With a handmade kilt, the stitching on the pleats is entirely concealed, whereas with a machine sewn kilt you can see the lines on stitching. Hand sewn kilts use strengthened thread. Each time a pleat is started the kilt maker knots the thread to make sure nothing ever comes unstitched. The pleats are reinforced with a process called steeking - this means that extra stitching is added to retain the pleats in place forever. With some machine kilts you can see pleats drooping at the back over time and after regular wear.