Flattering kilts for ladies?

[Pleater]

Straight skirts have always given me the feeling of having my knees tied together, and the only skirt I have worn which gave me the same freedom of movement as the kilt was a complete circle skirt in a most impractical pale pink.

Perhaps a rather dumpy 59 year old should not be vaulting gates, but whilst I can I shall. Those of a nervous disposition might care to avert their eyes.

I wear kilts in the reverse Kingussie style, having an inverted pleat centre back and mirror image pleats each side, facing back, as I found that forward facing pleats snag on vegetation and furniture.

I make a greater percentage of the circumference pleated than the classic man's kilt, so the pleats fun from hip joint to hip joint, then there are quite large under apron pleats, so the aprons naturally fall vertically even if I do a grand plie.

Despite what many will write (sorry fellows) a woman's kilt doesn't fasten on the left - like the kimono, it folds left over right for both sexes.

In the US there are far stronger cultural conventions about fastenings than in the UK.

I wear kimono and the only times I have had any comments about them wrapping left over right have been from Americans - and one went ballistic over my daring to dress in a manner inappropriate to my sex.

Kimono ARE sometimes wrapped right over left, but only when dressing a corpse.

I make my sturdier kilts just to the knee, but have some 27 inches long made in lighter fabrics. The standard width of a woollen fabric being 54inches, the 27 inches is half that - not forgetting to cut off a piece to make the waistband before dividing the piece.

Some fabrics, such as corduroy or a pin stripe are made into kilts by cutting the cloth selvage to selvage, and the joins are aranged to fall on the hidden fold of the pleat so as to hide them well.

Making a full 8 yard kilt did seem rather daunting at first, but once I had done a couple anything less seemed to be a bit skimpy. I usually wear a kit every day now that I have got quite a few done. I even have a set of Winter kilts and a set of Summer weight ones.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[CMcG]

<snip>
Despite what many will write (sorry fellows) a woman's kilt doesn't fasten on the left - like the kimono, it folds left over right for both sexes.

In the US there are far stronger cultural conventions about fastenings than in the UK.

Is there some distinction to be made in the apron closure between a kilt (6-8 yards of 16oz worsted tartan, many deep pleats, worn at the natural waist, length to just above the knee, etc) and a kilted-skirt (fewer yards of lighter tartan, fewer and shallower pleats, variable length, etc)?

I just looked into my lass' closet and her two "kilts" both close on the left (folds right over left). One is from Canada and the other from Scotland. Both are lightweight tartan and lower yardage. Perhaps, then she has kilted-skirts?

[Dixiecat]

Is there some distinction to be made in the apron closure between a kilt (6-8 yards of 16oz worsted tartan, many deep pleats, worn at the natural waist, length to just above the knee, etc) and a kilted-skirt (fewer yards of lighter tartan, fewer and shallower pleats, variable length, etc)?

I just looked into my lass' closet and her two "kilts" both close on the left (folds right over left). One is from Canada and the other from Scotland. Both are lightweight tartan and lower yardage. Perhaps, then she has kilted-skirts?

Hmmm. The only way to tell the difference between a kilt and a kilted skirt is to use the criteria that you've set in your first paragraph (although weight is less important than the pleats/length). The apron closing is as Anne the Pleater says, it's an affectation used by manufacturers in closing them in the opposite direction.