Responses to Box Pleats

[Andrew Green]

Both styles make for excellent and comfy wear.
Box pleats are an older fashion. Depends on the tartan I would say. No one other than another kiltie is going to note the difference in pleats.
No one has noticed the difference in mine. Love them all.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Of course I have to weight in on this.

Raptor, if an historical "precident" is what you are looking for fear not. The four yard box pleated kilt was the original form of the pleated kilt. See:
http://kilts.albanach.org/yardage.html
And:
http://kilts.albanach.org/history.html

So *all* regiments (that were around pre-1850s at least) wore box pleated kilt, as did all civilians. Because all the kilts were box pleated. The Gordon Hinghlanders went to knife pleated kilts in 1854, and were the first regiment to do so.

I think the Cameron kilts you are refering to are modern 8 yard box pleated kilts, which are a different animal than what I beleive is being discussed here.

Yes, one can talk about the historical precidents for the box pleated kilt, or the economic benefits, or the comfort level, or how much the pleats swish, and of course personal preference for one style of the other. The truth is both box pleated kilts and knife pleated kilts are perfectly fine kilts and your own opinion should be the deciding factor. They both have their pros and cons.

But the original question wasn't about that, really. The question is what kinds of reactions can be expected when you wear a four yard box pleated kilt? This kilt is not the standard style today. What do people say when they see you wearing it?

And I will agree with the first few posters here to respond. No one really notices a difference. I've worn kilts since 1997 and box pleated kilts have been a big part of my wardrobe since I got my first one in 2000. Now most of my kilts are box pleated. In that time I have only encountered a small handfull of people who commented on the difference in style, and those were all complimentary (either from people who knew their kilt history and were excited to actually see a box pleated kilt being worn, or from people who were just really into kilts and were paying careful attention to the details of my kilt).

To most people, either style I wear, it is just a kilt. If they notice a difference in the pleat style, it's not important to them. It's still a kilt. This applies to the people attending the Highland Games, the tourists who come in to the museum, and the folks I meet shopping at the grocery store.

Reactions are the same whether I'm wearing a box pleated kilt or knife pleated. So I wouldn't sweat it, if I were you. Just get the style you like!
Matt

[Dreadbelly]

Hmm. Much food for thought here.

Matt, as always, thank you for grounding us in facts. It made a couple of lightbulbs go off in my own noggin.

[Woodsheal]

I've only had one less-than-positive reaction from a "traditionalist." Our kilt night "guru" is Victor, an 85 years old Scottish gent who emigrated to the US back in the `50's. He's a Royal Navy vet, very much into his Scottish heritage, and wears his Highland garb with a natural elegance (you've seen pics of him posted here).

Anyways, I was wearing my Matt Newsome box-pleated to one of our kilt nights when Victor asked me suspiciously, "What kind of kilt is THAT?" When I explained about it being the earlist form of tailored kilt, etc., he just stared at me like I had spiders crawling out of my nostrils!

To some folks, a kilt is an 8 yd, knife pleated, tartan wool object - period! Victor also shakes his head in disdain at other "funny" kilts, as he calls them, including belted plaids, UK's, etc....

[MacWage]

If you look at old kilts and the DATES of when box pleats and knife/side pleats are mentioned, the fact IS that boxes were FAR more common until the late 1800s. From the late 1800s til today (just over a hundred to 150 years), the knife pleat is the common one. It was Bob Martin who, almost singlehandedly, revived box pleats (after looking at many old ones in museums).
Now, X Marks is helping to make them more and more revived.

As to what was done in great kilts and "philabegs" (I STILL don't like that term, but haven't found another better to type/write quickly), it is a matter of MUCH discussion, though most were probably randomly "gathered," rather than actually "pleated" at all.

So, in short:
-The VAST MAJORITY won't even notice.
-A very few locked in the idea that the 8 yard knife if the ONLY way a kilt can be or ever has been, might be "upset."
-More "traditionalists" (quotations as the boxes are actually even more traditional) and general kilt wearers will simply say, "not my thing."
-Others will be curious as it is not like all they've seen and will be facinated by the deeper history of kilts and the development of them.


(Aside-> when Erskine wrote his kilt book, the setting to sett was actually seen as being the "new and innovative" thing. THAT was 1907!!)

[staticsan]

You over-estimate the reactions of the average non-kilt wearer. Most can't even tell nor would they even care if it's wool or not, let alone whether the pleats are wrong. I suspect it's the apron-on-the-front-and-pleats-on-the-back look that says "kilt", never mind the fabric, pattern or pleat type.

Wade.

[Kilted KT]

I don't think most people will even notice, unless they are spending an above-average interest in your pleats!

[Fearnest]

You over-estimate the reactions of the average non-kilt wearer. Most can't even tell nor would they even care if it's wool or not, let alone whether the pleats are wrong. I suspect it's the apron-on-the-front-and-pleats-on-the-back look that says "kilt", never mind the fabric, pattern or pleat type.

Wade.

(Or for some, according to WAY too many threads of late, the "apron on the back and pleats on the front"...)

[Howard Clark]

Nobody I've been around in the cornpatch seems to notice or care. The novelty is such that it makes no difference. I was kilted all day today at a 150th anniversary celebration for the First Presbyterian church in Leon, southern Iowa, and received no negative comments at all about the way I was dressed. Most found it interesting at least, and nice at best. I was wearing a four yard box pleated kilt that is made from tweed that I bought on ebay, and I don't really know how to make a proper kilt, though it is the best one I have done so far (at number 8). I am rather looking forward to my Matt Newsome four yard box pleated kilt when it gets here. And for what it's worth, I dinna like 8 yard kilts much at all (it ain't worth much, likely). I don't like the great mass of tartan on me bum, it feels unbalanced to me. I am more concerned about a practical garment than fashion anyhow. And the first kilt I ever wore was all leather and made just to keep me from getting important parts burned at the forge, while providing a decent amount of ventilation at the same time.

[ccga3359]

(Or for some, according to WAY too many threads of late, the "apron on the back and pleats on the front"...)

I'm not just a trend setter, this is the correct way. Pleats crease aprons don't. Pleats allow for personal growth, aprons don't.