MacLean Hunting Modern - to the set or to the stripe?

[HarveyH]

The other thing to consider is whether you think you might ever want to adjust the size of the kilt. If it is a long term investment and you are not going to maintain your current waist size your kiltmaker can build in room for expansion (my own concern ...)

This is really only possible if pleated to the stripe (one of the reasons for military use of stripe pleating).

Any decent kilt maker will show you the options and explore the varieties in sett size between different weavers. Frankly if they don’t do this they are not really a decent bespoke kiltmaker.

As for the so called “lawn chair” effect, this is rather overstated by some of the comments here. If there is a strong vertical stripe on the pleat the horizontal element is significantly diminished. But again, your kiltmaker will be able to show you what this really might mean.

As with many many things on this site - at the end of the day there are no rules and it’s down to personal preference.