How NOT to wear a kilt

[jhockin]

I came across an ad, on a popular "social media" site, by someone offering a kilt for sale, "only worn once" and had to share the photo used ( :

[PiperPadre]

I think I saw that guy at the Alma, MI Games. I didn't't have the heart to tell him....

[YOJiMBO20]

Last year at the San Diego Games, I saw someone with his kilt backwards. I went up and quietly let him know that the pleats go in the back and he said “oh yeah!” and turned the kilt around.

Why people think they go in front (or how they can reasonably put a kilt on with pleats to the front) is beyond me.

[Brian Rose]

I was shocked to see photos on a kilt vendor website where the model had the kilt half right. It was a traditional kilt worn with the right hand strap buckles to the front. So pleats to the right and front apron to the left.
One would think that if the object is to sell kilts, it should be presented correctly. This vendor is in the USA. It’s been a while since I visited the site so the photos may have been corrected. As I remembered, there were more than one image like that.

[User]

...
Why people think they go in front (or how they can reasonably put a kilt on with pleats to the front) is beyond me.

Prior to taking an interest in kilts, most of my experience was with Japanese clothing. The hakama can be pleated several ways, but if it's only pleated on one half, then the pleats go in the front. This allows unrestricted leg and knee movement, and you don't mess up the pleats by sitting on them.

Pleats go in the front:


Not the back:


I don't think pleats in the front/back is intuitive. I think it's something that must be taught. If I didn't know better, I probably would have guessed pleats go in the front, because objectively speaking, sitting on pleats isn't ideal.

[YOJiMBO20]

I don't think pleats in the front/back is intuitive. I think it's something that must be taught. If I didn't know better, I probably would have guessed pleats go in the front, because objectively speaking, sitting on pleats isn't ideal.

The way I look at it is that it’s like wrapping up in a towel after swimming or showering. Wrap it around crossing in the front. The actual act of putting the kilt on with pleats in front is just confusing physically.

[User]

The way I look at it is that it’s like wrapping up in a towel after swimming or showering. Wrap it around crossing in the front. The actual act of putting the kilt on with pleats in front is just confusing physically.

I see what you mean. But for what it's worth, I put my sporran on backwards and then flip it around. I can picture people doing that with their kilt.

[CBH]

I don't think pleats in the front/back is intuitive. I think it's something that must be taught. If I didn't know better, I probably would have guessed pleats go in the front, because objectively speaking, sitting on pleats isn't ideal.

I totally agree. From a practical perspective, it would make far more sense to put pleats in front.

Unfortunately tradition was done the other way

[User]

I totally agree. From a practical perspective, it would make far more sense to put pleats in front.

Unfortunately tradition was done the other way

I assume it's because the tailored kilt descended from the great kilt, and it would be impractical to have pleats in front on a great kilt. Also, as yardage increases pleats in front make less sense. I suspect most people wearing a kilt backward are doing so with a box pleated or low yardage kilt.

[Pleater]

Prior to taking an interest in kilts, most of my experience was with Japanese clothing. The hakama can be pleated several ways, but if it's only pleated on one half, then the pleats go in the front. This allows unrestricted leg and knee movement, and you don't mess up the pleats by sitting on them.

Pleats go in the front:


Not the back:


I don't think pleats in the front/back is intuitive. I think it's something that must be taught. If I didn't know better, I probably would have guessed pleats go in the front, because objectively speaking, sitting on pleats isn't ideal.

I think that there are pleats centre back, like two halves of the reverse Kingussie box pleat.
I wear Thai wrapped trousers and when I lost weight I just put in pleats to make them fit again, and so ended up with something close to a hakama

Anne the Pleater