The Day Plaid wrapped and pinned in Victorian era

[Dale-of-Cedars]

Hmm, he's actually wearing it opposite from the MacLeay examples. His is on the bias across the chest, with the draped portion seeming to be square (i.e. the tartan lines follow the drape). I want to do the opposite of that, as MacLeay painted: the portion across the chest having the tartan lines following the length, with the draped portion on the bias.

I'm thinking it may have to do with tucking one corner of the plaid either into an epaulet or under the rest of the plaid at the shoulder. That would get the fringe to cascade down, but it still wouldn't "turn" the tartan to a diagonal orientation. I'm stumped.

I think you might have caught MacLeay in an inaccuracy; unless the end of the cloth is cut at an angle (unlikely?) any folding on a bias will not allow the pattern to be square with the length of the plaid. I would trust the photo, and that to get the angled fall it was necessary to fold/gather it up on an angle as well.

(Unless there is more going on with this plaid than meets the eye... the pattern is angled in the fall, but not across the chest)