pleating to the sett vs. stripe

[slohairt]

Pleating to the stripe was also done for economic reasons:

1) Even in the higher yardage styles preferred by the military it uses slightly less fabric. If the kilt is being made from a tartan where a line repeats itself more than once even less fabric will be used. Black Watch is a good example. It's typically pleated to the stripe using only half of the sett.

2) Future alterations: Pleating to the stripe means there is no centre stripe in the back. Buckles can easily be moved without worrying about the kilt looking off-centre from the rear.

[Spartan Tartan]

Pleating to the stripe was also done for economic reasons:

1) Even in the higher yardage styles preferred by the military it uses slightly less fabric. If the kilt is being made from a tartan where a line repeats itself more than once even less fabric will be used. Black Watch is a good example. It's typically pleated to the stripe using only half of the sett.

2) Future alterations: Pleating to the stripe means there is no centre stripe in the back. Buckles can easily be moved without worrying about the kilt looking off-centre from the rear.

I never thought of #2....I suppose I will just have to remain the same general size and proportions But seriously, something to keep in mind.

[OC Richard]

Pleating to the stripe means there is no centre stripe in the back. Buckles can easily be moved without worrying about the kilt looking off-centre from the rear.

Yes indeed! And it's another reason NOT to have belt loops on the back.

I think it's one reason pipe bands so often go with pleating to the line, as in pipe bands kilts are rarely made for the specific people and kilts have to have buckles moved often.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Making future alterations easier is certainly true. You have no "center stripe" in the rear to worry about, as John points out. Also, it makes it easier if you have to cut out any pleats to make the kilt smaller. A few times I've had to remove several inches of pleats to size kilts down, and the fact that they were pleated to stripe meant you could never tell by looking at the kilt. Had these kilts been pleated to sett you would notice a significant portion of the sett pattern missing.

However, I would not say it is necessarily true that pleating to the stripe uses any less cloth than pleating to the sett. Let's say the set size is 7". If you are pleating to the stripe, you are going from one stripe in the tartan to the next occurrence of that stripe and so the pleat is going to be 7" over. If you are pleating to the sett and your pleats are 1/2" wide, then your next pleat would either be 7.5" over or 6.5" over to get to the point in the pattern you need. So pleating to the sett may use slightly more cloth, or it may use slightly less.

Effectively, it's very little difference. If you are ordering an 8 yard kilt, your kilt maker will request 4 yards double width cloth from the mill, regardless of whether your kilt is being made pleated to stripe or sett.

[Santa Wally]

A very informative thread with good photos to illustrate both pleating styles. Matt looking very dapper and well turned out as usual.

[seanachie]

Making future alterations easier is certainly true. You have no "center stripe" in the rear to worry about, as John points out. Also, it makes it easier if you have to cut out any pleats to make the kilt smaller. A few times I've had to remove several inches of pleats to size kilts down, and the fact that they were pleated to stripe meant you could never tell by looking at the kilt. Had these kilts been pleated to sett you would notice a significant portion of the sett pattern missing.

However, I would not say it is necessarily true that pleating to the stripe uses any less cloth than pleating to the sett. Let's say the set size is 7". If you are pleating to the stripe, you are going from one stripe in the tartan to the next occurrence of that stripe and so the pleat is going to be 7" over. If you are pleating to the sett and your pleats are 1/2" wide, then your next pleat would either be 7.5" over or 6.5" over to get to the point in the pattern you need. So pleating to the sett may use slightly more cloth, or it may use slightly less.

Effectively, it's very little difference. If you are ordering an 8 yard kilt, your kilt maker will request 4 yards double width cloth from the mill, regardless of whether your kilt is being made pleated to stripe or sett.

Is it the number of pleats that increased your pictured box pleat to 6 yards?
What is it that required the additional 2 yards? BTW, that tartan looks grand box pleated which tartan is that? Thanks

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Is it the number of pleats that increased your pictured box pleat to 6 yards?
What is it that required the additional 2 yards? BTW, that tartan looks grand box pleated which tartan is that? Thanks

Well, the tartan has an unusually large repeat, I think it was about 10". If I did a four yard box pleated kilt, that would have resulted in very wide pleats, about 3.25", which I did not want. So the extra two yards allowed me to have more, narrower pleats.