A full 7 or 8 yard kilt (‘length’ alone is not an indicator of the quality of a kilt) is a surprisingly sophisticated example of the tailor’s skill. It will take an astonishing amount of heavy wear and can be altered to fit as the owner’s figure changes over time.

As an ‘Army’ kiltmaker, I create kilts of robust construction that will stand up to the rigors of daily wear. Each kilt is entirely hand-sewn to the customers’ measurements and requirements and takes approximately 20 hours labour.

I sew box-pleat Military Kilts to your regiment’s pattern. For centuries, Army kilts were made from heavy (22oz) cloth because coarse woolen cloth was cheaper then fine cloth. Now the reverse is true – heavy coarse wool cloth is more expensive than lightweight stuff and the quality of the available 22oz. cloth has fallen to a level that I won’t waste my (your) money on it. I now use the superior 16oz cloth.

I cut the kilt to have a much lower rise than the old military kilts, which used to be worn very high on the body – frequently reaching as far up as the xyphoid process or even the ‘nipple-line’. The ‘rise’ on my kilts is typically no more than 2″ above the navel.

Freakishly-long military kilts were originally a cost-saving measure, as by using the full width (27″) of the cloth it could be reversed for a second period of wear. It was also believed that this high waist protected the kidneys from catching a chill.