Setts (tartan patterns)

One of the most distinctive features of the authentic Scottish kilt is the tartan patterns (called setts) which such kilts exhibit. Many of these patterns have come to be associated with Scottish clans . The process by which this came about is the subject of the history of the kilt .

For purposes of description, it is first of all necessary to point out that these patterns, in addition to other characteristics, are always arranged horizontally and vertically, never set at a slant or diagonal. In addition, the setts are registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority which maintains a collection of fabric samples characterized by name and thread count.

The actual sett of a tartan is the minimum number of threads that completely determines the pattern. The pattern itself is then repeated in both the warp and the weft which, with very rare exceptions (mainly in the case of some very few old and rare tartan patterns) are identical. This identity of warp and weft means that the pattern will appear the same if the fabric is rotated through an angle of 90 degrees.

Setts are further characterized by their size which is the number of inches (or centimeters) in one full repeat. The size of a given sett depends not only on the number of threads in the repeat, but also on the weight of the fabric. This is so because the heavier is the fabric weight, the thicker the threads will be and thus the same number of threads of a heavier weight fabric will occupy more space when woven.

The setts are specified by their thread count , which is the sequence of colors and the proportions thereof. As an example, the Wallace tartan has a thread count given as K2 R16 K16 Y2 K16 R16 (K is black, R is red, and Y is yellow). This means that 2 units of black thread will be succeeded by 16 units of red, et cetera, in both the warp and the weft. (Typically, the "units" will be the actual number of threads, but so long as the proportions are maintained, the actual pattern will be the same.)

The colors referred to in the thread count are specified as in heraldry (though tartan patterns are not heraldic). The exact shade which is used is a matter of artistic freedom and will vary from one mill to another as well as from one dye lot to another within the same mill.

Measurements

The kilt is tailored to the individual proportions of the wearer. This means that in order to make a properly fitting kilt, certain of the kilt wearer's individual body measurements must be known to the kiltmaker. Most kiltmakers require at least three such measurements, and some want a fourth as well. The three measurements which all kiltmakers require are those of waist, hips, and length. A fourth - the fell, or the distance from waistline to the widest part of the hips - is sometimes also required.

Generally, kiltmakers will supply instructions and a diagram explaining how (and where) to take the required measurements and these should be followed precisely as otherwise the kilt will not fit properly. Again, most will recommend that another person do the actual measurement, especially for the length (the distance from the waistline to the top of the kneecap). Prospective kilt purchasers should follow the measurement instructions as detailed by the kiltmaker of their choice. [4

Kilt care

As the kilt is made of wool , it should not simply be thrown in the washing machine along with other laundry. Instead, there are two main methods by which a kilt can be laundered: dry cleaning and hand laundering in cold or lukewarm (definitely not hot) water.

Expert recommendations differ on the best of these two methods. Tewksbury and Stuehmeyer, in The Art of Kiltmaking , advise strongly against having the garment dry cleaned, stating that "dry cleaning leaves a subtle residue on the kilt" and that, as a result, it "will soil more easily after it has been dry-cleaned".

On the other hand, Matthew Newsome, the Curator of the Scottish Tartans Museum in North Carolina (USA), states that "it is best to dry clean" the kilt, feeling that the kilt does not come into direct contact with the skin for very long and thus will not readily soil.

In between wearings, the kilt should first be aired out and then hung in a closet. One way to hang the kilt is to use a skirt hanger with large clasps. The kilt is first folded twice in half along the waist line. Then the skirt hanger is used to clasp the top of the kilt before it is hung in the closet. If moths are a problem, it can be hung with a cedar cache or strips of cedar wood.

Occasionally, the pleats may need to be re-pressed and this takes care. The authors of The Art of Kiltmaking advise that the pleats should be basted down before pressing so as to keep the pleats as straight as possible from the bottom of the fell to the bottom of the kilt, thus preserving the look of the sett when the kilt is worn.

Many kiltmakers recommend basting down the pleats before sending the kilt out to the cleaners. Otherwise, when the pleats are pressed in, they may be spread slightly before the pressing. This causes them to flare out somewhat like a skirt and as a result, the pleats will not hang straight from the bottom of the fell and the pattern of the sett will be disrupted.