Question about a box pleat

[Barb T]

When a kilt is let out, it's typically enlarged only in the apron and underapron. There just simply isn't enough fabric "stored" in the deep pleat next to the apron and the inverted (box) pleat next to the underapron to add extra pleats (and you'd need two pleats if the kilt is pleated to the sett). The way a kiltmaker typically lets out a kilt to maintain the center front stripe is to take fabric from both sides of the apron and underapron symmetrically. If you had your kilt let out 4", that means that the fabric for the facing on the outside edges of the apron and underapron would be 2" smaller, and the inverted (box) pleat and the deep pleat next to the apron would now each be 2" less deep. If the inverted pleat is roughly 1 sett smaller, it's possible that the kiltmaker took the whole 4" from the inverted (box) pleat next to the underapron, because it doesn't really matter if the underapron stays centered or not - no one sees it. Without knowing the size of the sett, I don't know if that's the answer or not.

I suppose it's possible that, if the kilt were pleated to the stripe, the kiltmaker might have chosen to take one sett from the inverted pleats to add one pleat next to the underapron in order to cut down on how much had to be added to the apron and underapron. But that wouldn't work if the kilt were pleated to the sett.