4 Yard Kilt - Can it be formal?

[Panache]

...My question is, is there any reason you couldn't wear a 4-yard kilt to a formal occasion?

Welcome to XMTS!

And a resounding NO! in answer to your question!

Here is a photo of me with my lovely wife, The Flame-Haired Celtic Amazon Goddess, at a Burns' Night supper. I am wearing my 5 yard knife pleated kilt by Matt Newsome and didn't feel one iota less sharp than my companions wearing 8 yarders. I would equally wear a well made box pleat kilt to such a function. The 8 yarders with all the lovely smaller pleats are things of beauty, but they are certainly not the be all and end all.



One thing to note though. The weight of the wool is very important in a 4 or 5yard kilt. The heavier weight (16 oz.) is going to give your fewer pleats better hang and swing than lighter weight cloth.

Cheers

Jamie

[Bryan]

One thing to note though. The weight of the wool is very important in a 4 or 5yard kilt. The heavier weight (16 oz.) is going to give your fewer pleats better hang and swing than lighter weight cloth.

I'm was thinking of going with the 16oz for that very reason.

That is a beautiful kilt you are wearing. Is it 16oz as well?

[James MacMillan]

A well made kilt is a well made kilt, regardless of how much material is used.

The more material allows more pleats, and can look somewhat dressier. But a well made kilt that had much less than 8 yard, can look just as nice. In fact the 5 yard kilt can also have just as many pleats as an 8 yard kilt, - the pleats can just be not as deep!

Much more important is the style of the kilt. Is it a traditional kilt?

The next most important item is what you wear with it. Choose your assessories with care!

Don't plan on wearing a low-rise, sporty kilt with a PC! You may feel that you look OK, but to anyone who understands kilts, you will just look foolish.

I don't think many people would wear a utilikilt or X-Kilt to a formal affair.

Shop around, there are some good, less expensive kilts available.

Oh - and

[Barclay]

.

Jamie -

I'm really starting to believe that you could wear a Hefty bag and make it look top shelf.



One thing that's not been mentioned that, in my opinion, is kind of important: being the owner of one 8-yarder and several 4-5 yarders, I simply find it too hot to wear the 8-yarder most of the year here in the south. In the dead of winter, it's fine. In August, not so much. Therefore I wear 4-5 yarders almost year round for all manners of function from lawn mowing to pub crawling to weddings and receptions.

Besides, most people (except we, the kilted elite, you know) would never recognize the difference.

As a side note, pertaining to Matt's comments, above, in normal walking the sway doesn't seem to be that noticeable. Swish and sway is something I'm quick to notice in parade, but it's not substantial to my eye in normal situations.

[Bryan]

Jamie -

I'm really starting to believe that you could wear a Hefty bag and make it look top shelf.



One thing that's not been mentioned that, in my opinion, is kind of important: being the owner of one 8-yarder and several 4-5 yarders, I simply find it too hot to wear the 8-yarder most of the year here in the south. In the dead of winter, it's fine. In August, not so much. Therefore I wear 4-5 yarders almost year round for all manners of function from lawn mowing to pub crawling to weddings and receptions.

Besides, most people (except we, the kilted elite, you know) would never recognize the difference.

As a side note, pertaining to Matt's comments, above, in normal walking the sway doesn't seem to be that noticeable. Swish and sway is something I'm quick to notice in parade, but it's not substantial to my eye in normal situations.

I can definitely understand the heat factor. It's pretty chilly here at the moment, 107 degrees, brrrrrr....

I guess a 4-5 yarder would be great for our Highland Games here the first week of June. And I really can't tell the difference by looking at an 8 yard or a 4-5 yard just on sight. I just wasn't sure if it's PC to wear a 4-5 yarder in a formal situation.

Now I'm torn between knife-pleating and box-pleating. Joining this great site was supposed to help, but now it's made it worse...but in a good way!

[Colin]

Jamie -

I'm really starting to believe that you could wear a Hefty bag and make it look top shelf.

Don't say these things to him. They go straight to his head. All we have heard about in the Mod section is how all these other kilt sites are using pictures of Jamie,etc,etc....Soon he'll be unable to get that swollen noggin' in the Zepplin.

[Panache]

...Soon he'll be unable to get that swollen noggin' in the Zepplin.

Never fear dear Colin, I shall simply have allthe access portals on the Saltire widened

Cheers

Jamie