Traditional Kilt Jacket Backs?

[Bugbear]

Being used to formless, American bag jackets, I have a feeling that a good deal of the interesting tailoring of traditional kilt jackets, from Scotland, is on the back of the jacket.

Please discuss the different darts, pleats, folds, and flaps on the back of the different kilt jackets; especially the interesting and unusual features. Pictures would probably help for some members.

Thank you.

[JSFMACLJR]

Hi Ted,

I don't really have much knowledge of tailoring terminology to address this topic in any kind of informed way. Mine have darts or seams or whatever in the back.

Are you interested in the construction of these jackets, or in the tails, or flaps or what have you in the back?

[Bugbear]

Hi JSFMACLJR,

I am interested in the different ways the backs of jackets are constructed, and the different features that make the kilt jacket fit in the back. For example, in the discussion of the collarless kilt jacket, it was mentioned that the back was pleated in an interesting way on some of them.

So what's back there on some of the different kinds of kilt jackets? Perhaps even pictures of the backs of traditional kilt jackets would be useful.

[ChattanCat]

I have a kilt jacket and it has two side vents instead of the single middle vent of the suit jacket type. Other than that, it looks the same but is tighter on the body, more fitted.

[Bugbear]

I have a kilt jacket and it has two side vents instead of the single middle vent of the suit jacket type. Other than that, it looks the same but is tighter on the body, more fitted.

I think some of the daywear jackets have folds or darts up around the shoulderblade area, and other places that help make them fit while still being flexable. The side vents are on most of them, but I'm not sure all side vents are made in the same way. For all I know, though, there might be styles of kilt jackets without any vents.

[KFCarter]

I mentioned in another thread that I have a staffer who's a clothes designer and seamstress. I have two different daywear jackets wending their way to me through "jones alley" and she's already asked to take a close look at them. She's agreed to alter some of my older jackets to work for kilts, but before that happens, she feels some research is in order.
She showed me a book of her research work on women's garments of the Gibson Girl era which included exhaustive, detailed analysis of "hows" and "whys" of the dresses' construction. I'm going to see if she'd be willing to take on a similar project for kilt jackets. I think it would be interesting to hear the response from someone with "fresh eyes". (not totally fresh, her dad's family is from Isle of Skye).
If she can do a bit of this, I'll be sure to document with photos and her sketches, etc. Stay tuned.

[Bugbear]

That would be great. I have a feeling that there are many different styles of kilt jacket, backs and vent treatments.

[KFCarter]

That would be great. I have a feeling that there are many different styles of kilt jacket, backs and vent treatments.

I'm sure some of the styles we're familiar with now bear "echoes" of things that were originally functional and it would be great to discover what those functions were and why they were designed they way they were, how they were originally constructed etc. It could be that it would be nice to bring back some of that functionality, or re-adapt it for contemporary uses.

[Bugbear]

I'm sure some of the styles we're familiar with now bear "echoes" of things that were originally functional and it would be great to discover what those functions were and why they were designed they way they were, how they were originally constructed etc. It could be that it would be nice to bring back some of that functionality, or re-adapt it for contemporary uses.

That would be interesting. I very often see discussions of accessories where someone pops up with a picture of a historical style that has been used, or even a picture of a chief, for inspiration in their own ensemble.

[JSFMACLJR]

Ted,
Not all Highland jackets have vents:




This jacket, I think, does not have vents, although I might be wrong:




The pleat in the back of the collarless jacket of which Redshanks spoke, I believe is similar to those found on Austrian and German trachten: