I'm not sure if I should be posting this here or in sowing, so let me know and I'll move the thread.
Anyway, I'd like to make or buy some kilts for a few male friends of mine as a gift. Only, I know practically nothing on them, other than they're the only time a guy looks sexy in a skirt. ;) One of my guy friends told me once that their colors represented the clan the wearer is from. If that's true, I'm not sure that stops anyone from wearing them.
My questions are: What are the rules on the colors of the kilts? How hard are they to make? Is there a pattern out there for them? Where are some good places to buy them? Oh yeah, and I've heard that while true men wear nothing beneath their kilts, kilts are itchy. Is that so?
Rules for colors: Pick something that you like and look good in. While there are clan tartans there are several more general tartans to choose from. There is not a hard fast rule that you are limited to your clan tartan.
Pattern: You can do it the traditional way and pleat an appropriate size piece of material and secure it with a belt. I haven't seen one myself for sewing the pleats down to make a kilt that is easier to put on. I have seen a few places that offer kilts made in this way. I believe Celtic Croft was one of them.
Comfort: Itchy depends on the material. There is of course wool, poly, cotton blends, and I am sure there are more. If you have a quality wool that is light weight it would be comfortable enough to go regimental. There is also a product called Body Glide that comes in a dispenser similar to deoderant. It helps reduce chafing.
If you are looking for a kilt that will only be worn on ocassion you may want to check out SportKilts and Utilikilts. I do hope this was helpful.
Quote from: Dance_Dance on February 04, 2009, 07:43:17 PM
I'm not sure if I should be posting this here or in sowing, so let me know and I'll move the thread.
Anyway, I'd like to make or buy some kilts for a few male friends of mine as a gift. Only, I know practically nothing on them, other than they're the only time a guy looks sexy in a skirt. ;) One of my guy friends told me once that their colors represented the clan the wearer is from. If that's true, I'm not sure that stops anyone from wearing them.
My questions are: What are the rules on the colors of the kilts? How hard are they to make? Is there a pattern out there for them? Where are some good places to buy them? Oh yeah, and I've heard that while true men wear nothing beneath their kilts, kilts are itchy. Is that so?
A really good website for all sorts of general and specific info on kilts would be http://www.xmarksthescot.com/ . They have it all!
Thank you very much, Cormac and Rani! You guys have really helped me out. :D I don't feel so intimidated by the project now.
My husband decided, on his own, that he wanted to wear a kilt, since he has some Scottish heritage. I have read that tartan colors didn't come along until later in the time line, but people wear them to faires anyway. We found some blue/black wool/acrylic blend plaid at Hancock's fabric, in the clearance pile. There is a Simplicity pattern available and that's what I used. It's one long piece of wool, pleated into a waistband, with fringe on the other 3 sides. He already had shirts and doublets, but I bought him a sporran and wool knee high socks. I wasnt' sure if he would like wearing it all day, but he did, so then I looked for a red Stewart plaid for the following year. Seems like wool is becoming more difficult to find, with the arrival of polar fleece. A saleswoman at joann fabric tried to sell me some awful color of polyester plaid, claiming it was "the same as wool" Hmmm, no. I did find a red plaid, but it isn't the Stewart tartan. You can buy tartans online, but they are rather expensive. So now, he has two kilts and I think that will do just fine. I knew he would have difficulty if the pleats were not sewed down. He had many compliments (even by the people over in the Scottish area) so I guess it was acceptable.
Try looking at the Simplicity website under costumes/adults.
If you want to make a formal kilt, remember: No waistband and no hem!
You taper the pleats (yes, ALL of them!) from hip to waistline, and the length is determined from the top. You need to choose a tartan with no change in the weave at the edges, along the selvage, so that the pleats set knife sharp all the way to the bottom edge. Anything else is just a skirt.
Thanks for putting down what I just posted. Sheesh. :(
I used Simplicity pattern 8913.
http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?cat=4&type=19&sec=38&startrow=1
I didn't use the shirt or other pieces, just the kilt and fly.
That doesn't mean you have to do what I did, however.
