Steve, many thanks for this post. One of the (many) things which have kept me from attempting a kilt is the pleating.
As a working technician in the arts, my solutions were described as mystifying, as an engineering solution in artist's
clothing, and as whole-brained. All agreed they worked well, but often didn't make sense to anyone else. I couldn't explain, as I typically had done all the math in my head, so I'd just tell the engineers I wasn't stopping my crew, as I
knew it would work, to please run the numbers when they got back to their shop, or, later, computer. They never made me change it, and often even came back to apologize for challenging or not understanding.

All that to say: I love it. I admire it. Simple, practical, efficient, and effective. I could have made a hundred attempts at a kilt and not come up with anything this workable. All told, elegant in its (deceptive) simplicity.