How Many Years in the Switch from Box to Knife Pleat?

[lukeyrobertson]

OK, so why the change, exactly? Is it a kind of evolutionary thing? It can't be for economical reasons. Anyone know? Or, was it merely new trends in fashion set in military styling? Thoughts on this, anyone?

[figheadair]

OK, so why the change, exactly? Is it a kind of evolutionary thing? It can't be for economical reasons. Anyone know? Or, was it merely new trends in fashion set in military styling? Thoughts on this, anyone?

I doubt that we will ever know why for certain but I don't think it was started by the military rather they followed the trend. All the earlier examples I've seen that use more cloth have all been civilian kilts.

I suspect that it was a fashion thing and as will all fashion it followed the trend of the upper classes. It might be that some early-mid 19th century kilt maker used more cloth on an important customer, either to make him seem more important by being able to afford more cloth, or because he/the customer felt the need for more.

[jhockin]

OK, so why the change, exactly? Is it a kind of evolutionary thing? It can't be for economical reasons. Anyone know? Or, was it merely new trends in fashion set in military styling? Thoughts on this, anyone?

Just my own, personal opinion, but I've always suspected that some cany scot decided to make a wee bit more cash from the sasenacks, by "pushing" the knife pleat, to sell twice as much material