Weights for Tartan

[Barb T]

It's almost impossible _not_ to get swing, regardless of the tartan weight, when a Highland dancer is dancing (provided that the fell is the proper length). I wouldn't call this "swish", tho'.

What Steve's talking about is the swish that happens when someone is just walking along. The lighter weight tartans are "flippier", instead of "swishier" when someone is walking.

[Dixiecat]

The lighter weight tartans are "flippier", instead of "swishier" when someone is walking.

I hate to disagree, but I do plenty of walking in my kilt and I can personally vouch for the swish factor. In fact, I feel more 'feminine' wearing my kilt feeling the swish as I walk, than I do in most other skirts in my wardrobe. And, while the length of the fell certainly is a major contributing factor, the fact that my kilt has 29 pleats, 3" deep, makes even the light-weight of the fabric heavy enough to make it swish.

Hmmm. I guess only a video with me walking away from the camera will settle this?

(I keed, I keeed)

[Pleater]

This could form a whole new part of science, studying the oscillation of various sizes of pleats with respect to the weight of fabric, thread count and density, fibre type and weaving method.

It would involve having kilt wearers put on different kilts, with suitable tags on for later computer analysis of the movement and then filming them - probably on a treadmill arrangement, walking at different speeds, maybe various stages of inebriation should also be included, with different wind speeds and directions thrown in for good measure.

Now where did I put that white coat?.....

Anne the Pleater

Who just noticed that my number of posts has gone into four figures. Heavens!!

[mbhandy]

Now where did I put that white coat?.....

Anne the Pleater

And your Slide Rule.

MrBill

[pastorsteve]

While I'm not one to generally compare the kilt to women's skirts - as I am an expert in neither - they are very much one in the same. Women (and the kilted) have been wearing skirts/kilts for centuries without any need for skirt/kilt weights. They may help weigh down the fabric but is (I believe) unnecessary.

[thescot]

And your Slide Rule.

MrBill

OK, MrBill. Now you've done it. Now you'll have to explain to the younger folk what a slide rule it. Only those of us who went to college before the advent of calculators and computers will know what it is.

Unless someone saw Apollo 13 where all the engineers went to work with their slip sticks. Kind of made me get all misty, know whadda mean?