a shocking confession

[Alan H]

Regarding kilt length....

An inch is irrelevant, IMHO. I wear tartan kilts that hit me at the top of the knee, in the middle of the knee and at the bottom of my kneecap. If you don't like where it hits you at the knees, hike it up an inch or yank it down an inch.

While an inch is irrelevant, even an inch and a half, THREE inches is not, in my opinion.

I know, horrors.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I'm with you, Alan. The kilts I own and wear vary in length from 24" to 25" and I don't really have a preference one way or the other.

I think the trick is not to have the kilt be too long or too short. But there is a range that is considered appropriate (from the middle of the kneecap to about 1" above the top of the knee, in my opinion), and anywhere within that range is fine.

I know some people will agonize over a quarter of an inch difference in their kilt length, but really I think we sometimes tend to over-think things a bit...

[Dixiecat]

I know some people will agonize over a quarter of an inch difference in their kilt length, but really I think we sometimes tend to over-think things a bit...

As Mother always said when I wailed about a sewing mistake that she couldn't see...'Walk fast. No one will notice.'

[xman]

... I think we sometimes tend to over-think things a bit...

'Round her? naw ...

While I largely agree Alan, I'm quite short waisted and not too tall in the first place so I don't have as much wriggle room as others might.

[Cygnus]

Yes, but you know what they say, "Give people an inch, and they'll take an ell."

[be da veva]

I've sold my first kilt for 1/2'' .... I've been hitting myself over the head ever since.....

[Tobus]

To me, an inch makes a big difference. If I'm hiking my kilt up higher on my waist just to keep the bottom where I want it, it means my kilt doesn't fit me correctly. And while it may not be worth "agonizing" over, it should at least tell me that I need a better fitting kilt. I see no reason to walk around all the time adjusting my kilt up or down because it's not sitting where I want. I can tell when the top is sitting at the correct place on my waist, and if the bottom isn't where I want it, shifting the top up or down will make it not as comfortable to wear.

I figure that if people didn't give a rip about whether their kilt was the right length, they wouldn't be here talking about it. The fact that they are here, though, means that they do care. And length is important. End of the world important? No. But worth talking about.

It's really no different than any other article of clothing. If your sleeves are too long on your shirt, it annoys you. Sure, you can button it tighter at the wrist, or push it up on your arm, but it's a constant struggle when you know it's not "right" and it annoys you to have it slipping down over your hand. Why go through that aggravation? It's worth some initial agonizing over the correct sleeve length to make sure that all your shirts fit you well from there on out. Right?

And I would think the same applies with kilts. Some folks just don't care if their sleeves are too long on their shirts, or their kilts are hanging down over their knees. And that's fine for them if they are not very discerning about having it "just so". But for those who want to wear it to a different standard, and ensure that it's comfortable and a pleasure to wear with their sense of correct fit, I see no harm in the endeavour to get it right.

[davidg]

To me, an inch makes a big difference.

I'm right with you on this one. I get extremely irritated at the discomfort

[creagdhubh]

I'm right with you on this one. I get extremely irritated at the discomfort

I agree.

[Alan H]

To me, an inch makes a big difference. If I'm hiking my kilt up higher on my waist just to keep the bottom where I want it, it means my kilt doesn't fit me correctly. And while it may not be worth "agonizing" over, it should at least tell me that I need a better fitting kilt. I see no reason to walk around all the time adjusting my kilt up or down because it's not sitting where I want. I can tell when the top is sitting at the correct place on my waist, and if the bottom isn't where I want it, shifting the top up or down will make it not as comfortable to wear.

I figure that if people didn't give a rip about whether their kilt was the right length, they wouldn't be here talking about it. The fact that they are here, though, means that they do care. And length is important. End of the world important? No. But worth talking about.

It's really no different than any other article of clothing. If your sleeves are too long on your shirt, it annoys you. Sure, you can button it tighter at the wrist, or push it up on your arm, but it's a constant struggle when you know it's not "right" and it annoys you to have it slipping down over your hand. Why go through that aggravation? It's worth some initial agonizing over the correct sleeve length to make sure that all your shirts fit you well from there on out. Right?

And I would think the same applies with kilts. Some folks just don't care if their sleeves are too long on their shirts, or their kilts are hanging down over their knees. And that's fine for them if they are not very discerning about having it "just so". But for those who want to wear it to a different standard, and ensure that it's comfortable and a pleasure to wear with their sense of correct fit, I see no harm in the endeavour to get it right.

You know, I'd worry more about it....

OK, well...no I wouldn't LOL...but bear with me...

if I didn't gain and/or lose ten-fifteen pounds a couple of times a year. What sat "right" in January now needs to be buckled in two notches to be even close. So it sits up higher.....or lower....or wherever.

So if I were to be very concerned about where, exactly, on my knees my kilt sits I would either have to:

a.) Maintain a stable of a dozen or more kilts, say 3-4 for each "weight average" that I pass through during the course of a year or two

or

b.) Buy one or two or three new kilts every time the kilt I bought six months ago didn't fit exactly right. While great fun, this gets expensive, ya know?

or

c.) have my kilts altered every time my physical size changed somewhat. Then, of course, when it changed back in the other direction, I'd have them altered again. And again. And again.

Nope. I can't do it. Maybe others can, but I can't. Also, maybe some guys just NEVER change size! So I just live with kilts hitting me wherever they hit me on my knee.

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In fact I have about a dozen kilts, between the wool tanks and the PV's and the contemporary camoflage ones. I wear them all, whenever...well, except for the Holyrood that always WAS a little small, and now is WAY too small.... but maybe it'll fit again in 2013.