Matt's 6yd knife-pleat kilts...

[Chirs]

Please excuse the ignorance. Who is Matt?

Top of the page, third from the left. Scottish Tartan Museum. Use that link to find Matt.

[CMcG]

David, that was a well reasoned argument in favour of the 6 yard knife pleat kilt. Thanks for taking the time to work through the advantages!

The only problem I can foresee is that those pleats are razor sharp and liable to cut someone

[xman]

Thank-you, David. While nothing quite has the swish of an 8 yarder, my 6 yard kilt and my 6m kilt both are generally more comfortable to wear yet still look traditional. I wonder if we'll see a return to lower yardage kilts any time soon due to this and other economic factors.

Love that Carolina BTW.

[creagdhubh]

David (and all),

Many thanks for beginning this thread, as you are well aware, I was one of the people who made a personal inquiry to David asking various questions in regards to the 6 yard, knife pleated, heavyweight kilts made by Matthew Newsome - naturally, all of my questions and concerns have been so eloquently addressed and answered by David's thread.

I mentioned to David that I have no idea why I am a wee bit hesitant to purchase a 6 yarder from Matthew Newsome, and that I was in desperate need of convincing! I have also discussed the issue with Matthew Newsome himself, who is always quite professional, proactive, kind, knowledgeable, and considerate of one's perspective and preferences in regards to the beginnings of ordering a bespoke kilt - which in my viewpoint, is always a highly personal endeavour to set upon.

I am looking to have the following tartans made into either an 8 or 6 yard kilt, pleated to the line, and made in heavyweight, 16 ounce worsted wool: Chattan Weathered (Dalgliesh), Chattan Ancient (Lochcarron Strome), Chattan Modern (Dalgliesh), and Macpherson Weathered (Lochcarron Strome). Whether I ultimately decide to pursue a 6 yarder, or stick with 8 (all of my Macpherson tartan kilts I currently own are 8 yarders), I realize I should make the 'call' quickly before the cost of wool goes up! Ugh, decisions, decisions!!!

On a sidenote, I believe David's windowpane tweed jacket is from Rocky at USA Kilts - I do recall David telling me a while ago about how he had purchased the jacket at a discounted price from Rocky - it is indeed a very smart looking jacket with gorgeous colour. And David is not wearing a black sporran strap with his 'hunting' style sporran, rather it is indeed brown, yet in the photo is catching a shadow from his jacket. I'm glad to hear from forum members (more recently, English Bloke) that the look of mixing leathers in Highland day attire is perfectly acceptable, because it is! I always, always wear highly polished black leather brogue style (never ghillies) shoes with my Highland day attire - I do not wear brown shoes, even though I am not opposed to it, and perhaps someday I will - and quite frequently I'll wear a day wear sporran either in brown or tan leather with a matching sporran strap, or perhaps one of my brownish full-mask sporrans, and that is completely fine! Very attractive looking in my opinion. Other forum members who are excellent examples of this is Sandy (JSFMACLJR), Scott (MacMillan of Rathdown), Todd (CajunScot), Matthew Newsome, and many others.

In conclusion, I hope that I can finally make my mind up in regards to my 'kilt situation'. I do appreciate Matt and David's assistance and continued advice on the topic, it is immensely appreciated. And I am quite sure that other forum members may 'chime' in on the topic as well. I will say this, I do like the monetary savings to be had on ordering a lesser yardage kilt!

P.S. - David, I put in an order for the AUW hose the other day, thank you again for your help!

Kind regards,

[creagdhubh]

I've had two of Matt's 6-yard knife pleat kilts in 16-oz fabric for a couple of months now and have been wearing one or the other (because they're my favorite and newest) every weekend and sometimes a bit during the week as well. This has also included a good deal of driving, sitting through dinners or movies, etc. I'm of course careful about how I sit down; still, I have yet to see a single wrinkled or creased pleat on either kilt upon taking it off.

Wonderful! Yes, heavyweight worsted wool is always the way to go for outstanding kilting fabric!!! I would never wear anything else!

