The Wild Highlanders were demonstrating the great kilt at Blairsville. They go to a lot of games in the southeast. I was talking to their Chief about some of the articles Matt has written about the great kilt and length needed. All his clan wear great kilts, and the material is 60 inches wide. He says that width is needed, especially for tall folk, in order to be able to get maximum use of the kilt (wearing it 7 different ways). He also said that in order to get the proper numberof pleats so you don't look like a curtain, 5 yards of double-wide is called for, minimum. He uses 5 yards himself, and has a 32-inch waist. But because of the southeastern climate he uses 10 or 11-oz cloth.

If you think about it it makes some sense. You hand pleat, but still need to make enough pleats, using the full or half-sett of your tartan, to account for 1/2 the waist measurement, with the aprons taking up the rest. If you have a 6-inch sett and a 36-inch waist, and leave a 1-inch reveal in he pleat, that's 18 pleats times 6 inches plus deep first and last pleats, so figure 110 to 120 inches in the pleats. that only leaves 12 inches for each apron from the remaining 2 feet of your 4 yards. so you need to do the math even with a great kilt.

I hope Matt weighs in here and says differently, because I have 4 yards of 11 oz. tartan I was hoping would be sufficient.