Pleating Opinion

[OC Richard]

Also, it may have been done because British and Dominion military kilts were to the stripe. Many early bands were full dress to imitate that. And other bands may have sourced from military surplus to start out.

That's an interesting theory. For sure around half the pipes bands in the old days dressed in quasi-military kit (feather bonnets etc) and these bands may have consciously followed military pleating.

The other half of pipe bands in the old days wore civilian Evening Dress.

It's been 40 years since bands, either civilian or military, have competed in military-style Full Dress. But some civilian bands have been wearing the same tartan, the same kilts, for longer than that. (It's a massive expense for a band to change their kilts.)

I think bands mostly pleat to the stripe because for whatever reason the top Grade One bands did it and it's a monkey-see monkey-do scene.