So I am crap at maths on paper - not ashamed to admit it - so I asked a kilt maker near me (Paul Henry) if he had any "sure fire" or "relatively accurate" ways to calculate pleats. He sent me a spreadsheet, which in fairness, was relatively accurate. I found however, it was slightly amiss for my own calculations as a much bigger man.

I have however, now tweaked his spreadsheet, and I believe it is ready to upload here.

It will work with both CM or Inches (and I have included a small calculator for the convertor)

It will give you a calculation based on an odd number of pleats from 7 to 35.

If you fill in the drop + rise it will fill in the persons fell (based on averages that it should be 1/3 the drop + rise).

If you fill in the waist / hip size, it will fill in the pleat sizes to a 98% accuracy (I say 98%, as it was marginally off for mine, but to do the math on excel to 100% would be a nightmare, but its very very very close).

Filling in the sett size also, gives you how much material you need for the number of pleats (example, if you were to do 7 pleats, for a 5 in sett, at the stripe, you need 35in of material, at the sett you need 42in of material).

Filling in the waist size, it will give you how much material you need (Pleating measurement + 2 apron measurements = total length). I would suggest you can also make the addition for 20% for apron centring + spare material. Screenshot below, file attached.

kilt calculator.jpg

Pleat & Kilt Calculator Download Link