Pleated to the stripe

**Riverkilt** · 9th May 05, 12:14 PM

The evil lurking deep in my soul wants to publish a book about how to wear the kilt. Would have a very sincere title, one that would inspire confidence...then inside the book would be a whole lot of phoney baloney BS rules that I made up just to confuse the kilt wearing public and start arguments on kilt boards...

Oh...what...?....you say that's already been done??...a number of times???...okay....anything recent?.. maybe I can do a current version...??...maybe for contemporary kilts...

How about...yes, you may wear kilt hose with a Utilakilt, but only with a mocker. Never wear kilt hose with a Utilikilt that has outside pockets and never wear flashes with your kilt hose even if you're wearing a mocker....

Or, never wear a Balmoral with an American made contemporary kilt. Wear American headgear only with American made kilts. Baseball caps are the appropriate headgear...boonie hats are okay too.

Or, with Canadian made contemporary kilts always wear those trooper hats with the fold down ear flaps if you're going to wear headgear.

Or, always make sure the color of your sandals matches the color of your kilt belt and/or your sporran strap when wearing a contemporary kilt.

This could be fun....

Ron

**Jerry** · 18th May 05, 05:58 AM

Rocky is pleating my new Gordon modern traditional to stripe. It was his suggestion when I talked with him on the phone to place my order. He said, simply, that the modern Gordon really looks great done that way, so I took his advice. He promised that I would have it before June 10th. so it's getting close. Only a few more weeks to jones.

**beerbecue** · 18th May 05, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by JerMc

Rocky is pleating my new Gordon modern traditional to stripe. It was his suggestion when I talked with him on the phone to place my order. He said, simply, that the modern Gordon really looks great done that way, so I took his advice. He promised that I would have it before June 10th. so it's getting close. Only a few more weeks to jones.

Rocky is dead on with this one (no surprise, there!). It does look great. I really like the effect of the mainly yellow back and the very striking pattern in front... It is a neat contrast....

**Scotus** · 18th May 05, 07:41 AM

As you can see, pleating to sett or stripe is simply a matter of taste. My Drummond kilt is pleated to sett. It's all really about what you like. Forget the phony rules.

**bubba** · 18th May 05, 08:12 AM

To my eye pleating to the stripe is a more "formal" look than pleating to the sett. It's just a matter of personal tastes.

**Barb T** · 18th May 05, 11:17 AM

I think it often depends on the tartan in question. Unless someone specifies one or the other, I pin up a chunk both ways and see which looks the sharpest. Some tartans are ghastly pleated to the stripe and others are blah pleated to the sett.

Cheers!

Barb

**Mike S** · 20th May 05, 01:03 AM

I've got 9 yards of Sutherland Modern tartan (the tartan pictured in my avitar), and want to pleat it to the stripe. Would I chose the red stripes that are in the middle of the sett or the white stripes on the outside of the center sett to pleat to?

**Jimmy Carbomb** · 20th May 05, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

I think it often depends on the tartan in question. Unless someone specifies one or the other, I pin up a chunk both ways and see which looks the sharpest. Some tartans are ghastly pleated to the stripe and others are blah pleated to the sett.

Cheers!

Barb

Ain't THAT the truth!!!

It's also infinately easier to pleat to the stripe for a kilt maker. If you're going to try to make your first kilt... try doing it to the stripe. It will also cut off a LOAD of time in the kilt making process.

This is why I (personally) prefer to have ALL of my kilts pleated to sett. It's an art that's dying, and one that takes real talent to do correctly. I have traditionals that look like the pleats are a solid wall of tartan since the kilt makers took the time to work the taper and pleats the right way. I have a BearKilt in Cape Breton that is another PERFECT example of how a "pleated to the sett" should look. There are pictures that honestly look like I'm wearing a solid material wrap. What a thing of beauty!

I prefer to honor the designer of the tartan and maintain the meaning in the weave... but that's just me. I also know that I love the look of the "Leatherneck Tartan" with the sewn to the stripe look. That's just unreal!!!

All I ask is that a kilt does NOT have the pleats with horizontal striping. I've seen it too many times, and it looks like a "Where's Waldo" or "Freddie Kruger" garment!