What type of pleat?

**t_challa** · 26th May 13, 01:16 PM

I am new to kilt wearing but fully addicted. Bought my first kilt 2 weeks ago and my second one is due to arrive on Tuesday. Both of these are casual kilts, but I am looking at having a "proper" kilt made for me. Have already found a tailor and decided which tartan I want.

I was just wondering which pleat I should have: sett, stripe, box pleat or double box pleat? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, this is the tartan I will be using
midlothian tartan.jpg

**artificer** · 26th May 13, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by t_challa

I am new to kilt wearing but fully addicted. Bought my first kilt 2 weeks ago and my second one is due to arrive on Tuesday. Both of these are casual kilts, but I am looking at having a "proper" kilt made for me. Have already found a tailor and decided which tartan I want.

I was just wondering which pleat I should have: sett, stripe, box pleat or double box pleat? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, this is the tartan I will be using
midlothian tartan.jpg

How many yards are you considering?

Assuming you're thinking about 8yds, I'd have it knife pleated to the yellow stripe.

If you were thinking about a lower yardage (4-5yds), box pleated to the sett might be nice.

The best thing to do is talk to your kiltmaker about it, they may have a specific opinion based on the sett size.

ith:

**davidlpope** · 26th May 13, 01:51 PM

Who's your kiltmaker?

**t_challa** · 26th May 13, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by davidlpope

Who's your kiltmaker?

Albion Highland in London

**unixken** · 26th May 13, 03:54 PM

It was Chas, in a reply to a similar question I posed months ago, who gave a very straight-forward and sage piece of advice when he said...

"I am a 'pleat to the sett' man, for the simple reason, that you know what you are getting."

If you do decide to pleat to a stripe, ask your kilt maker to do some test pinnings and send you photographs.

**O'Searcaigh** · 26th May 13, 04:09 PM

I think that is a beautiful tartan and would look great no matter how it was pleated. However, pleating to the sett is, I believe, considered more of a traditional civilian style. Stripes are more "military" but some people like the contrast between the back and front of the kilt that stripe pleating gives. When stripe pleating is chosen, there are several ways of doing it. I would suggest that if you go the stripe route that you lay out the tartan and fold it to different stripes to see which effect you like the most. If this were my kilt though and given the tartan you have there, I'd go with pleating to the sett -- again, I think it is great looking the way it is!

**MacMillans son** · 26th May 13, 04:26 PM

I agree with pleating to the yellow stripe in the red. I respectfully disagree with Artificer however, in that I think the lower yardage box pleated kilts tend to be pleated to the stripe as pleating to the sett is harder to work out with the lower yardage. I do wholeheartedly agree with his suggestion to get some feedback from the kilt maker. They will be able to tell you what options you have given your selected yardage and style of pleating.

**knotty** · 26th May 13, 04:56 PM

Oh to have these kind of problems.
Personally, Ive always like pleating to the stripe.
I think you have to decide if you want a high or low yardage kilt, then ask your kilt maker to pin it to show all the options. Do you know any people who have the different type of kilts you are considering? That would give you an idea how they might look. After all it is about the look.
Good luck with your decision.

**Nathan** · 26th May 13, 07:24 PM

There is no right answer to this question. I have two kilts, one is knife pleated to the sett, the other is box pleated to the stripe. I like them equally but here's something to consider.

The 8 yard knife pleat is a little heavier and therefore a bit less comfortable standing but it is more comfortable when I sit. The box pleated kilt doesn't lay as flat and I can feel the little ridges beneath me. The box pleats also require more maintenance because they tend to flatten when you sit upon them and they therefore require rather frequent basting and pressing which can get expensive.

Box pleats swish nicely buy you can't beat a knife pleat for the reveal.

Which do you like better?

**Downunder Kilt** · 26th May 13, 09:08 PM

Now here is the rub. What type of box pleats are we talking about here. Are they the military box pleat or the lower yardage, a la Matt Newsome type. They are two very different beasts. I know Brook was talking about the Matt newsome type, but when Nathan mentions the swish of the box pleat, I am thinking military type. As the OP is a newcomer, I think styles of pleating have to be spelt out completely otherwise folks get very confused. Cheers to all