Hello!
So you’ve decided on getting a kilt – great! Now we need to get your measurements to make sure your custom kilt will fit you perfectly. This guide will help you (or your friend / partner) measure yourself as accurately as possible, so that your kilt will fit you first try!
To start with, you will need to identify what body shape you have, as different shapes mean you need to take the measurements differently. There is three types: slim, average or athletic, and fuller. Slim builds are usually for when you are fairly slight – with either very little stomach and seat or none at all. Average or athletic builds are for when you have some stomach and seat, or if you’re fairly athletic you might have larger thighs (for a more extreme example, members of the Scottish Rugby team!). Fuller shapes usually have a larger stomach and seat.
It’s also worth having a think about if your weight is consistent when you’re measuring – a number of people’s weight fluctuate either over the year, month or even day! If this is the case, then your kilt can be made to ensure no matter what’s happening, your kilt will still fit. Please mention this when ordering your kilt, alas I am no psychic!
Next, you (or your handy measuring assistant) will need a measuring tape (ideally in inches) and a pen and paper. You’ll also need to make sure your pockets are empty and you aren’t wearing anything too bulky, like big or baggy jumpers. Make sure when measuring you are standing straight with your head looking directly forward, as when you’re looking down for example you’re angling your body as well, and your measuring might not be as accurate.
The three measurements needed to create your perfect kilt, is your natural waist, your hip or seat, and the length. To get your natural waist, run two fingers down your sides to find your slimmest point (on slim or average/athletic builds this might be in line with your belly button, but don’t worry if it isn’t!), and wrap the measuring tape around yourself, making sure the tape isn’t twisted and that it lies flat in the small of your back. Next measure around your widest point, usually this will be around your hips or bum but it could be around your thighs if you have an athletic build instead. This measurement should be bigger than your waist by about 5”, though don’t be worried if the difference is over 10”. Finally you will need to measure the length of your kilt, which is taken from where your natural waist is down to the middle of your knee cap.
Now, how to measure the waist and hip specifically for your body shape!
If you have a slim build, your natural waist measure should be on the looser side – more of a body measure rather than being lashed in. On slimmer frames the hips is what the kilt holds onto, so the hip measurement should be quite firm. You should still have enough room around the hips that the tape can move around the body. Usually slim builds will get an 8 yard kilt.
If you have an average or athletic build, your natural waist measure should be firm – the tape should lie flat against the small of your back, but you should be able to get two fingers between your body and the tape comfortably. The hip and seat measurement should be quite loose – imagine there is a stick lined up against the front of your stomach to the ground, that is where the tape should come out to. If your thighs are your widest point you will measure them in the same way, but you’ll need to take an extra measurement of the distance between where your natural waist point was and where you have measured as your widest point. Please only do this if your thighs is where you measured as your widest point, there is no need to do this if it was your hips or bum. Average or athletic builds usually get 8 or 9 yard kilts. 9 yards is only required if your hip measurement is over 45”, or if you are still growing and are on the cusp (say 44” – 44.5”) of a 9 yard.
If you are on the fuller end of the scale, measure your natural waist tightly, as your kilt will only be held up by your stomach – the last thing you need is to take a deep breath and your kilt drops! Your hip measurement will be taken loosely much like on an average or athletic build. Imagine a stick against the front of your stomach pointing to the ground, and that’s how far out the tape will have to come to. Similar to average or athletic builds, fuller builds will require 8 or 9 yard kilts. 9 yards will only be needed if the hip measure comes to 45” or larger, or if there’s a chance of more growing happening and you are about 44” to 44.5”.
Now that you have your measurements, it’s time to double check with a quick re-measure. Don’t hesitate to get in touch by email if you’re having issues, and if needed I’m more than happy to walk you through the measuring process over video chat or similar.