3 yards too little material for a Belted Plaid?

[NeighborhoodKiltGuy]

Am very interested in getting some 16 oz tartan fabric from Lochcarron. I am 5'7, 165 lbs. Would three yards or metres of material be too small, and would four be a better bet? I wouldn't wear it pinned on the shoulder, would mostly wear it down, with the excess in the front tucked into the back. I do know that historically, BPs did not likely use modern tartan fabric. This is something interesting that I'd really like to try. Thanks guys!!

[Allan Thomson]

Am very interested in getting some 16 oz tartan fabric from Lochcarron. I am 5'7, 165 lbs. Would three yards or metres of material be too small, and would four be a better bet? I wouldn't wear it pinned on the shoulder, would mostly wear it down, with the excess in the front tucked into the back. I do know that historically, BPs did not likely use modern tartan fabric. This is something interesting that I'd really like to try. Thanks guys!!

3 yards is fine & it's the length of cloth documented in the 18thC.

There's many ways to wear a plaid including 'cloaked' over one arm, so why wear it hanging down? If you don't want it up or pinned to one shoulder then why not just get a phillabeg?

[Steve Ashton]

That would depend on your interpretation of what a Belted Plaid is. There are those at Ren Faires who will claim that a proper Belted Plaid is always made of "The whole 9 yards" of modern, single width fabric.

Then others define the Belted Plaid differently. One maker uses modern 10oz fabric, single width, of about 4-5 yards in length. Most is pleated or folded around the waist and the remainder pulled over the shoulder.

Then there are those who sew two widths of single width fabric together to simulate the width they feel is needed. Some simply use modern double-width fabric to achieve the same look.

Some pleat fabric on the ground, by hand over a belt. Others pull the fabric over the head and fasten it around the waist with a belt without trying too hard to create a modern pleat look. Some add a drawstring inside the fabric to create pleats or folds.

The truth is that we simply do not know for a fact what the Belted Plaid was, or how it was worn. There are some illustrations and some writings which are used as reference. Some are more accepted than others. Some are pure fantasy.

It is unlikely that modern kilt fabric would have been available during the time period most claim for the Belted Plaid. Some, like myself, feel that the fabric would have been more like a blanket than modern kilt fabric.

We have some later references to how much fabric was issued to a person upon entering a military unit. Some say 4 els and some used a different length. (A Scottish El which was not standardized until 1661 was 37 Scottish inches or 94 cm today. While a Flemish El, which was the standard for fabric in the time of the Belted plaid, was 27 in/68.6cm and the English El which was probably the standard for the military of the time was 45 inches or 1143cm today. During the time of Edward I "The Belt of Orion" was the standard El. It was a stick the length of the kings arm from bent elbow to tip of his middle finger and every village had to have a copy.)

So the best advice would be is that it is your kilt and to please yourself. If you like it, wear it. If you have to "make-do" with limited yardage, and you are fine with that, then no one can tell you that you are wrong.

[Nyckname]

I managed to do it by making the pleats not overlap, and I was significantly heavier than you.