Preparing for the holiday season...

[Crawdaddyjc]

As the title states- i am trying to get started. I want to get a jacket and possibly a waistcoat to wear to company christmas dinners and a few nice outings with the wife.

I want to get a jacket that i can wear more than once a year (if that) so PC i believe is out. I love Tweed but not sure if that would be dressy enough (i think it would be) but i would be most comfortable wearing. Argyll would kick it up a notch and would work not only for the parties but can be worn to the Fox Theatre when we go to shows. I cant get both.

So my kilted brethren- what say you? I have looked at the xmarks partners and would like to go through one of them.

Additional info- i am planning on a darker color so charcoal Tweed works as well as the Argyll in my color palat. I have a nice waistcoat i wear now but a jacket will help pull the look together.

Thanks for any assistance!

[GG]

I think a good way to start is thinking about what kind of jacket (fabric, color) you should wear when in pants.

If a tweed jacket is good with pants - for the situation - it is good (enough) with a kilt, too. The style must be different, of course.

If you should be wearing a waist coat with pants, you might wear one with your kilt, too. Otherwise you might not need one.

Most important, the color of your jacket (and waistcoat) should match the tartan of your kilt.

By all means, I should go for a jacket as universal as possible.

[John_Carrick]

I recall Jock equates a tweed jacket with a business suit (he will forgive me if I am wrong) but he is a respected authority on the board, so plenty smart but below black tie level.

I personally like charcoal tweed very much.

[Tobus]

A charcoal tweed jacket with matching waistcoat would surely fit the bill for office holiday parties, nights out on the town, theatre, and everything short of black tie events. It's easily dressed up or down, depending on whether you wear the waistcoat with it or accentuate with a pocket watch, and of course your shirt and tie choice as well as all your other kilt accessories can dramatically change your perceived level of dress.

Personally, I think American kilt wearers often tend to think that a jacket has to be dark to look dressy. They approach it as if the only suitable choices are black, navy, or charcoal. While I admit that tweed can often present a more casual day look when in lighter colours and patterns, it can also look quite smart. That's the beauty of tweed: it's extremely versatile.

Take, for instance, this vintage tweed jacket of mine below. When put together with waistcoat and pocket watch, shirt and tie, it dresses up quite nicely. I wouldn't hesitate to wear that to an office party or evening out at a nice restaurant. I'd lose the spats, and I'd probably wear a fur sporran. But my point is that this tweed is not a dark grey or charcoal tweed. From a distance it comes off as a lighter grey. Up close, though, it's a mixture of white, brown, and green yarns. But it dresses up as well as I need it to for events that are not black tie.

[Crawdaddyjc]

Tobus and all- thanks for the feedback! I love the tweed pics and feel this is the direction i will lean. I do nothing to the level of black tie so that level of dress is not required. Between the jacket, waistcoat, pocketwatch and dress sporran- i believe that will cover me for any situation that i may find myself going to! The ability to dress it up or down fits my personality better than any other option.

Now to start measuring, pricing and figuring out what color i want!