I know that Bear sews in the pleats (both the outer and inner) of his 8-yard kilts, but not his four-yard kilts. I also know that when I wore a 4-yard Bear kilt for five months straight, out of doors in the rain, snow, mud, and river fordings, washing it only every three weeks at the most it still held the pleats.

Here is a picture of the kilt (on the left) from behind after a full two months of backpacking, only taking it off when I slept. No ironing, no hang drying it, just throwing it in the wash. No sewn pleats.

Andrew.