1796 Gordon box pleat kilt

[Tobus]

I believe this kilt is indeed box pleated. But very narrow pleats by today's standard.

The first thing that struck me about the 1796 kilt, as well as the 1815 kilt that figheadair posted, is just how small the sett is. Getting a tight box pleat pattern with that smaller sett seems naturally easy, where it would be impossible with a larger sett. I wonder if the transition to "military box pleat" patterns was done specifically to imitate these earlier stantard box-pleated military kilts, out of a sense of frustration in being unable to get those narrow pleats with a larger sett.