The Kilt

The kilt, is a historical garment dating back to the 16th century, has undergone a fascinating evolution. From its humble beginnings as the ‘little wrap’ feileadh beg to the more substantial ‘big wrap’ feileadh mor, it has transformed from a simple belted plaid into an intricately constructed piece of attire. Traditionally measuring around 8 meters of cloth, the kilt is wrapped around the body, featuring distinctive pleats at the rear.

Each kilt is carefully tailored to fit, with waist and seat measurements used to calculate the length and width of the pleats, both at the top and the seat of the pleated section. Measurements from 5cm above the belly button to the knee, along with height help the length of the kilt to be determined.

Traditional craftsmanship is at the heart of Kiltmaking, and numerous hand-stitching techniques are employed. Some of these include the fell-stitched pleats, intricate knot stitches used on the bar tacks and vent openings, and the classic herringbone stitches used on the canvas, to name a few! Kilts also feature three leather strap fastenings as standard and three Fringe edges. Hangar tapes and belt loops can be added if required.

There are two main types of pleats used in a kilt, the most common being the knife edge shown in pictures of the Macfarlane kilts worn by the men and box pleats, which can be seen on the lady’s kilt in pictures. From this, the next choice is the style of the pleats. Pleating to the set ensures the pattern of the tartan runs seamlessly through the kilt over the back of the garment (as shown in pictures of the Macfarlane kilt worn by the adult man); this demands intricate mathematical calculations, a testament to the precision of Kiltmaking! Pleating to the stripe has its origins with Military kilts; every pleat is identical and has a stripe running down the middle.

It gives the garment a bold and uniform look and can produce many different variations due to the options of which stripe to feature. An example of a kilt-to-stripe is shown on the young boy wearing a Macfarlane kilt. The other option in pleating style is banding. This is where all of the vertical lines are concealed within the pleat and provide a different look from the other options. Banding is shown in images of the Macfarlane kilt worn by the female. 

Material

100% wool, weight depends on Tartan chosen, but traditionally medium-heavyweight.