Informal dinner, coat and tie ? Jacket Help

[quincy2]

I will be attending to formal (black tie) and 2 informal (Coat and tie ) dinners. With limited luggage room, I was hoping to wear the kilt for the informal as well as the formal dinners. The formal wear is not a problem.

However, I likely will only have the Prince Charlie jacket and a regular sport coat. Can the Prince Charlie be used and dressed down with a tie and informal sporran ? If not I will have to use the sport coat and ? give up the kilt ? Could a standard sport coat work with the kilt ?

Is a kilt matching tie (if color matches the kilt well ) OK ?

Thanks for any advice.

[Grizzly]

The answer would be to get a black Argyle dressed up for formal and with a tie for less formal. It wil be suitable for both occasions.

[MacLowlife]

Depending on your age, your "regular" sportcoat may approach a kilt cut jacket in length. Old men like me wear saxon jackets that cover the posterior, in effect about four or five inches too long for the kilt. However, I have seen several younger men's blazers and sportcoats that come very close to the kilt jacket in length- that is, they are much shorter than what I am accustomed to.

I agree with Grizzly, an Argyle / Argyll is much easier to wear at different levels of formality. Anyone who spends much time around kilts would spot a PC as not quite the right thing with a non-formal tie. ( "formal" in the US sense of tuxedo-black tie). Of course, you could opt to be a little overdressed and wear your PC with a bow tie to the informal dinners.

If you are going to buy something, please consider a NAVY Argyll. It is plenty formal enough- in some light it may well look black. But navy looks much better as daywear than black, at least in my humble opinion. If you aren't going to buy anything and your current Saxon sportcoat is not abbreviated, you can always wear it anyway. People do it all of the time. Depending on your silhouette, it can look pretty good. It is not really traditional, but it is better than, say, a leather flight jacket or a denim cowboy jacket, either of which looks great with a kilt, but not for coat-and-tie.

You didn't say where you will be wearing this kilt and having these dinners. Do you expect to be around other kilted gentlemen, in which case, you may find yourself slightly more conscious of what is correct? Or will you be the lone kilted guy and accepted as such regardless of your accessories?

Any tie is OK if you like it- and it suits the person you are with. Some people consider a solid tie to be the height of unimaginative dressing, while others consider it to be the peak of elegance. Do you regularly wear a tie? If so, chances are your present taste in ties can readily translate to kilted tie wearing. Just plan to tie it a little shorter.

Good Luck in either case!

[quincy2]

Thanks The dinners are part of a tour of the highlands and most will have rentals for the formal events (tourists), like me. Probably my sport coat (black) for informal dinners would not be deemed inappropriate (a bit long) and maybe better than dressing down a PC ? I agree the Argyle would have been best choice, but that is no longer an option, given I committed to the PC and have limited space and time to add an Argyle. Maybe the safest bet is to give up the kilt, but I really hate to do this ?

[Mael Coluim]

Give up the kilt?!?

Like you said, you are covered for the formal attire (kilted).

Two thoughts on the informal coat & tie. Could you not wear trousers? Or, just wear the PC. Notwithstanding, the proper advice here, I see ALOT of us unknowledgable Americans wear PCs informally when Argylls would have been the preferred choice.

What size jacket do you wear?

[TheOfficialBren]

--snippet-- Or, just wear the PC. Notwithstanding, the proper advice here, I see ALOT of us unknowledgable Americans wear PCs informally when Argylls would have been the preferred choice.

But why contribute to the stereotype?

[Jock Scot]

Just a thought. For the "informal" dinners, do you have to wear a jacket? A V necked pullover(sweater), crew neck too, and tie can look very smart with the kilt and will look infinitely better than a dressed down PC, or ill-fitting sports jacket and kilt.

[Manxstralian]

I agree with Jock, this a much more versatile and elegant option, also giving you clothes you can wear when not kilted. Good luck with whatever you decide, but definitely don't leave the kilt at home.

Cheers,
Cameron

[Steve Ashton]

One suggestion I have not heard is - why not rent an Argyle for the jacket and tie events?

Call ahead to the hotel you will be staying at and inquire after the local kilt hire shop. Call them and book your Argyle well ahead of your arrival.

This way you can pack only your PC, leaving the suit coat at home and free up some room in your suitcase. You will be appropriately dressed for both occasions and don't have to worry.

[Mael Coluim]

But why contribute to the stereotype?

Call it getting by with what you have. There are no KP.