Pleating options in lower yardage kilts

[The Wizard of BC]

The way most makers create a lower yardage kilt is to make each pleat wider. There are therefore fewer pleats for any given hip circumference. As each pleat uses about one Sett, fewer pleats mean fewer Setts would be required.

If the Tartan pattern allows it does not matter if you pleat to the Sett or Stripe.

However, not all Tartans lend themselves to one type of pleating or another. You must look at and treat each case individually. Just as each narrow pleat must be carefully planned around the Tartan pattern.

You could think of it sort of like a 4 yard box pleated kilt. Box pleats can be made to Sett or to Stripe. It really all depends on the elements of the Tartan.

[Taskr]

Mikilt. I am not a kilt maker, but I have been experimenting with an almost 5yd-ish small sett tartan. I found I can pleat to almost any option I want with the caveat being what the Wizard has said - the size of the pleat. As the outer distance of the pleat shifts to accept the pleat option to the hip measurement, the depth of the inner pleat can vary considerably. I was surprised by the variation - there seems to be no "common" pleat depth throughout the options. So, it is what it is... have to plan around the sett and pleating option to determine if you can accomplish what you want with ~5yds

I did manage - purely on measurement - a mock-up to make a knife pleat with a decent depth that would have fit ...but the pleating looked horrid. I must say the exercise in multiple pleating was highly valuable education. While paused, I've not given up on the project yet

[Barb T]

Box pleated kilts are typically 4 yards. Most are pleated to the stripe, for example:





The two kilts above are for the same person. The number of pleats, and the size of the pleats, are a function of the size of the sett.

Here's another box pleated kilt pleated to the stripe:



Reverse Kingussies are typically 5-6 yards. Again, pleating to the stripe is common:



and another reverse Kingussie



Kingussies are typically 5-6 yards as well. Commonly pleated to the stripe: