Pleating and tartan comparisons

billmcc · 19th September 08, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

...would be a nice addition to the set of photos.

That is what I was thinking.

**puffer** · 20th September 08, 05:09 PM

Barb, do you have any pics showing "box" pleats ??

Puffer

**staticsan** · 20th September 08, 07:17 PM

Ah... now i understand what "pleat to the sett" means! :-D

There's unfortunately another version: it's called "pleat to the random". I'm sure you can imagine what this looks like. This id often done in kilts made down to a price (*wince*).

Wade.

**David Dalglish** · 21st September 08, 12:14 AM

Beautiful Kilts & good examples of the different pleating types

**sydnie7** · 21st September 08, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by staticsan

Ah... now i understand what "pleat to the sett" means! :-D

There's unfortunately another version: it's called "pleat to the random". I'm sure you can imagine what this looks like. This id often done in kilts made down to a price (*wince*).

Wade.

It may be that off-price kilts are "pleated to the random" as a matter of economy, and not as a deliberate choice. But Matt Newsome has pointed out that some of the earliest "little kilts" (that survive today at museums such as The Scottish Tartans Museum are randomly pleated -- marking their evolution from the great kilt.

All part of the lore and history!

**RockyR** · 22nd September 08, 04:25 AM

Please note that NOT ALL "cost effective kilts" are pleated "to random". If you have a good kilt maker, even a 5 yard wool kilt has a "pattern" to the back of it.

What we do is "cheat the sett" on each pleat, but we STILL make the kilt to a "pattern". Here's an example. Notice that the pleats are still done to "a pattern", it just isn't the TRUE sett b/c we don't use 1 full sett for every pleat. This is evident in the open pleats on my right leg...

ALL THAT being said, I HAVE seen kilts "pleated to the random" or "pleated to the gather" and I agree... it does not look very well done.

To keep this on Topic, I'd like to say 'hats off' to barb for posting 3 pics of 3 different variations of the same tartan with 3 different pleating options! This kind of thread is what makes xmarks a great resource!

**Standard** · 22nd September 08, 04:54 AM

Nice pictures and explaination Barb. As always thanks for helping to educate the rest of us.

**Barb T** · 24th October 08, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by puffer

Barb, do you have any pics showing "box" pleats ??

Puffer

What did you have in mind?

**puffer** · 24th October 08, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

What did you have in mind?

Barb, there appears to be at least 2 types of "box pleats" being offered.
1. the "MILITARY"
2. "civilian"

The "civilian" style(s) seem to be wider than the military.
The "military" (at least the one I have) are 8 yard & 18 oz +, where as many of the "civilian" are 4 yard. I am having dificulty in locating examples of "civilian style" in 8 yards. I would like to compare. ( note - besides my "Seaforth Regimental" I have seen some pictures of Kathey Lare's work.

Could you show & discuss the diferences ???

Thank you
Puffer

**Barb T** · 24th October 08, 10:16 AM

Matt Newsome has a nice section on his web site on box pleat kilts at

http://kilts.albanach.org/

The reason that you don't see 8 yards of tartan in a kilt like this is, as you'll see from Matt's website, because they are modeled after a very old style of traditional stitched-pleat kilt. A traditional box pleated kilt has a small number of wide pleats (7-9 or so, depending on the tartan). 8 yards of tartan in a knife-pleated kilt is actually a rather modern invention (more or less since end of the 1800s).

Someone else should talk about military box pleat kilts. I've heard several different stories about how they originally developed. Maybe Steve Ashton could describe the origin that he told me at Kilt Kamp a couple years ago.