Casual Kilt can it be done???

**Downunder Kilt** · 30th December 14, 04:37 AM

6 yards of single width tartan is quite enough for a traditional waisted knife pleated or box pleated kilt for your measurements. I have a Matt Newsome kilt of six yards, knife pleated to the stripe I wear 38" waist'42" hips and 22" total length. Cheers and all the best with your project.

**TenorClef** · 30th December 14, 05:23 AM

Hi all, I've just taken a closer look at my tartan fabric (its a Dunans by the way) and I may have hit a problem, whilst it is double width its in two pieces! One piece is two metres and the other is one metre. I'm assuming as its not a continuous piece I'm sunk?

**ratspike** · 30th December 14, 05:50 AM

Nope, shouldn't be a problem. Instead of the length of fabric being two pieces sewn together it'll be four.

**Spartan Tartan** · 30th December 14, 06:01 AM

3 meters at double width is the same as 6 meters of material from which to make the kilt, no?

If so, I would disagree with the website posting. I have a VERY nicely made, hand-sewn, 6yd kilt that is equally formal to any other kilt. It has a traditional rise and happens to be knife pleated.

The formality matter is less about the yardage and more about construction. I'm not talking internal construction, I'm talking about the rise. When wearing a casual kilt at the pants waist, you are not wearing a kilt with a rise. The rise comes into play during more formal wear due to the waistcoat. The higher rise allows the waistcoat to cover the shirt. What looks bad is having your waistcoat bottom NOT cover the top of the kilt, thereby allowing your shirt to be exposed between the waistcoat and kilt.

From my perspective, you could have velcro fastening kilt made at the "traditional" or "natural" waist and then pull it off at a more formal event because your shirt would not then be exposed. The "tell" that you are wearing a casual kilt is that your shirt shows between waistcoat and kilt...not the amount of material used to make the kilt.

In fact, I have a 4yd box-pleated kilt that when worn with a jacket and waistcoat is perfect for the most formal of events. And I bet if I posted a picture here (from the front) not a sole would know it was 4yds. The only people that would EVER know are people that are familiar with the various pleating options and then only because the understand that box-pleats usually use 4-5yds vice 8. I would would dare say that in nearly any environment, the average person there would have NO IDEA what type of kilt you were wearing. However, they would all think you were dressed not so well if your shirt was exposed between your waistcoat and kilt.

Just my 2 cents worth...good thing you didn't pay for it, eh?

And to your final question: I would bet that you could sew the two pieces together and with some careful planning you could bury that seam into the reverse pleat or any of the other pleats and no one (but you) would ever know it was there.

**Pleater** · 30th December 14, 06:02 AM

Not at all - I have made kilts with uncooperative fabric where I had to juggle seams to put them at the fold of a pleat (on the inside) in order to achieve a smooth result.

With the full width of the fabric available a 24 inch drop should be perfectly achievable, with no compromise about 'jeans waist'. Also with at least six yards of single width, and enough for the waistband to be cut from the central strip left over - the seams should not take out more than an inch each unless there is a big problem lining things up. I would start with the large pieces for the aprons, under apron pleats and the start of the smaller pleats, as it is always easier to hide things amongst the small pleats, for instance making pleats different sizes alternately or every third in order to create more pleats from less fabric. There is usually a single join at the inner fold of the most convenient pleat about the centre back. To hide two more should not be beyond all options.

I don't think that you should regard a kilt made from 3 metres of double width material as anything less than a proper kilt. I have made myself perfectly good kilts from 19 ft of material even when my waist was rather larger. The 3 metres will give you 19.5 ft, less the seams if they can't be placed in the folds, so for your size it should make a good kilt.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**TenorClef** · 30th December 14, 08:04 AM

Thanks for the thoughtful replies, I initially thought it wasn't going to be possible and the tailor in Greenock (Scotland) said he could make me the kilt with the amount of material for £100 which I thought was a bargain

but once I informed him that the material was in two pieces he replied back saying 'it can't be done sorry'. So I'm sort of getting mixed signals. I guess I need a sympathetic kilt maker in the UK who is good with workarounds.

**ratspike** · 30th December 14, 08:18 AM

Yeah, keep looking. Having to work with joining the extra pieces of fabric isn't a perfect situation but it's not a non-starter either.

**TenorClef** · 30th December 14, 10:19 AM

I'm just trying to visualise the kilt and did a bit of a google, discovered some photos. The first couple is actually a ladies skirt front & back-

and back

**TenorClef** · 30th December 14, 10:25 AM

Bit more digging and located these of the 'casual kilt' bloke version. I like the colours and pattern but the 'casual' just looks like it has a slight flyweight quality to it.

and a closer view-

**TenorClef** · 11th January 15, 11:08 AM

Just revisiting this thread with an update. So I located macdonaldkiltmakers.co.uk in Scotland and they make kilts the traditional way, all hand stitched with a kilt recquiring some 6000 stitches. They said they can make my kilt with 8 yards single or 4 yards double width so I've ordered the fabric now and my Dunans Rising kilt project is back on track.