A Definition of the Term, T R A D I T I O N A L

[bear]

This may surprise a lot of you buy I think this is a wonderful area! It should cut down on the style disruptions in other threads and honestly, there SHOULD be a section for traditional kilts.
I'm not against traditional kilts. I love 'em! I'm just against ONLY traditionally worn kilts.
That said, let's get down to traditional kilts.
I'm making an 8 yard MacDonald tartan kilt for myself, (between the customer's kilts), so I'll have something to wear with my Argyll jacket. (Another surprise ... I only have a few kilts I wear and they're all higher waisted.)
It has 33 pleats about 5/8" wide and several inches deep. I just did the steeking and lining the other day and put it aside for a while to get back to other's kilts.
My kilt has 2 fringed edges on the outer apron and is poly viscose. In the eyes of a traditionalist, does this disqualify it from being a traditional kilt?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

This may surprise a lot of you buy I think this is a wonderful area! It should cut down on the style disruptions in other threads and honestly, there SHOULD be a section for traditional kilts.
I'm not against traditional kilts. I love 'em! I'm just against ONLY traditionally worn kilts.
That said, let's get down to traditional kilts.
I'm making an 8 yard MacDonald tartan kilt for myself, (between the customer's kilts), so I'll have something to wear with my Argyll jacket. (Another surprise ... I only have a few kilts I wear and they're all higher waisted.)
It has 33 pleats about 5/8" wide and several inches deep. I just did the steeking and lining the other day and put it aside for a while to get back to other's kilts.
My kilt has 2 fringed edges on the outer apron and is poly viscose. In the eyes of a traditionalist, does this disqualify it from being a traditional kilt?

Sounds pretty traditional to me... I'm not a fan of man-made fabrics, but unless you were making the kilt out of Naugahyde, I'd probably give it the Auld Crabbit seal of approval. When I was a young man living in Edinburgh my kiltmaker, Mr. Lannon, used to double fringe the right hand edge of the top apron on of all the kilts he made. Sadly these became hand-me-downs as I out grew them, but I always liked the look of the double fringe.

[bear]

Sounds pretty traditional to me... I'm not a fan of man-made fabrics, but unless you were making the kilt out of Naugahyde, I'd probably give it the Auld Crabbit seal of approval. When I was a young man living in Edinburgh my kiltmaker, Mr. Lannon, used to double fringe the right hand edge of the top apron on of all the kilts he made. Sadly these became hand-me-downs as I out grew them, but I always liked the look of the double fringe.

Interesting. I've seen the double edged right side of the apron. They seem to be popular around here. I always thought they gave an added bit of flash to the kilt.
I single fringe both the left and right side of the apron.
It looks more balanced to me. It's become a sort of a trademark of my kilts. I've been told of customers spotting a kilt I made across a busy street because of the double fringe.
I started doing two fringes because it was easier, (with PV), than trying to fold the left apron and 'pull' it into shape. With wool, it's not so tough but Marton Mills PV doesn't have the same ability to stretch as wool. It can be done, but it has to be done 'just right' or the first pleat will lay poorly. And 'just right' differs in each kilt and its wearer's measurements.

[bear]

One other thing I didn't mention that I think disqualifies this kilt as being called traditional.
It is machine stitched. I think hand stitching is necessary for a kilt to be called traditional.
In fact, I call hand stitched kilts ''Traditional' and machine stitched kilts of the same style 'Formal Cut' kilts.
I guess I thought of this topic a few years back, when it came time to name my different styles.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

One other thing I didn't mention that I think disqualifies this kilt as being called traditional.
It is machine stitched. I think hand stitching is necessary for a kilt to be called traditional.
In fact, I call hand stitched kilts ''Traditional' and machine stitched kilts of the same style 'Formal Cut' kilts.
I guess I thought of this topic a few years back, when it came time to name my different styles.

Hmm... I've never given much thought to the "machine stitched" thing. I suppose I view it in the same way I view off-the-peg suits. It's all down to how much a gentleman can afford to spend on his wardrobe. If you can afford a hand sewn tank, well then that's they way to go. But if you can't, then you shouldn't be ashamed to wear a machine stitched kilt. I don't think machine stitching, per se, makes it less traditional, provided that it is tailored exactly like a hand sewn. In my opinion it's the tailoring, not the fabric or method of construction, that makes a traditional kilt, traditional.