Argyll jacket and Bowtie?

[Homer]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum, but not kilts. I got the go ahead from my date and from school officials to wear my soon to be arriving formal highland dress to my senior prom. (Thanks Rocky and USA Kilts)
My main question is if it would be acceptable to wear an Argyll and a bowtie. Secondary concerns are that her dress is a dark teal and my kilt is in a MacDougall Modern.
Any comments, stories or feedback is very much appreciated.

[Piper]

While I'm long past prom age, I sometimes wear a bowtie with my Argyle. I'm a piper, and if I'm playing a more formal event, such as a wedding, or a Burns Night or suchlike, I'll wear a waistcoat, wing collar shirt and bowtie with my Argyle. Of course, once the calendar gets past midsummer, you can't see the bowtie for the beard. When piping a fall event, I have been known to switch to a regular collared shirt, and let folks assume there's a bowtie under the shrubbery.

[CMcG]

If by Argyll you mean a black barathea jacket with shiny buttons and by bow tie you mean a black bow tie, then yes, they go together. You wrote that you ordered formal Highland dress from USAkilts, so I'm assuming you'll be getting a dress sporran to with that?

As for matching your tartan matching your date's dress, don't worry about it!

[Homer]

Piper: Thank you, my beard isn't quite long enough to do that just yes.
CMcG: Yes that is the jacket I am referring to. I purchased a semi-formal hunting sporran to go with it. And the bow tie will be a dark metallic teal if I can help it.
Thank you both.

[Cygnus]

The "rules" for prom in the US differ quite a bit from typical black tie (which is, in my opinion, unfortunate). Matching of your date's dress has become the accepted standard and your date, undoubtedly, expects you to do so.

So wear the teal tie, don't worry about whether it matches your kilt or not as most Scots seem not to worry much about matching, and have a great time!

Your outfit sounds great, and your choice of sporran sounds like a good one; though there's no way to tell without pictures. A leather hunting sporran with a silver cantle works fairly well for both daywear and black tie.

[thescot]

Homer, I'm sure you know the rules about posting photos. Just sayin'.

I agree with CMcG: too bad prom dress rules are not in line with standard dress conventions, but that comes from an old guy who wore a gray tux and ruffled shirt with a huge butterfly bow tie to his prom in 1970! I was pretty spiffy!

Your overall outfit sounds great to me. Just enough modern touches to avoid "old fartism" but still respectable. I would think that you'll be the best dressed fellow at the ball. What about hose and flashes? And shoes?

Inquiring minds want to know. And don't forget the pictures.

[Homer]

My date and I are of the same mind about matching, and that if the bow tie or regular neck tie match that's good enough for her. The pictures will come soon, I just am slightly afraid to touch anything lest I ruin it before its debut. I've purchased a pair of dark green hose and flashes that match my tartan to complete the ensemble. I don't doubt I'll turn heads at the very least. And I'm still entertaining the idea of wearing the waist plate and 5 button vest together, but I can't decide. I should probably try it all on once to see that everything fits together. Haven't done that, just individually.

[Geoff Withnell]

The waist plate and vest usually don't work well together. Either the vest ends up partially covering the plate,or the plate rides up over the vest, and either way it just looks - untidy, not well put together. But your milage may vary. On your original question, 2 pictures are worth a thousand words. Here is the same argyle at Marine Corps Balls a year apart.

With a four in hand:



and with a bow tie:



Geoffrey Withnell

[Homer]

Alrighty, here's some updates. I just got the standard tuxedo shirt, and I don't know where to get cufflinks and studs for the buttons so they all tie into the Argyll Jacket. All of the gear fits. I still search for the proper bow tie as well.

The shirt in this picture isn't the tux shirt.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Alrighty, here's some updates. I just got the standard tuxedo shirt, and I don't know where to get cufflinks and studs for the buttons so they all tie into the Argyll Jacket. All of the gear fits. I still search for the proper bow tie as well.

The shirt in this picture isn't the tux shirt.

Believe it or not, you can usually buy cufflinks in most department stores; Penny's sells them, and since most Penny's also sell tuxedos, they may have shirt studs as well. If all else fails, any place that rents tuxedos can also sell you studs and cufflinks.