Utility of the Great Kilt

[Steelkilt]

I have worn a great kilt a handful of times to festivals, and I can confirm that it is very impractical to wear even on a very occasional basis. If I were to wear it seriously in the future, I would insist on “cheater pleats” being sewn in to help the thing stay presentable and keep the hem and pleat width looking even.

In “So You’re Going to Wear the Kilt” Scotty Thompson writes that the Great Kilt can be worn as extra elaborate evening or levée dress, and he provides a pretty striking illustration of this with a great kilt, Sheriffmuir doublet, and badger sporran. I could see the case being made for wearing it on this kind of occasion, but it is still a huge pain to get the aprons and hem and pleats to hang evenly. A better option is described in this Matthew Newsome article:

https://albanach.org/now-thats-a-plaid-b4003e2da1f8

Barb Tewksbury is currently making a kilt for me with a plaid like Newsome describes in the same tartan. This might be the best of both worlds: it looks very much like a Great Kilt without necessitating all of the trouble trying to get the aprons and hem and pleats even around a single belt (which meanwhile needs to be EXTREMELY tight as it supports six yards of double width tartan all by itself).

I think we need to bear in mind the Great Kilt’s historical place as “do it all” clothing, bedding, tarp, etc. There is a reason most people don’t wear it today: they generally have the means to have both clothing and a sleeping bag, and necessity doesn’t make them bundle all of those functions in a single garment. A person backpacking or sleeping rough can carry an ultralight sleeping bag in a backpack rather than fussing with a great kilt every morning and setting it up as bedding every night.

Thank you for the article and thoughtful response!