The original kilt style?

[figheadair]

Peter,

I'd definitely call that box pleated. Only I'd make the distiction that these pleats are sewn in rather than sewn down. I could easily envision this as an early attempt at making a permanant garment from a feilidh-beag.

Does the binding tape at the waist look contemporary to the rest of the garment to you, or do you think perhaps it is a later addition?

Also, if you can clarify something else -- the folding in the aprons. In the first picture, I assumed that was how the apron happened to be folded but in the subsequent photographs it would appear that the apron actually has pleats sewn in to make it more narrow. Can you clarify?

I think that the tape is contemporary, it's certainly old but could have been added later I suppose.

The apron is shaded/narrowed by having the pleats sewn at the hip, again just at the top rather than being sewn down.

There is clearly a lot of interest in this and I 'feel' a paper coming on when I get some time.

I surprised that no-one's commented on the fact that there's only 3yds of cloth. granted, the original owner must have been slim but I doubt that even that fact would had meant the kilt worked if it had had the pleats as sewn in boxes. Matt?