New Kilt

[CBH]

My new USAKilts 5 yd wool kilt arrived today, in American Dream tartan.

It is my first wool kilt, and the only one not made in Pakistan.

The differences are interesting and many.

First, it is much more snug than I expected. The waist is accurate to what I specified, but the Pakis apparently add another 1 1/2 to 2" to theirs.

Just learned that "p a k i" is apparently a bad word that gets censored out.

I also specified that I would wear it on my hips, like I would pants/jeans. I know it's heresy , but they accommodated. The pleats start 6" below the very top of the kilt, where the Pakis kilt starts 8". The Pakis measurements include a fell dimension, which I specified as 6". USAKilts do not accept a fell measurement, but I explained I expected it to be the minimum possible based on my wearing position.

Finally, I ordered with waist and hip the same size, thinking that the minimal fell would allow the pleats to allow for all the space/movement I needed. This may have been a mistake, as there is noticeable tightening when sitting down. I specified hip measurement 2" larger than the waist on the Pakis kilts and they exhibit no such tightness.

The amount of pleating also differs substantially. USAKilts 5 yd wool only has 14" of pleated area, which is barely over 1/3 of the total 36" waist length. The Pakis kilts, OTOH, was pleated 2/3, at 24" of the total. The Pakis shops did not indicate the amount of material used in their kilts.

Is the size of the pleated area the difference between 5, 7 and 8 yard kilts ? Is it expected to only get 1/3 of the total when using 5 yards of material ?

Even though the Pakis kilts start the pleats 2" below the USAKilt, apparently the additional pleated area is what prevents it from binding.

Any thoughts from more experienced kilt buyers would be appreciated.