Question about sewn down pleats

**kiltedcougar** · 5th February 07, 09:51 AM

I've noticed that the websites for stillwater kilts and sportkilt both mention having the pleats sewn down at the hips. Could anyone explain to me what exactly this means and what the advantage is? any help would be greatly appreciated!

**possingk** · 5th February 07, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by kiltedcougar

I've noticed that the websites for stillwater kilts and sportkilt both mention having the pleats sewn down at the hips. Could anyone explain to me what exactly this means and what the advantage is? any help would be greatly appreciated!

This is called the fell, when a kilt has the fell sewn down the garmet fits much better. In my example, my waist is 37.5 my hips are 43, so when the fell is not sewn down the kilt kind of spreads out on itś own between my waist and my hips when the fell is sewn down the widening to the hips is gradually over each pleat. It makes the garmet fit your body better and look more consistent.

Hope this helped.

**Fearnest** · 5th February 07, 10:10 AM

Thanks, possingk!

I always knew the benefit, but didn't really know that was referred to as the "fell" (a term which always puzzled me, but not sufficiently that I'd look it up or ask anyone).

**RockyR** · 5th February 07, 06:20 PM

Keith is correct. To add to what he said...

99% of kilt companies do this. EVERY "Traditional wool" kilt has it, while most contemporary and casual kilt companies worth their salt do it to insure a proper fit. Without sewing down the hips, the kilt would just be a "gathering of material under a waistband with no form". Some kilt companies make their low end kilts this way, but the result is a VERY poor looking "kilt" (I use the term loosely).

**Kilted Stuart** · 5th February 07, 06:52 PM

Without the pleats sewn down they look more like a folded wool towel, much like the towels we've all seen this summer at the festivals with the screen printed Sporran on the front.
Go with the sew down at any cost,

Kilted Stuart

**Riverkilt** · 5th February 07, 08:16 PM

Hey Coug,

No clue on the SWK, but I have two SportKilts from before they offered the sewn down pleats option...they look like gathered skirts.

A SportKilt's always gonna look like a SportKilt but they look a LOT more like a kilt with the sewn down pleats than with the gathered pleats.

Check out the Black Stewart SportKilt pics in my gallery(s) if that helps you see.

But I agree, unless you want a dress or skirt look, don't buy the gathered SportKilt, pay for the pleats to be sewn down. A sound investment for the improvement in looks.

Ron

**The Wizard of BC** · 5th February 07, 08:23 PM

And please don't confuse a sewn down and tapered Fell with edge stitching along the edge of each pleat.
Each pleat edge will have a line of machine stitching along its length about 1/8" away from the edge.
This is necessary on Cotton and Cotton blend fabrics because they will not hold a crease as well as Wool. Some companies top stitch only on the outside of the pleat and some do both the "out-pleat" and "in-pleat".

**Barb T** · 6th February 07, 05:54 AM

And sewing the pleats down along the fell is what gives the kilt its distinctive swing. A proper kilt should have a fell that is 1/3 the total length of the kilt. If it's too long (more than 1/3), the kilt won't have any swing. If it's too short (or not there at all), the swing isn't controlled, and the back just kind of flaps around.

You can see this at dance competitions, because dancer's kilts typically have hems and get traded around. Hems go up and down like the stock market. Although a kilt might be the right length, the fell might not be, and some kilts swing noticeably better than others.

It's particularly noticeable when a kilt has been let down so that there's no hem at all left. Because a kiltmaker will typically put at least a 3" hem in a dancer's kilt, a kilt should have the fell stitched down an extra inch or more if the hem is let down 3-4". If the fell was only 6 or 7" to start with, that's a fair percentage that the fell is short. If you watch that dancer, the back of the kilt flies around instead of having that nice controlled swing that you see in a properly fitting kilt.

B

**Kiltman** · 6th February 07, 07:46 PM

Thanks Barb,
I always wondered about the swing of kilts.
Once again really good information.

**Barb T** · 8th February 07, 05:49 AM

And I would argue that deep pleats don't necessarily swing any better than shallower ones (I'm not talking 1" deep pleats here, but the difference between a large sett and a smallish sett that would enable you to make 5" deep pleats instead of 2.5-3" deep pleats). How much tartan you have in the back of the kilt and the length of the fell relative to the kilt are more crucial.

Barb