Elastic pleat-keepers in military kilts

[MacSpadger]

Chas, here is my late, (and sadly missed), friend Alasdair wearing a box pleated elasticated Queen's Own Highlanders kilt in the Cameron of Erracht tartan, as issued to pipers. OR's wore the Seaforth No.2, but they were made to the same 1957 pattern.

[opositive]

what was the purpose of the elastic? to help keep the pleats from whipping up in the wind? to keep the pleats together to make pressing easier?

[xman]

what was the purpose of the elastic? to help keep the pleats from whipping up in the wind? to keep the pleats together to make pressing easier?

Keeps the challenging military box pleats in order.

[MacSpadger]

Keeps the challenging military box pleats in order.

Oh yeah, the elastic straps definitely made life a lot easier, military box pleats are a bind to keep in order, and were never very popular with guys that wore them. The elastic eventually perishes too, not a lot of fun keeping up the maintainance. That said, they are warmer than knife pleat kilts, while at Inverness in 1978/79 I was outdoors when it was minus 25c, (around minus 10f), let's see you try that in a sports kilt! They're not called kidney warmers for nothing.

[jhockin]

one warning : Beware of things that might sweep up yer kilt a bit, in the back/pleats! I made an MBP, for myself, and while wearing it in NYC, the elastic caught on a turnstile arm, while going into the subway - luckily the stitches, on part of the elastic gave, way, not the kilt fabric; I cut the (hanging down) length of elastic off, and continued on my way - still haven't sewn that piece back in.

[Rob MacDonald]

To the best of my knowledge the elastic tape was never put in by the government-contract kiltmakers.

The elastic tape would be added by the Battalion's tailors before the kilt was issued (but that was back in the days when each battalion had a Tailoring 'cell' headed by a Regimental Master Tailor) because the job is best- and most-neatly done before the tailor's basting is removed from the pleats.

It's still the most-requested alteration, and the best place for the elastic is about 8 inches below the widest point of the seat. If you place the elastic too low then the kilt won't 'sway' right - the pleats become too 'form-fitting' as you walk or do foot-drill.

To my knowledge, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada are the last Highland Regiment in the Commonwealth to continue to have kiltmakers (one Master and four apprentices) within the ranks - although I hasten to add that all such work is done on their own time and does not interfere with their proper business of soldiering!