Four-yard, box pleated kilts

**beerbecue** · 23rd February 05, 02:30 PM

Dang it all to heck, now more Jonesin' that can't be cured right now!!

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Really nice looking kilts, BTW....

**Satirist** · 23rd February 05, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

If anyone has any comments/criticism about what you see on the site, I'm all ears. I'm mainly seeking to provide a unique product that I can take pride in. Heck, I've been preaching for years that the four-yard box pleated kilt is the best thing going. It's about time I started making them! Smile

You have definately impressed me with your web site. It's very nicely done. The words interesting and informative come to mind. Beautiful kilts as well. If my financial situation allowed, I would gladly be first. I do have a question though. You mentioned on you site that you can make them without the tapering from waist to hips similar to the earliest kilts. I'm curious about that. Would, not tapering have any benifit, or would it be simply for a more historically made kilt?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 24th February 05, 05:21 AM

Well, the one benefit I can think of is that it would be a heck of a lot easier for me to lay out the pleats!

However, if you mean benefit for wear, no there really is none. It would just be for historical accuracy, if someone really wanted a kilt made just like c. 1800.

Without the tapering, I'd have to make the whole kilt to your breach (hip) measure, since that is the widest part, and you'd just get some bunching at the waist. How much would depend on how much smaller your waist is than your hips.

Tapered pleats allow for a much better fit, and a much better hang. I'll always taper the pleats to fit your measurements, unless someone just really wanted an untapered kilt, in which case I would warn them, like I just told you, that it would not fit as well as a tapered kilt, and if they still wanted it made that way, I'd gladly do it for them.

I'd probably also suggest they have me leave off the straps and buckles and just wear their kilt pinned on, or with a belt.

Aye,
Matt

**beerbecue** · 24th February 05, 06:38 AM

I'm with Satirist, if I could only afford it right now......

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 24th February 05, 08:59 AM

Congrats to MikeinNC for being the first to order a box-pleated kilt! He's the winner of my $100 discount offer. The three slots for the $50 discount are still open...

You snooze, you loose!

Aye,
Matt

**Raphael** · 24th February 05, 12:55 PM

Just curious Matt, Has anyone argued with you that a 4 yard box pleat kilt is not a real/traditional kilt?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 25th February 05, 05:24 AM

Nope, no one so far. It would be hard to since I could show them easily that this was the style of the original tailored kilts.

I've worn four-yard, box pleated kilts (not exclusively) for four years now. Usually, no one notices a difference between them and a regular kilt. When they do, it's usually a comment like, "hey, your pleats look different. I like that style, I've never seen it before. Where did you get it?" And it allows me to tell them a little about the history of the kilt.

Aye,
Matt

**Doc Hudson** · 25th February 05, 06:17 AM

Matt,

Would you consider the box-pleated Kaber Kilts from Jarls of Lochlann to be of as much of a traditional style as your four yard box-pleated kilt?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 25th February 05, 08:22 AM

Based on what I see from their kilts here:
http://thejarlsoflochlann.com/Kilts/special.html
I'd say no.

They are like a traditional kilt in that they are box pleated. And I would assume that they also would have around 4 yards of cloth, just from the look of them.

But they have a lot of modern amenities that I would say in no way are traditional (not that they are bad, mind you, just not traditional). The pockets, the removable snap-on apron, and the belt loops all would be absent from a traditional box-pleated kilt.

It also looks like all their work is machine sewn, whereas your traditional kilt would be hand sewn.

When I looked at their tartan selection for their "Monster" Kaber Kilts, all I saw available was 12 oz. cotton, or 10 oz and 13 oz wool. I think that (other than the 13 oz wool) this is much too light and will affect the hang of the kilt. I personally reccomend a 16 oz weight for my four-yard box pleated kilts, though a 13 oz also works well. I wouldn't go any lighted than that in a four yard kilt.

I kind of like the look of their Oarsman kilts, though. Anyone who owns one want to let us know how they look and hang?
Aye,
Matt

**Doc Hudson** · 25th February 05, 01:55 PM

Thanks Matt,

I do have a couple more questions though. Why would an 11 ounce worsted wool tartan an acceptable minimum for a kilt and a 12 ounce worsted cotton too light?

BTW, the Monster Kilt does not have pockets, though I guess it does have a removable apron. ( I can't see the use of that.)