aGrant,

The pleats inside the Kilt do indeed get cut away, but a huge caution before you do so.

The secret to a well constructed Traditional Kilt is not the stitching of the Pleats on the outside. It is the stabilizers and interfacings inside the Kilt.

If you rely on the stitching to resist the stress of wearing the Kilt all your hard work will come undone in short order.

When you cut away the pleats to thin the Fell of the Kilt you weaken it significantly so a piece of fabric called a "Stabilizer" is sewn into the inside from one buckle tab over to the other. This takes the stress across the back of the Kilt allowing the pleats to float over your body without stressing the stitching.

Then an interfacing (hair canvas) is sewn across the entire inside of the Kilt from one strap all the way to the other strap. This takes the stress off the rest of the Kilt and the aprons.

To support the Pleats and insure they remain straight, parallel, and continue to hang and swish properly you add a line of stitching called "The Steeking" just below the Fell line. These stitches are hidden and not visible from the outside when the Kilt is worn.

To hide all these internal structural elements a light liner is then sewn on.

To fully understand how these hidden strengtheners are sewn in may I suggest you find a copy of Barb T.'s book "The Art of Kiltmaking". It is available in many libraries or direct from Barb at;

www.celticdragonpress.com