Pleats tied to formality?

**Mikilt** · 17th October 13, 09:54 AM

Is there any such thing as one style of pleating being more or less formal than another? I just ordered a kilt pleated to the ketchup & mustard and I am second-guessing it because I think it looks too formal to wear casually. Now I am considering getting it pleated to the red stripe instead.

What sayeth the rabble?

**Jock Scot** · 17th October 13, 09:59 AM

With the greatest of respect, I think that you are over-thinking all this a tad!

**usonian** · 17th October 13, 10:29 AM

I am by no means a highland dress authority but it would never in a million years have occurred to me to think that alternating stripes (or any pleat style) would be "too formal" with a casual outfit, and I'd be pretty surprised if any of the rabble made such a proclamation! There have been plenty of discussions about the limitations of trying to dress up casual/low yardage kilts, but I've always thought the consensus is that an 8 yard, 16oz kilt is good for all occasions. (See Panache's One Kilt, Ten Looks guide.)

(Also, I may be thinking of the wrong tartan but pleating to the red stripe only might be a logistical issue with Hunting Stewart because of the large sett; you'd wind up with extremely deep pleats and fewer of them - hopefully an actual kiltmaker will be along to correct me if I'm wrong about that part.)

**sailortats** · 17th October 13, 10:42 AM

Mikilt, the pic I showed you earlier pleated to the red and yellow stripes is a band kilt. My Stewart Hunting (ancient) is pleated to the red stripe seen here. Admittedly yours would be in the modern colors and the pic below is in the ancient colors. I have to admit that I rather like the look of pleated to the red only.
pleated to red.jpg

**Tobus** · 17th October 13, 10:49 AM

Yes, Mikilt, if you look in Chapter 7, Section IV, Paragraph 3 of The Royal Decree Pertaining to Highland Wear and All Things Scottish (1897), it says "Kilts with alternating stripe colours in the pleats may only be worn for the most formal of events, such as levee dress. For all lesser levels of dress, kilts shall be pleated with only a single dominant stripe colour exposed."

It's a good thing you asked. That could have been a real faux pas!

**Mikilt** · 17th October 13, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Tobus

Yes, Mikilt, if you look in Chapter 7, Section IV, Paragraph 3 of The Royal Decree Pertaining to Highland Wear and All Things Scottish (1897), it says "Kilts with alternating stripe colours in the pleats may only be worn for the most formal of events, such as levee dress. For all lesser levels of dress, kilts shall be pleated with only a single dominant stripe colour exposed."

It's a good thing you asked. That could have been a real faux pas!

Well played, Tobus. Well played.

**Mikilt** · 17th October 13, 11:16 AM

Thank you all. I think you are right and I am fretting over a non-issue. The truth is that I seldom wear any of my kilts casually. I am almost always in a coat and tie or at least a nice sweater or waistcoat.

**unixken** · 17th October 13, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Tobus

It's a good thing you asked. That could have been a real faux pas!

I do what I can to always let a fox pass. Don't want to get scratched by a foe paw.

**Tartan Tess** · 17th October 13, 02:04 PM

As the only kilt maker to jump in on this so far....depends.
depends on the tartan, how much you have, sett size and body size.
I was taught "to the stripe" was first; military. alot of pipe bands do it as a group.
To the sett is harder to pleat than to the stripe or "to the block". Harder to pleat means takes more attention and sometimes you only have so much tartan and the pleat size will depend on what you decide..
I do kilts to the stripe for people who aren't in pipe bands, they just like the look; and that is what it all boils down to.