My latest kilt (Pics)

[AMM]

As mentioned in passing in another post, I made a new kilt for myself, the second kilt I have made. It's sort of like a Utilikilt, except that the creases aren't sewed in -- and it fits properly. It is made of blue cotton twill, with a black polyester voile lining. I had hoped it would be as comfortable as a skirt, and it almost is. The main problem is that a kilt has too much fabric, which makes it a bit hot. But it's better than trousers, on occasions where I'm not ready to "come out" as a skirt-wearer.

I think the next kilt I make will use ligher fabric, be a few inches shorter, and have shallower pleats (this one has pleats that are 2 inches wide and take 5 inches of fabric -- a 5:2 ratio, as compared with women's pleated skirts, which have more like a 2:1 ratio.)

[Mipi]

I see you added pockets. Nice. Honestly speaking I like pleats to be ironed or/and sewn down on edge. As your kilt is made out of cotton you'll have a lot of work with ironing it. Sewn pleats are great help in doing this.

[AMM]

I see you added pockets.

Not everyone here agrees with me, but I won't make a skirt w/o pockets, and I try to add at least one pocket to every store-bought skirt that doesn't have one. Unfortunately, my Genuine Scottish Kilt(tm) doesn't have a good place to add a pocket, but since I don't wear it except for special occasions, it hasn't been a problem.

Honestly speaking I like pleats to be ironed or/and sewn down on edge. As your kilt is made out of cotton you'll have a lot of work with ironing it. Sewn pleats are great help in doing this.

The down side of sewing in the creases is that there is little room for error. If you get it wrong by even 1/16", the pleats won't lie flat, and it's a royal pain to pick out all the stitches. Ironing doesn't have a larger margin of error, but at least if you get a crease or two wrong, you just re-iron it until you get it right.

Personally, I like the un-ironed look. I don't iron my trousers, either.

[AMM]

For what it's worth, I'm thinking of doing essentially the same kilt in a longer length (29" instead of 23".) I got the idea when I went out yesterday, when the weather was what we'd call "fall weather" rather than summer. This kilt is really too hot in the summer, but yesterday it was pretty comfortable, except for the chill in my knees and thighs. In fact, I ended up putting on tights under my knee socks and the kilt before I went out in late afternoon, and it was just right. When I got home, I switched to a longer skirt w/o tights, and it was also fine.

I plan to refer to the longer kilt as a "long kilt" and, if anyone gives me a hard time about it, point out that the ancestor of the kilt (the plaid) was routinely worn long in cold weather.

[JRMILLER]

AMM,
I tried the "long kilt" comeback once and was met with a skeptical look. Perhaps "Great Kilt" would work, even though it is not. What do "they" know anyway? History has never been a favorite subject of many people....