Or you could just wear a great kilt like my husband does on occasion. No pleating neccesary.
http://brotherguido.com/Greatkilt/Default.htm
The first written description of the belted plaid (plaid means blanket here, not tartan) or great kilt was sometime in the 1580s, which still fits within the Renaissance period, if you want to be strict about it. You have to consider that just because this was the first written record, doesn't mean that this was the first occasion to ever wear it. However, if you go back as far as Braveheart's time, circa 1300, a great kilt is out of time and place.
Now, when I say belted plaid or great kilt, I'm referring to a tartan cloth, not just a solid color. So, a tartan great kilt is apporpriate. Whatever, the great kilt is nothing but a large piece of tartan material measuring 60" wide (or wider) by 3 to 6 yards long. I have two in different dimensions and believe me, 3 yards is plenty in length because your man will have to hand-pleat the back. Or, you can have the pleats sewn in. You also have a choice on the fabric - you can pick tartan cloth from Lochcarron in Scotland or get some cheaper plaid (meaning unofficial tartan) material from a neighborhood fabric store. If you go with tartan cloth, my advice is not to get anything heavier than 13 oz. Don't go any lighter, either b/c then the cloth will be too wispy and light. Here's a webby with more details on the great kilt:
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/greatkilt.html
Also, DonaCatalina posted a good webby on hand-pleating.
See also the Kilt Wearing Advice and Sources thread in the Celtic Corner area here
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=687.0
Here is another website for great kilt, which I am contemplating on doing for RF one year. Maybe next year.
http://www.lindaclifford.com/GreatKiltWrap.html
If you don't want to spend a lot of money but still get a great kilt, I strongly suggest Stillwater Kilts. http://www.stillwaterkilts.com/
Get their heavy weight wool kilts and I promise you won't be disappointed. They line them with satin so there is no ichiness! Only downside to getting one there is that they have a limited supply of tartans so the selection is somewhat small. But for the price, the quality is amazing!
My hubby got his from Pendragon Costumes ( in facts, we get all of our garb there, a bit pricey but we love the quality) www.pendragoncostumes.com
They are a bit on a pricey side but I had seen their shop at every faire in texas; they sell great kilts + doublets. Its a good place to go and at least try it on ; their great kilts are sewed in the the waist line for the easiness of putting on. Here is a link to their kilts:
http://www.pendragoncostumes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=pendragon&Category_Code=dkilt
Hope this helps a bit
Hugs,
Yenn
this is a great thread, thank you.
As I will be having to make milord a kilt next year, I am saving all of these links.
Quote from: Lady L on February 05, 2009, 02:57:56 AM
Thanks for putting down what I just posted. Sheesh. :(
Er... Sorry if it came out like that. :(
I hadn't read your post. I've just gone back and done that... I wasn't aware of the details of the pattern, as it probably wouldn't occur to me to use one. I was thinking of various sites that I've seen for instructions in the past, with waistbands and hems, and chopping the fabric out of the back of the pleats (another no-no for a properly constructed kilt), and seeing my kilt-making guide revolving in his grave at 'the vurrry idea, gurrl!' (as he speared me with a LOOK!). There are good instructions out there, if you know the right details to look for. My guide made kilts for a pipe major in The Black Watch, and worked for one of the tailors specializing in military uniforms in Edinburgh. (Looks in head diary: Yikes! That was 30 years ago! The way he showed me is actually easier than using a waistband and a hem. You do need a nice long table you can pad like a giant ironing board, a good iron, lots of steam, and a hefty chunk of resin-free wood!)
...And my young cousin Jimmy in his hand-me-down kilt, going off to scout camp, who would rather wear the slightly-too-short-and-the-wrong-tartan (Munro) than 'yon wee skirt' which was the Douglas tartan one with a hem turned up by his mum* so it didn't come down below his sock tops!
*My aunt by marriage, and a superb needlewoman, trained in conservation by the Royal School of Needlework. She once mended a pair of Napoleon's breeches. If a hem could be invisible, Rose could do it! Jimmy, however, was unimpressed by the hem...