Do the jacket and the waistcoat have to match?

[Phogfan86]

Most of the pictures I see of guys wearing jackets and waistcoats depict matching jackets and vests.

Do people typically not wear a jacket and vest that go together but don't match? For example, would Jock Scot take a look at me in my dark blue-grey tweed jacket and, say, a black vest, grimace and say, "My good man, it's simply not done?"

[svc40bt]

I would say people most often buy the matching set. I expect opinions are likely to vary for formal wear, but I can see no reason it would not be acceptable for semi-formal and day wear.

Your tweed jacket and solid waistcoat seems perfectly reasonable to me.

[McMurdo]

They don't have to match, I prefer it for myself, however it really is a personal choice.
For example non matching
Jamie:






For the Matching
Myself:


and Hamish:

[Phogfan86]

Thanks for the help, gents!

[DWFII]

Have you ever seen anyone wearing an Argyll and a tartan vest?

I think I saw a photo of Matt Newsome in an Argyll and a non-matching vest.

I'm not exemplar but I don't have a matching vest (yet...I have the material) so I wear a silver grey six button waistcoat with my dark charcoal Argyll jacket. I think it looks good. You can see a photo here

And finally I believe if you look closely at the Vintage photo section you'll see several distinguished gentlemen wearing jackets with non-matching waistcoats...among them John Brown (Queen Victoria's "groom" ?) and several of Captain Alwyne Farqharson of Invergate who was captured at an event with Queen Elizabeth.

[Panache]

A couple of things.

As well illustrated by Glen's posts and photos a matching waist coat and jacket are going to look more formal than ones that are not matched.

If your waist coat and jacket are not matching then it is important that the colors are complimentary, but the fabrics are distinctive.

In my photos the vest is of corduroy and the jacket either sturdy cotton twill or wool tweed.

What you want to avoid is a jacket and waist coat that almost...but don't quite match in either color or fabric. It feels uncomfortable.

I believe that a matching tartan waistcoat worn with a kilt should have the tartan on a bias.

I don't have a tartan waist coat for a kilt but will say that I have worn one with a regular cut tweed coat with great success.

Hope this was of some assistance

Cheers

Jamie

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Well... generally speaking jackets and waistcoats match because they were bought at the same time as part of a set (like a three piece suit-- jacket, waistcoat, and trousers). While it is a good idea to try and have the jacket and waistcoat match, it's not absolutely necessary. A navy blazer, red waistcoat, and grey trousers wouldn't necessarily look bad.

To work though, there has to be a reasonable amount of contrast between the waistcoat and the jacket. So wearing a black waistcoat with a navy blue jacket wouldn't look as sharp as wearing a black waistcoat with a grey jacket. Since most jackets are dark, the best option is for a light coloured waistcoat.

You could do worse than having a mid-tan, a moss green, a pearl grey, and deep red waistcoat in your closet as they will work with most colours. The tan, grey, and red will go with navy/black, and the green will go with tans and browns, and the tan will also work with greens.

What you want to avoid is wearing a coloured waistcoat with formal evening attire-- generally speaking you should stick with a waistcoat the same colour as the jacket after six o'clock. You can bend these rules a little depending on where you are going and what you are doing, but by and large a red waistcoat with a PC is something of a no-no.

[DWFII]

MMOR,

There is a vintage photo of some toff wearing a white waistcoat with a black PC in the Vintage Photos thread. Maybe that's pretty standard formal wear...I wouldn't know, I have never been to a formal event. Don't know anyone who would invite me.

[McMurdo]

MMOR,

There is a vintage photo of some toff wearing a white waistcoat with a black PC in the Vintage Photos thread. Maybe that's pretty standard formal wear...I wouldn't know, I have never been to a formal event. Don't know anyone who would invite me.

That would be for a White tie event I think this was the outfit you meant, I see absolutely nothing wrong here and for one I shoot for that type of elegance.


20th May 1957: The Earl and Countess of Mansfield dressed in traditional Scottish garb (including kilt and sporran) at the Royal Caledonian Ball. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) The Earl of Mansfield is wearing Mess Dress of an officer of the Atholl Highlanders. Many Atholl Highlanders still attend the the RCB, wearing the same uniform.

[BroosterB1]

That would be for a White tie event I think this was the outfit you meant, I see absolutely nothing wrong here and for one I shoot for that type of elegance.


20th May 1957: The Earl and Countess of Mansfield dressed in traditional Scottish garb (including kilt and sporran) at the Royal Caledonian Ball. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) The Earl of Mansfield is wearing Mess Dress of an officer of the Atholl Highlanders. Many Atholl Highlanders still attend the the RCB, wearing the same uniform.

But he's wearing a belt! Course, if I looked like that I wouldn't care.
ith: