Highland attire, the kilt used to be(still is?) worn higher, in the Hghlands, than the lowland Scots do.

I've always worn my kilts at the top of my knee. (Although now that I have lost weight they do tend to slip to mid knee if I don't have a belt on.)
When I'm in the Lowlands I find people tell me my kilt is too long.
When I'm the Highlands I often get told my kilt is either just perfect or too short.
I wear my hose to about 2 inches beneath my kneecap. I feel they are just more comfortable and look better that way.
(And my fiance often tells me all the men she knows wear their kilt hose to the crease at the back of their knee and asks why I wear mine so short.)

What on earth do I do?

**McMurdo** · 18th October 07, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by Arlen

What on earth do I do?

Keep doing what you are doing Arlen, I'm not sure if I could wear my hose to the crease of my knee that just seems like it would be uncomfortable.

**Larry124** · 18th October 07, 05:12 AM

Are the helpful gents who say too long or too short wearing a kilt?

Ok. And then there are the helpful lasses and ladies. Bless 'em.
More serious, that.
Women do after all accept firm, fixed, and fully agreed upon rules on skirt length. They do know what looks best.
Um…

Ok. Never mind.
If the lass is fair and charming then I think that I just might agree with her.

**Aggie** · 18th October 07, 05:30 AM

Body build makes a difference in how the kilt looks. I'm short on torso and long on leg. Above the knee looks like a mini-skirt on me. A coworker whose mother was raised in Scotland says my kilts are too short above the knee. She could be lowland, I don't know. I wear mine mid-knee. Just call me trollop.