odd pleating in Royal Stewart kilt

[OC Richard]

I saw this kilt on Ebay just now.

Why on earth would anybody pleat a kilt like that? It's mostly pleated "to the block", to the large open red area, but for no apparent reason they decided to put in random stripes in two places. I say "no apparent reason" because it doesn't resemble a kilt pleated "to the sett" in the least. If it is an attempt to pleat to the sett it's one of the most pathetic attempts I've seen.

I've seen plenty of machine-sewn 4-yard or 5-yard "casual kilts" with quite shallow pleats which did a far better job of suggesting being pleated to the sett.

Far better in my opinion just to pleat to the block.

[Chas]

Someone's idea of a fashion innovation?

Regards

Chas

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Well, I wouldn't call them "random" stripes, Richard, as there is symmetry there in the way they are laid out. Whatever reason the kiltmaker did it, it definitely looks to be a purposefully chosen arrangement.

I notice, too, that the belt loop pattern doesn't match up with the pattern beneath, either.

[Chas]

Well, I wouldn't call them "random" stripes, Richard, as there is symmetry there in the way they are laid out. Whatever reason the kiltmaker did it, it definitely looks to be a purposefully chosen arrangement.

I notice, too, that the belt loop pattern doesn't match up with the pattern beneath, either.

But they too look as if they were done intentionally, to stand out rather than blend in.

Regards

Chas

[Paul Henry]

It's hardly a pathetic attempt at pleating, it looks well worked out and balanced, it obviously is not to your taste, and perhaps I wouldn't have choosen it either, but it's perfectly reasonable, so I don't think you should be making fun of it.
Perhaps the idea of just horizontal bands wasn't favoured , we don't know anything much about it, it might be unusual but it isn't actually "wrong" either just different.

[Tartan Tess]

Pleating to "the block" is faster and easier than to the sett i.e. keeping the lines straight (at least at my level of kilt making)
I think the maker did it because it would be faster to pleat the kilt but planned to throw in a few vertical lines to make it look better.

[RockyR]

In addition to Matt's comments about the belt loops and the fact I agree it looks a bit 'odd' pleated that way (though at least it is symmetrical from the center back out), I would also note that it's hemmed. Also, it does look top stitched and based on the number of pleats being shown as well as the pleat depth apparent on the left side, I would think there's a good length of cloth (read as about 7 or 8 yards) in this kilt. This leads me to believe one of the following:

1. It's 11 oz wool (which often comes without a kilting selvedge)
2. Someone had it hemmed b/c it was made too long
3. It's NOT wool and /or
4. It's a Pakistani made kilt

Can we ask how much you paid (or they're asking) for it?

It's hardly a pathetic attempt at pleating, it looks well worked out and balanced, it obviously is not to your taste, and perhaps I wouldn't have choosen it either, but it's perfectly reasonable, so I don't think you should be making fun of it.
Perhaps the idea of just horizontal bands wasn't favoured , we don't know anything much about it, it might be unusual but it isn't actually "wrong" either just different.

I don't think they're (or WE're since I've commented as well) making fun of it. We're commenting on an unusual way to pleat a kilt and one we've not seen. We're taking it a step further to say it's not a way we like or would have done ourselves. I am not saying it's 'wrong' as there really is no 'wrong' way to pleat a kilt (unless the customer has specific requirements which the kiltmaker didn't do... then it's "wrong").

[Deirachel]

Perhaps this was made for someone who was very concerned about the appearance of their weight?

I look at this pleating and I think of the "fact" of fashion unbroken horizontal stripes add apparent weight to the wearer. It might have been a way to pleat to the stripe, but the the addition of the vertical stripes to break up that added weight. I think the belt loops are actually misplaced. It appears they were cut to originally be placed directly above the vertical stripe, but for some reason was placed a bit off. Note the white stripe is on the edge of the belt loops.

Also note the placement of the visible vertical. It's almost directly in line with the middle of where the leg would be. Perhaps this was made for a woman as a kilt/skirt and she was planning on wearing seamed nylon/silk hose?

Alternately, I think this might have actually been an attempt at pleating to the set. There is a third vertical line on the right side of the image and a fourth on the left hip line.

[Barb T]

And don't forget that this may not have been the kiltmaker's decision. The customer may have _asked_ to have it pleated this way! Aside from the fact that the loops unaccountably don't match, it's actually rather striking.

[OC Richard]

And don't forget that this may not have been the kiltmaker's decision. The customer may have _asked_ to have it pleated this way!

I wonder how such a customer might have worded the request? "I want a kilt pleated to the red block, but in two places, splayed far apart on my bum, I want a narrow dark area, the narrow one that's in between the two wider dark areas, but I want the dark stripes a little bit wider. And, on one side of one of these groups, I want two dark stripes instead of one." That seems unlikely to me, but then again, I'm sure you've gotten all sorts of strange requests over the years.

When I called the pleating "random" I meant random in relation to the tartan. It doesn't in any way reproduce the tartan as one would expect in a kilt pleated to the sett.

Here's an equivalent example: let's say you come across a kilt in Modern Gordon, pleated to the yellow line. But, in two places, there's an individual pleat which doesn't show the yellow line. It would strike me as strange, as an aberration, rather than an interesting artistic choice.