6 yards vs 8 yards

**cainam** · 18th March 14, 04:29 AM

Hi, just a quick question from a fairly recent newcomer to the world of kilts. I am considering buying a new kilt in alba modern(fernie) tartan and it is 6 yards. I know that 8 yards is better but will there be much of a difference bearing in mind that I have a 32 inch waist. Also does anyone have any pictures of a kilt made up in this tartan as i can't seem to find any.
Cheers, Simon

**artificer** · 18th March 14, 05:10 AM

I don't know if you can call one 'better' than the other-

a 6yd kilt will have fewer, wider pleats and less of a pull on the back. It'll be a bit more comfortable to sit in, as you've got less of a wadge of fabric under you.

an 8yd kilt WILL have more pleats, and the visible area of each pleat will be smaller (even though they may be deeper pleats). It will most likely have better 'swish'.

I've got a 5yd box pleat and two 8yd knife pleats, I tend to wear the lower yardage kilt when I know I'll be sitting a lot, or if it's really hot out.

ith:

**Father Bill** · 18th March 14, 05:24 AM

It should also be noted that the actual yardage is not the same as the yardage for the purposes of description, so your waist size may or may not be much of a factor. That is to say that an "8 yard kilt" on a fat guy is made of more cloth than an "8 yard kilt" on a skinny guy. They're both still called "8 yard" but they use different amounts of cloth.

Same for any "nominal" yardage. It names the style of kiltmaking as much or more than it names the amount of cloth used.

**JohntheBiker** · 18th March 14, 06:16 AM

If I only had one kilt, it would be a traditional "8 yard" knife-pleated kilt. However, I have several and they include a 4 yard box-pleated kilt which is really quite comfortable - less weight, less bunching, cooler, etc. Lots of choices, none of them wrong.

**knotty** · 18th March 14, 06:30 AM

I have 2 8 yrds & 1 6.5. I can feel the difference in weight, until I put them on. The 8 yrders do have more swish.

**OC Richard** · 19th March 14, 07:48 PM

I myself prefer having a bit less yardage (and I'm a big guy).

The lightbulb came on a few years ago when I noticed that the kilt a pipe band had issued me was exceptionally comfortable. It was nice heavyweight tartan but not excessively heavy or bulky in the back. I noticed the pleats were 1" wide and by their number and depth I could tell that the kilt was made from between 6 and 7 yards of tartan.

So, the two kilts I've had made since have been made this same way, and I really like them.

**OC Richard** · 19th March 14, 07:51 PM

I myself prefer having a bit less yardage (and I'm a big guy).

The lightbulb came on a few years ago when I noticed that the kilt a pipe band had issued me was exceptionally comfortable. It was nice heavyweight tartan but not excessively heavy or bulky in the back. I noticed the pleats were 1" wide and by their number and depth I could tell that the kilt was made from between 6 and 7 yards of tartan.

So, the two kilts I've had made since have been made this same way, and I really like them.

When I put on my 9-yard heavyweight kilt now it seems overly heavy in the rear, and all that weight tends to make it droop in back.