RAF tartan - sett or stripe?

[Chas]

Hello All,

I am negotiating with a kiltmaker to have a kilt made in the RAF tartan.



I cannot decide whether to have it pleated to the sett or the stripe.

I know that a few members have kilts in this tartan. Any chance of a pleat shot or two. This will be my first 'tank' and I really don't want to get it wrong.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Chas

[Barb T]

Whether this will pleat well to the stripe will depend on what the overall width of the triple stripes is (either the one centered with the white stripe or the red one) and on how much taper there will be on each pleat between the hips and the waist. If, for example, the two reds are about 3/4" apart, and pleats are tapered significantly, you'll lose the reds between the hips and the waist. Wouldn't look good. See the following thread for a similar example:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/p...454/index.html

See the last pic in the first post of the thread.

[Chas]

Hi Barb,

I have seen two different 'pleated to the stripe' kilts.



and



One seems to be too white and the second is worn very strangely. That is why I am seeking advice.

So, if I am anderstanding you rightly, you are sugesting, pleating to the sett?

Regards

Chas

[sydnie7]

Aside from being "worn strangely," I definitely prefer the second. Perhaps it is pleated to the "no stripe"?

[cessna152towser]

Mine is pleated to the sett, as produced by the Royal Air Force kiltmaker.
I believe Riverkilt has a Royal Air Force tartan kilt which was made by Kathy Lare and is pleated to the stripe.

[English Bloke]

Pleat to sett Chas. I had a similar dilemma with my Bruce Kilt and reasoned it's such a lovely tartan that it would be a shame to reduce it to stripes at the back and lose the all-round grandness of it. I appreciate RAF is a military tartan but you're a civvy now and can do what you like with it. Pleating to stripe will detract from it in my opinion. (not that that is worth owt)

[Chas]

I must admit that I am leaning to the sett. Pleating to the stripe gives many options, but in its way, too many options. At least, with the sett, I know what I am getting before it arrives.

Regards

Chas

[dfmacliam]

I like the pleated to the sett, myself... and looking at Alex's photo.. there is no doubt in my mind, it would be the best looking option.

[Barb T]

And the tartan as woven in the kilts shown in the pics is _very_ different from the computer-generated image in the original post - the tartan in the kilts has a white stripe that is much wider than the red stripe.

[WeaselMender]

Ron (Riverkilt) had his pleated to the sett by the request of the R.A.F. Pleating to the stripe, in military fashion being reserved for those who saw active service in the R.A.F.

Weasel :ootd: