Pleating option: tartan flashes when walking

[MacThomas]

Hello to everybody.

As advocated by Barbara Tewksbury I "missed" this option last time as I was not too sure about the effect on the back. has anybody a video of this ?

Many thanks in advance

[Barb T]

I don't have any videos, but here are a few static pictures that show what you would see:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-stripe-67124/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...s-flash-82460/

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...n-flash-78526/

[MacGumerait]

I as well don't have any videos , but I have one pic of a kilt currently being made for me . It is Montgomery Blue Modern tartan , fabric from Batley Mills . It is pleated to the " block " and as you can see it has a red stripe " flash " under the pleats that would be seen while walking .



Cheers , Mike

[MacThomas]

Many thanks Barbara and MacGumerait,
I will try to find some videos of pipe bands that might have it and then I'll post them

[Chas]

Maybe I am being extremely stupid and just not seeing the obvious.

Ever since I was aware of this flashing effect, I have gone out of my way to look for it and sometimes find it. But that leads me to the big question - Why? What is the advantage in having the effect?

After all it is only those who are stood in a person's right rear quadrant as they are walking that can possibly get the effect.

So am I missing something?

[Geoff Withnell]

There are those ladies, my wife included, who consider the appearance of a well-turned out kilted man walking away to be attractive, and appreciate anything that enhances the effect.

[Chas]

There are those ladies, my wife included, who consider the appearance of a well-turned out kilted man walking away to be attractive, and appreciate anything that enhances the effect.

Really?

I will have to check with my wife, but I think that she prefers me walking towards her ...

[MacThomas]

Maybe I am being extremely stupid and just not seeing the obvious.

Ever since I was aware of this flashing effect, I have gone out of my way to look for it and sometimes find it. But that leads me to the big question - Why? What is the advantage in having the effect?

After all it is only those who are stood in a person's right rear quadrant as they are walking that can possibly get the effect.

So am I missing something?

Well, it's a matter Aesthetics: could be a very nice view from the back (unfortunately couldn't find it on video seems pretty rare even among pipe bands?!...)

[Barb T]

Most people take pictures that include people's faces, so pics of the backs of kilts are a whole lot less common than ones of the fronts. Even here on XMarks, when someone posts a "me-in-my-kilt" photo, it's typically a front view that doesn't show the pleats. "Doing The Hamish" is a wonderful exception invented by our own dear Hamish who wanted to show the back and front of a kilt plus the pleats opened up all in one exuberant photo. Lots of people used to post pics of themselves doing The Hamish, although not so much anymore. For those of you who don't know, the XMarks web banner is a version of "Doing The Hamish".

Anyway, back to kilt photos. Even pipe bands are mostly photographed coming towards the camera if they're marching, although you do get a view of the backs of kilts if a band is photographed in a competition circle.

But that doesn't mean that, out in the real world, people don't see you from behind. Of course they do. The people I make kilts for care a lot about what their kilts look like from behind. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be making deliberate choices about pleating to the sett or stripe, let alone whether the kilt has flash.

[Tartan Tess]

It's just FUN!
There are so many new colors and patterns out there now; puts a new twist on it.