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We notice boys wearing both pleated and unpleated skirts. Many of the skirts we have noted were pleated. The pleats were done in various widths and numbers of pleats. The direction of the kilts was another feature. We also notice skirts done with partial pleating, a plain front with pleats at the sides and back. This might be considered kilt styling. Pleats of course were a characteristic of kilts and we suspect that many mothers referred to these skirts when made for their sons as kilts. It is a little unclear to us at what point pleated skirts should be called kilts. We can not yet substantiate this, but we think that pleating was a kilt influence. We think pleated skirts began to appear after Queen Victoria helped to popularize kilts for boys when she began dressing the princes in kilts (1840s). We are not entirely sure when skirts began to be pleated. We have little information about the early-19th century, but after photography appeaed in the 1840s we have a fairly good record. We can thus track pleated skirts in America. Many had no other kilt elements beyond the pleating. We see many skirts that were not plaid, including pleated skirts.
A pleat is essentially a fold formed by doubling the fabric back upon itself and then securing it in place. There are many different types of pleats. The most common pleat used in clothing is the knife pleat. It is the pleat used for the Highland kilt. Box pleats are a type of knife pleat, but dome back to back rather than as a series. The box pleats give the appearance of a wider pleat. The knife pleats are used for basic gathering and form a smooth line rather than springing out away from the seam they have been gathered to. The standard pleat is done in a 3:1 ratio–three, meaning that 3 inches of fabric will be needed to form 1 inch of finished pleat. Some motgers forned wider plears that did not require as much material. The practical purpose of pleating is basically to fit a garment so that it draws in close over smaller parts of the body (the waist) while becoming larger over wider parts of the body (the hips). In the case of kilts it becomes more a matter of style and fashion.
We notice boys in studio portraits wearing both pleated and unpleated skirts. The majority of the skirts we have noted in the photographic record were pleated. Presumably that reflects what was actually worn, but perhaps moms saved pleated skirts for special occasions. Here we do not yet have a good idea about prevalence. The fact that family snapshots did not become common until after the turn-of-the 20th century means we have relatively little idea about what was commonly worn outside the studio.
The direction of the plets was another feature. A HBC reader has addressed the issue of direction. "Have you ever noticed the direction to which the pleats go? You would expect that for a boy's or man's kilts, where the cross over panel pins to the right, that the pleast would follow this direction. They don't necessarily. In Authenic Scottish kilts they go the other way. I had a look at some of the HBC pages about Irish dancing. The boys' kilt pleats go either way. There is a picture of one boy dancer, whose kilt maker has hedged her bets. The pleats change at the back. There is a box pleats at centre back allowing the pleats to chnage direction, so the can be smoothed forward from both sides. This is unusual, at least with Scottish kilts here in Britain."
We also notice skirts done with partial pleating, a plain front with pleats at the sides and back.
Partial pleating might be considered kilt styling. Pleats of course were a characteristic of kilts and we suspect that many mothers referred to these skirts when made for their sons as kilts. It is a little unclear to us at what point pleated skirts should be called kilts. We can not yet substantiate this, but we think that pleating was a kilt influence. Doingthe garment in plaid was also meant to emulate a kilt.
An important partof a Scottish kilt was the tartan or plaid. It was important that the plaid be properly displaid. Pleating a kilt could disrupt the pattern. Thus a kilt maker developed the process of setting. When setting the kilt, the maker carefully lays out the kilts and pins the pleats to be made so that the pattern is preserved. This process is known as pleating to the sett. If correctly sone, the pattern of plaid or the sett will correctly across the back of the kilt. This was rarely done for the kilt suits made in America or girls' tartan skirts. We are less sure about the Higghland outfits made in America.
We think pleated skirts began to appear after Queen Victoria helped to popularize kilts for boys when she began dressing the princes in kilts (1840s). This is a difficult to substantiate as this was the same time photography developed and thus we have few images before the 1840s. We are not entirely sure when skirts began to be pleated. We have little information about the early-19th century, but after photography appeaed in the 1840s we have a fairly good record. We can thus track pleated skirts in America. Many had no other kilt elements beyond the pleating. We see many skirts that were not plaid, including pleated skirts.
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