Flattering kilts for ladies?

[Dixiecat]

Women wearing mens' kilts look a bit funny in my opinion. The pleats tend to splay out and look awkward.

This can be a problem for ALL kilt wearers when the kilt has not been custom-fit.

[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.

[sydnie7]

The Paisley's style 5 that paulhenry posted (thank you!) captivates me. I'm trying to puzzle out the construction, and wonder if folks agree with this "pattern":

Four panels (gores) cut on the bias, joined at front/back/sides. I assume we are viewing the back. I would pleat all the way around in a version of reverse Kingussie, with 3 pleats per panel facing away from center front and toward center rear. Pleats stitched down a few inches below the waistband, but not as far as a fell. Probably stick an "invisible" zipper in the center rear seam.

I have some Joann's MacTablecloth that would get sacrificed as a mock-up before I tackled this for real. Right now I'm fiddling with graph paper and a protractor to figure out if I could get enough for a floor-length skirt to fit my (much reduced, but still significant) hips and waist from a 54-inch fabric. . . and still have what looks to be a significant pleat depth.

Thoughts, comments, help?

[Dixiecat]

The Paisley's style 5 that paulhenry posted (thank you!) captivates me. I'm trying to puzzle out the construction, and wonder if folks agree with this "pattern":

Four panels (gores) cut on the bias, joined at front/back/sides. I assume we are viewing the back. I would pleat all the way around in a version of reverse Kingussie, with 3 pleats per panel facing away from center front and toward center rear. Pleats stitched down a few inches below the waistband, but not as far as a fell. Probably stick an "invisible" zipper in the center rear seam.

I have some Joann's MacTablecloth that would get sacrificed as a mock-up before I tackled this for real. Right now I'm fiddling with graph paper and a protractor to figure out if I could get enough for a floor-length skirt to fit my (much reduced, but still significant) hips and waist from a 54-inch fabric. . . and still have what looks to be a significant pleat depth.
Thoughts, comments, help?

Always assume that you are viewing the front unless otherwise stated. Not that it matters much as a typical 4-gore skirt would be the same back or front. Style #5 is almost exactly the same as Style #6 except the 'folds' of the 'drape' are stitched down. If you look at #6 and imagine the folds taken all the way to the waist, you'll see what I mean.

I doubt that the folds of #5 are much more than pinch pleated as the tartan is not much disturbed by them. Also the pleats look to be stitched down at least to the fell judging by the silhouette.

I think you're correct with the 3 folds per panel, however, if your hips are significant, you may consider 4 instead of 3 per panel. Might need to experiment on that.

If you have a 4-gore pattern, add about 1" or so on each seam, which will add 8" overall (2" per gore), and then do a trial layout on your fabric. No need to fiddle with your protractor.

Also, the zipper had better go on the side seam instead of the back. It looks like the sides of the gores are on the straight of grain which of course won't stretch like the centre front or back seams.

[sydnie7]

Always assume that you are viewing the front unless otherwise stated. Not that it matters much as a typical 4-gore skirt would be the same back or front. Style #5 is almost exactly the same as Style #6 except the 'folds' of the 'drape' are stitched down. If you look at #6 and imagine the folds taken all the way to the waist, you'll see what I mean.

Ok, looking at front. I'm still partial to reversing the direction of pleats. And yes, 5 and 6 differ only in the stitching based on both illustration and catalog description.

I doubt that the folds of #5 are much more than pinch pleated as the tartan is not much disturbed by them.

You're right, not sure what I was looking at when I wrote about pleat depth. With a gored skirt a) wouldn't need the ease provided by a deeper pleat and b) I sure don't need the extra bulk!

Also the pleats look to be stitched down at least to the fell judging by the silhouette.

I really don't think so, based on the first pleat left of (wearer's) center. There is a little something there that looks almost as if the pleat has come open during photography. If I get that far, I'll try a short "fell" with my sample garment and then play with it as required.

I think you're correct with the 3 folds per panel, however, if your hips are significant, you may consider 4 instead of 3 per panel. Might need to experiment on that.

Current size I would need an 8 inch taper -- but I'm still losing, so it's a moving target from now until my potential future start of project.

If you have a 4-gore pattern, add about 1" or so on each seam, which will add 8" overall (2" per gore), and then do a trial layout on your fabric. No need to fiddle with your protractor.

Yeah, but I don't have a pattern on hand and I like fiddling with geometry! It was the only math class I ever enjoyed. . . because it made sense and I could see it!

Also, the zipper had better go on the side seam instead of the back. It looks like the sides of the gores are on the straight of grain which of course won't stretch like the centre front or back seams.

Good point, thanks again for your thought and sharing of expertise. This goes on the "think about it" stack until I get a few dozen other projects out of the way! Theoretically it would be nice to have it for our clan dinner in March 2012. . .

[Dixiecat]

I really don't think so, based on the first pleat left of (wearer's) center. There is a little something there that looks almost as if the pleat has come open during photography. If I get that far, I'll try a short "fell" with my sample garment and then play with it as required.

Hmm. I don't think so. What I really think we're looking at is similar to pintucks. Those stitched down pleats could actually just be pintucks that's been taken in the gore from top to bottom. The pleats look pressed all the way down. And, I don't see a 'release' that would happen with pleats. So, unless the pleats are actually long thin darts which is possible, but somehow doesn't quite jibe with the image, then I think that they go down to the fell or straight to the hem.

Current size I would need an 8 inch taper -- but I'm still losing, so it's a moving target from now until my potential future start of project.

I don't think you'd need such a large taper considering the bias nature of the cut. And, you can also cheat the waist larger than your own waist by gathering the waist seam slightly onto the waistband without distorting the smoothness at the waistband.

Yeah, but I don't have a pattern on hand and I like fiddling with geometry! It was the only math class I ever enjoyed. . . because it made sense and I could see it!

Do what makes you happy. Me, I piggy back on others. And if I can't, I open my AutoCAD and draw it out.

Good luck with it. It's a nice twist on a classic and I can see why it caught your eye. Pictures when done!