Hems

[Tartan Tess]

I can't imagine any kilt maker hemming a kilt without good reason. It takes more time. Did you get charged extra for it? Out of curiosity, which tartan was it?
I am waiting on some Welsh tartan and have been told that Welsh tartan will need to be hemmed because it has "A fringed edge"

[Chas]

In an unhemmed kilt the weight of the cloth is equally distributed along the length from selvedge to fell. Whereas, a kilt that has been hemmed has a higher weight at the lower end. I have been assured by a Scottish engineer that because there is this extra weight at the end of the 'moment arm', the pendulum effect will cause the kilt to swish more.

Whether, this is true or not, I have no idea. Likewise, how it would be measured is also beyond me.

Regards

Chas

[Calico]

Folks, some of you are assuming a hem is necessarily a bad thing. Please check your facts, not your assumptions.

The maker who hems ALL their kilts says so up front and is VERY well respected on this board.

I do not know why and cannot find the quote on their website just now, but you really shouldn't be casting stones until you know why you are doing so.

[davidg]

Folks, some of you are assuming a hem is necessarily a bad thing. Please check your facts, not your assumptions.

The maker who hems ALL their kilts says so up front and is VERY well respected on this board.

I do not know why and cannot find the quote on their website just now, but you really shouldn't be casting stones until you know why you are doing so.

I don't think anyone has said that a hem is a bad thing. I can think of many reasons why a kilt needs a hem and we do not know enough about BCAC's kilt to make a full judgement

What we DO know is that he was told by his kilt maker "that other kilt makers don't hem their kilts because they're too lazy and that this kilt maker estimates that their clients merit that the extra work is done to hem the kilt by hand to favorise swing, fluidity and aesthetic equality" which is just a misleading statement without a proper qualification as to why something was done that does not appear to be traditional and was seemingly unexpected

[Pleater]

I'm coming to the problem from a makers point of view, as I have never bought many of my clothes since I was tall enough to work the treadle sewing machine.

Disregarding the reason given by the kilt maker, do you have a kilt which you are happy to wear?

That is the be all and end all of the matter.

I have kilts both hemmed and selveged, and it is difficult to tell which without close inspection. As for being able to tell when a kilt is worn - it would be close to impossible.

Next time you see the seller you might smile benignly and gently ask for the real reason, if it bothers you so much - but is it really something to lose sleep over?

Strap it on and find a big mirror, do a few twirls and shakes, form your own opinion.

If you don't have a kilt you are proud to go out in then you do have cause to complain, but if the hem is just a 'post cutting feature' to make things right - is it really so bad?

Anne the Pleater :ootd: