Hey Troy,

I'm with Barb on this one... CERTAIN tartans (IMHO) look better pleated regimentally (to the stripe). Others look better pleated to the sett. When I get an order for Stewart Hntg, I usually pleat to the sett. When I get an order for Douglas (dark blue with a white stripe), I usually pleat to the stripe. If the colors of the kilt are very dark and the stripe is very light (and not immediately surrounded by anything), the stripe looks good.

The cool thing about pleating to the Stripe is that the back of the kilt and the front of the kilt look completely different. Pleating to the stripe takes a little bit less material (so it is a bit more cost effective), but, as Barb said, it is harder to center the stripe on every pleat and to make sure they don't "swerve" at all on the way down.

Bottom line... it's YOUR kilt. Lay it out and pin a couple pleats down either way and see which one YOU like better! It's all a personal prefference.

There's more than 1 way to skin a cat... there's more than 1 right way to pleat a kilt.