[creagdhubh]

David, great review of Matts' kilts. One thing that really sticks out in your pictures is that the kilt doesn't appear to have any wrinkles or creases (it looks pristine), yet the jacket does, indicating to me that you were at some point sitting down (probably on the drive to whereever you were). This speaks volumes to the fact that the added weight of a 16oz wool fabric helps pull the wrinkles out.

I hope David brings a nice wooden, suit hanger for his jacket and hangs it in his car on the drive in to various Highland games and gatherings! Just kidding with you David, however, that is precisely what I do. I realize this is a bit off topic, but I never wear my tweed, barathea, or velvet jackets/doublets whilst driving - I always hang the jacket or doublet in the rear of my car, then put it on upon arriving to my destination. Now, if I am wearing a waistcoat as well (and I usually am - naturally depending on the weather, yet always with evening attire), then yes, I will wear that whilst driving as it seldom becomes wrinkled.

So David, where did those wrinkles in your smart tweed come from?!

Cheers,

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Thanks David, for this thread and for the endorsement! It does seem like I have been having a rash of inquiries here lately about 6 yard knife pleated kilts.

To answer the question about average pleat reveal: in truth this is going to depend on three factors.
1) The amount of cloth (so we are talking 6 yards here)
2) The repeat size of the sett
3) The size of the gentleman in question

So, without knowing 2 or 3 I can't really give a particular answer. But I can say from experience that for most average sized tartans, made for an average sized man, 1.25" wide and about 18 pleats or so seems to be a good norm.

Also, just to head off any confusion, if you click on the link to our museum gift shop and find the kilt section, you'll see three styles listed:
1) Standard gent's 8 yard kilts
2) Casual kilts
3) Four yard box pleated kilts

I make the box pleated kilts we sell at the museum, and the other two styles are made for us in Scotland.

Now, many of you know that I also make Kingussie pleated kilts as well as lower yardage knife pleated kilts as David is describing here. I have not added those styles to the offerings on the museum's web site for a couple of different reasons, one of which is because the museum already offers two styles of knife pleated kilts and I didn't really want to confuse the issue, plus I felt that if I starting making a good percentage of the knife pleated kilts we sell, I'd be even busier than I am!

However, I've had an increase in interest in these other styles, so I do have them listed on my personal site. And I'm also more than happy to take orders for them through the museum gift shop, even though they are not currently listed on the web site. Just let me know if you are interested.

Thanks, guys!
Matt

[azwildcat96]

I hope David brings a nice wooden, suit hanger for his jacket and hangs it in his car on the drive in to various Highland games and gatherings! Just kidding with you David, however, that is precisely what I do. I realize this is a bit off topic, but I never wear my tweed, barathea, or velvet jackets/doublets whilst driving - I always hang the jacket or doublet in the rear of my car, then put it on upon arriving to my destination. Now, if I am wearing a waistcoat as well (and I usually am - naturally depending on the weather, yet always with evening attire), then yes, I will wear that whilst driving as it seldom becomes wrinkled.

So David, where did those wrinkles in your smart tweed come from?!

Cheers,

Wow! Rough crowd! I wasn't pointing out the jacket wrinkles for any other reason than to show that the kilt fabric relaxed under its' own weight! No offense was implied.

[creagdhubh]

Wow! Rough crowd! I wasn't pointing out the jacket wrinkles for any other reason than to show that the kilt fabric relaxed under its' own weight! No offense was implied.

I was just kidding around with David mate, that's all. I understood the point of your comment, I was simply adding a wee bit of Highland humour, as well as a quick 'trick' that I do in order to prevent jacket wrinkles - off topic I know, but I thought I'd 'throw' that in there for what it's worth!

Slainte,

[azwildcat96]

I was just kidding around with David mate, that's all. I understood the point of your comment, I was simply adding a wee bit of Highland humour, as well as a quick 'trick' that I do in order to prevent jacket wrinkles - off topic I know, but I thought I'd 'throw' that in there for what it's worth!

Slainte,

Is that what that was?...I thought I smelled a bit of sarcasm.