Why a four yard box pleated kilt?

There are several reasons:

1) It is the oldest and most  historic form of pleating. Many people are wearing the kilt for reasons of heritage and tradition, and are drawn to this style, which is both historic and also suited for modern wear.

2) It is unusual. The typical kilt of today is knife pleated. This makes the box pleated kilt different from the average kilt. To some this is a plus. It makes you stand out.

3) It is less expensive. Since it only requires four yards of cloth, it costs less than the typical kilt made with eight yards.

4) It is more comfortable. The reduced yardage makes it lighter than a typical kilt, even when it is made from heavy weight kilt cloth. It is also a more balanced garment, with about the same amount of cloth in the front and back of the kilt, making it very comfortable to wear.

Box-pleated kilts are usually pleated to the stripe and have, on average, 5-11 pleats. This is the oldest (and most traditional) form of the tailored kilt. It uses 4 to 5 yards of fabric. The question of how the kilt should fit is very important and is often overlooked by both new kilt wearers and those who have worn the kilt for years. There is a trend today to wear the kilt with a short or no rise. This means that the kilt is worn as the trousers are, down around the waist near the hips. None of the kilt protrudes above the beltline. This is comfortable for shorter, thin-framed men, but is unsuitable for tall or heavy-set men. Furthermore, the kilt is intended to be worn with the upper portion protruding above the beltline. In fact, the top of the kilt should rise high enough to come to the wearer’s bottom ribs. For the average man, this will be a rise of one-and-one-half to two-and-one-half inches above the belt line. For very tall men it can rise as much as three to four inches above the beltline. Highland dancers and Scottish country dancer often ask for a very high rise so that when they raise their hands above their heads, tartan is still seen instead of a white shirt front. When ordering a kilt explain  how far you want the top of you kilt to rise above the belt.

Manufactured by: The Kilt Lady