Jeans kilt prototypes

[woutervw]

Hi,

I'm preparing for making a denim kilt, using a Reverse Kingussie pleats. I came up with two ways of sewing the pleats and I think I prefer the first one. The top above the fell I sewed with a thread the same colour as the jeans itself. Opinions?



Alternative:

[Kiltedjohn]

I'm not a denim-lover but, of the two, I definitely prefer the first.

[Laird_M]

Top one gives it that authentic jeans runnign fell seam look.

[BCAC]

I'm not really a jeans lover but are those rivets really necessary? The kilt would be unable to go through screening at an airport with those and that would be rather unfortunate because a denim kilt would seem to be an ideal garment to travel in (for those who like the look).

[woutervw]

I'm not really a jeans lover but are those rivets really necessary?

I am trying to incorporate what you would normally find on normal blue jeans. Most have rivets of some sort.

The kilt would be unable to go through screening at an airport with those

Really? They're brass and there wouldn't be that many more than in denim pants.

[sydnie7]

I also like the look of #1. You might have a few more rivets than a pair of jeans, but lots of clothing has metal components (zippers, D-rings etc.) and I've never suffered more than a casual pat on the arm, for example, when TSA wants to double-check the scanner results.

Keep us posted, looks as if you have made a great start!

[ratspike]

Number one! I'm interested in seeing how it looks with all those rivets too. My Stumptown kilt has rivets at the fell and IMO it's pretty sharp design element.

[kiltedrennie]

I agree that the first option looks natural. Interesting idea. Look forward to seeing the results.

[Steve Ashton]

I have two concerns which may not have shown themselves to you yet.

Denim is a very unique fabric it continues to shrink over its entire life span. With pants you have legs in them to pull them back into shape. This is why jeans seem to mold to your body.
In kilts all the pleats will become shorter and shorter. At the topstitching you may develop wrinkling just as you do on the side seams of jeans. Unless you iron the kilt A LOT within a short time denim has a tendency to start to look like a tutu.

My other concern is with the two lines of stitching. Experience has shown that topstitching 1.8" from the pleat edge is good. Any further and the pleats tend to curl. Usually outward.
If you goal is to create a garment that will have curling pleats similar to a Utilikilt then this is not a problem. If your goal is to create a garment that has pleats more refined then this curling will be very bad unless, again, you iron the kilt after each washing.
This curling will be further emphasized by the revK pleating. That style of pleating is very prone to curling as kilts made this way seldom have Steeking.

Just some food for thought.

[woutervw]

Denim is a very unique fabric it continues to shrink over its entire life span. Unless you iron the kilt A LOT within a short time denim has a tendency to start to look like a tutu.

I didn't know that. But since I've already bought the fabric, the experiment will have to continue. Iron, iron, iron it is then.

My other concern is with the two lines of stitching. Experience has shown that topstitching 1.8" from the pleat edge is good. Any further and the pleats tend to curl. Usually outward.

The second row of stitches is only through one layer of fabric, not both as the stitching on the pleat is. And since I have just a simple sewing machine, I already figured I needed to cut the top pleats back and do some steeking. There's no way the machine will go through all those layers at the waistband if I don't do this.Good thing the library had "The art of kiltmaking".