Quote Originally Posted by O'Callaghan View Post
I think there is some confusion here. A piper's plaid is a shoulder plaid, just one with a large amount of fabric. It is what you see pipers in bands wearing that looks like a sash, but is not joined at the ends in a loop like a sash.

I think you are thinking of a great kilt, also sometimes referred to, quite correctly, as a plaid. The word plaid is actually gaelic for blanket, and the great kilt doubled as clothing and as a blanket for sleeping under.
No, Piper's Plaids are usually made from full-width cloth and have horizontal pleating running the length of the plaid. The pleats are tacked down by two or more rows of vertical stitching.