Do I wrap a bad great kilt?

**SFCRick** · 3rd July 08, 11:01 PM

looks good

**Woodsheal** · 5th July 08, 05:42 PM

Here's a set of pix from my 1745 Jacobite reenactment group. Lots of guys in belted plaids:

http://members.tripod.com/clan_donna...n-donn-pix?i=0

**Nighthawk** · 5th July 08, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Ozman1944

I reckon it's just being worn too low, instead of Navel-waist. The pleats are great! maybe a bit of 'pleating' /gathering of the excess cloth that's over the shoulder & back would look a bit better? Also a bit curious; over the right shoulder instead of the left?
Looks fine to me though, probably just needs a bit of rearranging.
Tell the nay-sayer where to go...

Actually, from my reading, it wasn't so much the shoulder as the dominant hand. If you're right handed, you should wear the excess over the left shoulder, and vice versa. The reason behind it is that it leaves the sword hand unencumbered. Most people are righties, which is why it is most often seen being thrown over the left shoulder. The same goes for the dirk and sword. The sword is the primary weapon, so it is drawn with the dominant hand, so it is worn on the opposite side from dominant. Sword on the left hip and dirk on the right indicates a right handed swordsman.

**SteveB** · 5th July 08, 07:43 PM

My only question, are the aprons reversed?? Apart from that the belted plaid sits on people very differently. I do not have an electronic photo of me in mine. I am over six feet tall, and currently on the heavy side. My body uses up a lot of fabric. On a person that does not have my bad altitude, there is a lot more plaid to be loose and about. The pleating is fine, I have seen much worse at games and faires. All in all, are you happy with it? If so, those that don't like it that way do not have to wear it that way.

**Brasilikilt** · 5th July 08, 09:37 PM

Hey all

First off, I'd like to thank all of you for all the feedback and the addition to all the illustrative pics. It's been very informative and reassuring to me!

I am a southpaw, and therefore pin my kilt on the right shoulder and wear my sword belt so that my sword lays over my plaid on the right hip.
Even though my friend Patrick is a rightie, I suppose I wrapped the kilt on him with a southpaw rig.....as I would wear it myself.

He had never worn any kind of kilt before, and don't think that he knew the difference.

I also feel as though I should add that I had been showing Patrick the different ways in which you could arrange the top half such as the "raincoat" rig as shown by EscherBlacksmith and my own modified version of that which I refer to as the "OregonScots raincoat" rig which is similar, only pulled up entirely over your head and wrapped around you like a blanket. This is the reason why the top half looks somewhat disheveled.

It also takes a semi-skilled wearer to properly adjust the kilt after pleating and belting it on for the first time....at least it took me a few times until I started to get it to where I liked it. I think with it being Patrick's first time, he had me belt him up where he would normally wear his pants or shorts as opposed to higher up around the "gut"

Anyways..I really love this thread and am very pleased with all the responses

Thanks again

Iain

**Kid Cossack** · 5th July 08, 10:30 PM

Iain:

I don't know if I'd call it the "best ever" great kilt wrap . . . but that's not a knock, at all! I think it looks good, and really think you did a bang-up job with the pleats. Get him to wear it some more and adjust it to himself. I think it's all good.

**Brasilikilt** · 6th July 08, 08:14 AM

Ha ha

There is also an observation from the 1740's that I read somewhere, made by a lowlander regarding the appearance of Highlanders whilst wearing their plaids:

"They look like piles of untidy laundry propped up on 2 legs"

I thought you guys might share my amusement

**Nick the DSM** · 6th July 08, 11:18 AM

i dont think back then they were looking for fashion so they might not have looked great either.

**ncof300d** · 6th July 08, 01:29 PM

OK, hijacking time (but this seems to be such an appropriate place to ask this question).

Anyhow, when I was at the Scottish Festival in Fort Wayne, IN this last June I meet a gentleman who was wearing a wrapped tartan. It was not 'done up' as a great kilt, but as a 'regular' kilt. As I remember it did have a 'knot' in the tartan on the back. I was rather impressed with this simple application of a tartan.

My question is doe anyone know where I can find directions on how to wrap/fold/etc. a tartan into this configuration? Also, how much material should I have (42in waist)?

**escherblacksmith** · 7th July 08, 07:16 AM

not sure, your description is unclear . . .

Generally speaking, you either have the greatkilt (which can be bustled in the back, although that doesn't really look like a knot), or a shortened kilt, which is, in essence, the great kilt with most of the cloth above the kilt cut off. So, it still is pleatable and wraps, but it doesn't have the sheer mass of extra material above the belt.

This is an example of bustled:

This is the shortened kilt or Phillabeg or Feilidh-beag.

(as seen and sold at The Celtic Croft)