Pleats Up or Pleats Down. How do you roll?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Always roll or fold your kilt with the pleats on the outside.

[Geoff Withnell]

I've done a fair amount of traveling with my kilts. Here is my method. The kilts are in the closet, hanging from 2 clamp type trouser hangers, folded so the pleats are on the outside. Put the empty large suitcase on the bed. Place the kilts being taken in the suitcase - just as they were hanging, hangers and all. Cover them with a layer of soft clothing, underwear, poloshirts, etc. Finish packing. The kilts will stay flat and be just fine when you take them out and hang them up at your destination. If there are minor wrinkles, hang them on the back of the bathroom door while you take a nice hot shower to refresh from your travel. By the time you are done, the kilts have hung out nicely.

[markv]

I've done a fair amount of traveling with my kilts. Here is my method. The kilts are in the closet, hanging from 2 clamp type trouser hangers, folded so the pleats are on the outside. Put the empty large suitcase on the bed. Place the kilts being taken in the suitcase - just as they were hanging, hangers and all. Cover them with a layer of soft clothing, underwear, poloshirts, etc. Finish packing. The kilts will stay flat and be just fine when you take them out and hang them up at your destination. If there are minor wrinkles, hang them on the back of the bathroom door while you take a nice hot shower to refresh from your travel. By the time you are done, the kilts have hung out nicely.

Thanks Geoff! I'll see if I have the room to try that. I have mine hanging the same way in the closet so this might work.

However I'd still like to know why some people swear by pleats on the outside and some swear by pleats on the inside.

[Tobus]

However I'd still like to know why some people swear by pleats on the outside and some swear by pleats on the inside.

On the rare occasion that I roll my kilt, I do it with the pleats on the outside, and the reason is very simple. There is less 'curl' with them on the outside than on the inside. The tighter the radius of the roll (such as in the middle of the roll), the more they will have to curl to the shape of a circle. So in order to reduce the amount of curvature I'm putting on the pleats, I keep them on the outside.

Does it really make a difference? I don't know. But the engineer in me says that this makes the most sense.

*edited to add:

Plus, with the pleats on the outside, I can see what they're doing, and try to straighten them up a bit. If they're hidden on the inside, they could be all crumpled or folded and I wouldn't know it. As I roll it up, I can 'guide' the pleats into the shape I want. If I were to roll it with the pleats on the inside, it would be totally out of my control.

[Calico]

*** to what Tobus just said. I can see the pleats and control them while rolling.

My suitcase isn't big enough to lay them flat, but I can fit 3 rolled very well.

Pity I only have 2!

[okiescot]

I've done a fair amount of traveling with my kilts. Here is my method. The kilts are in the closet, hanging from 2 clamp type trouser hangers, folded so the pleats are on the outside. Put the empty large suitcase on the bed. Place the kilts being taken in the suitcase - just as they were hanging, hangers and all. Cover them with a layer of soft clothing, underwear, poloshirts, etc. Finish packing. The kilts will stay flat and be just fine when you take them out and hang them up at your destination. If there are minor wrinkles, hang them on the back of the bathroom door while you take a nice hot shower to refresh from your travel. By the time you are done, the kilts have hung out nicely.

I too fold my kilts in half and hang from a skirt hanger, but I was taught to fold it with the pleats to the inside. It was supposed to protect the pleats better. I have been doing so for nearly 20 years and the pleats still look great.