How to Make a Kilt Jacket

The kilt and even the tartan are often seen as a purely Scottish form of wear. While it is true that the Scots make this style famous, other people with a Celtic background such as the Isle of Man and Ireland also wear kilts as a part of their traditions. The kilt is only one part of the full outfit. If you want to get the full effect, you must have a kilt jacket to complete both formal and informal outfits. Making your own kilt jacket requires a little bit of skill and attention to detail, but can be accomplished even by amateurs through alteration of existing sports jackets.

Instructions

1  Decide on the exact style of kilt jacket you prefer. The differences between a Prince Charlie jacket and an argyll jacket make a major difference in what type of sports jacket to start with and the direction alterations must take.

2  Find a used sports jacket to alter. A Prince Charlie jacket must be dark black and formal in nature, while the argyll jacket can be formal, informal or even tweed.

3  Put on the sports jacket and measure the distance between the waist and the end of the jacket. Unlike a normal sports jacket, a kilt jacket's very bottom should barely brush past the waist. Measure the difference, and mark the jacket to make the bottom cut.

4  Before cutting, pull all the pockets inside out to prevent accidental cutting of the pocket lining. Save the excess cloth after cutting.

5  Tuck the edges of the jacket up inside, and use pins to hold everything in place. Have the jacket owner try the jacket on and check the back to make sure everything is high enough and lines up nicely.

6  Sew the bottom edge. Try to use thread as close to the seam color as possible to blend in with the jacket.

7  Take the excess cloth from the earlier cut and use this to fashion the epaulets for the shoulders. The cloth should be trimmed and shaped appropriately with a slit to fit one button in. One end of the new epaulet should be sewed right into the shoulders of the jacket and a spare button placed closer to the collar on each side to finish the fit.

8  Attach silver buttons to the sleeves, back and both sides of the coat if you are making the Prince Charlie jacket.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're looking for a versatile jacket, then look at making an argyll jacket.
• The Harris tweed sports jacket is often altered to work as a tweed argyll kilt jacket.
• Always measure twice and cut once, or you may find you have to start over from scratch after a bad cut.