Quote Originally Posted by Tartan Hiker View Post
Now that's interesting. I've been sitting here for the past 5 minutes making sketches and calculating wind vectors, and I just can't figure why this is true. Must be due to the reduced friction between the pleats in the very center. Once they achieve "lift-off" there's more sail surface to keep the whole thing moving upward. Hmmm...

Pleater...do you see this effect when walking directly into the wind, or is it apparent at other wind angles as well?
Years ago I asked someone (it may have been Mr. Lowe at Stewart Christie) about having a Kingussie kilt run up, but he advised against it saying that too many gentlemen complained about the pleats lifting in the wind.

He then showed me a kilt destined for a customer in North America who had requested that the knife pleats be reversed, making it easier to slide behind the wheel of his Rolls-Royce. I was quite impressed-- I'd never seen a left hand drive kilt before.