Are you man enough to be kilted?

So you may be thinking ‘am I man enough to wear a kilt?”
Kilts are not for everyone, and for most who do wear them they are not everyday attire.
I would wear a kilt on special days, like Sunday, or warm days, days that the sun rises in the east (just kidding).
How much can you spend? Well it’s a lot like a suit or a new pair of shoes. How much you spend has a lot to do with what you get. The cheapest kilt I have was $35 it was an experiment to see if I wanted to wear a kilt.
Looking something similar to a Uitilkilt and a fraction of the price I found out I am man enough to go kilted. A true hand made kilt from 8 yards of fabric will set you back $500 or more. I just can’t see myself at the Highland games spilling beer on a $500 kilt.

My next kilt came from Stillwater kilts at less than $100. A medium weight Standard kilt made from acrylic fabric. I quickly discovered I like this enough to order a second one in a different tartan. There is no tartan police anyone can wear any tartan they like. Weathered Mackenzie was a favorite for me because of the darker colors. Some of the better made kilts come from a full 7-8 yards of fabric and have and have a deep first pleat and reversed final pleat this gives a nice finish and tailored look and feel.
Pleats are sewn down at the hips this is a tailoring that makes a better fit and feel when you walk. Leather straps and buckles provide for size adjustment. You will not want your kilt to look to tight around the hips.
Belt loops are nice but a belt is an accessory not always worn with kilts, not so with pants. Kilts with belt loops most times only have 3 or 4 but a “kilt belt” is over 2 inches wide and will not fit your Levi’s. I have one belt and 2 different buckles for it. Kilts are heavy and will take some time to get used to the higher waist.

Full-width comfort lining- extends down 12" this is like a slip that prevents the fabric from chafing the skin, and if you are a hairy dude, trust me you will want this lining. If you should go with a true wool kilt you will understand.
Pleating should be set (tartan pattern appears across pleats) in other words the pattern shows even with the pleats folded.
Bottom edge is traditional selvedge, not hemmed. This is where the fabric comes straight from the loom or from a bolt of fabric. Each row of thread is rerouted back so it doesn’t unravel or need to be hemmed like the cuff of your pants.

Now comes the hard part…. Size….. Your 36” pants have nothing to do with a kilt. You need a tape measure.
For proper sizing, measure your waist at the navel. Do not use your pants size!

The size stated on your trousers tag might be smaller than what you measured (the garment industry often adds an inch or so to your waistband without telling you, so can feel thinner than you really are). Also, kilts are worn a lot higher on the waist than pants. There is no formula where you can take your pants size and determine your kilt size.
Measure your waist at the navel. Have a helper, or read the measurement in a mirror. If you lean over to read the tape, it can make your waist expand! Pull the tape snug but not tight. Please note your measurements can vary throughout the day, you can take multiple measurements to get an average.
Most kilts are offered in EVEN waist sizes 28"- 52". Size is determined on kilts with the buckles fastened at their tightest position. This means a 34" will go up to about 35.5". Kilts look & fit best with buckles at the tighter positions for maximum overlap. This does not mean the kilt should be tight when you wear it! If you are not sure about size, keep in mind that it is easy to alter a big kilt to make it a little smaller (just re-position straps & buckles) and very difficult to alter a small kilt to fit a bigger size.
As for the length the standard is about 24 inches. I am 6’ and 188 pounds with a pants size 34” my kilt size is 38” and a length of 24” fits me fine.
Basically, order whatever size your measurement comes closest to. These are from the Stillwater site so you can’t expect every kilt maker to follow the same measurements.

My next blog I will talk about kilt accessories, including kilt pins, sgian dubhs, plaid brooches, shoes, hose (socks) and the most important the Sporran.