High School Reunion

[LANCER1562]

My thirty year high school reunion is coming up on July 27. The invitation says the dress code is "dressy". I'm torn between a tweed kilt jacket with Crail cuffs and no epaulets, charcoal waistcoat, light blue tattersall shirt, four-in-hand tie, Kerr Modern kilt, burgundy kilt hose, black leather sporran and black cap toe oxfords or swaping the jacket,waistcoat, shirt and sporran for a black Barathea wool Argyle jacket with silver buttons, matching five button waistcoat, white dress shirt and white rabbit fur evening sporran. I defer to those with more experience than I. Thank you in advance.

[EagleJCS]

Not that I have a whole lot of experience with TCHD, but here's my take...

Either set of clothing would count for 'dressy' in my book. Depends on the time of day the event(s) take place, doesn't it? Daytime, go with the tweed, etc. Easy enough to 'dress-down' if necessary to get more in line with what others are wearing. Evening, definitely the black Argyle, etc. (bordering on 'formal'/'black tie', but still easy enough to tone down if necessary - lose the waistcoat, etc.).

[Chas]

School reunions are a time for people to show themselves off to best advantage. So to that end, whatever you choose should project to the world that you are an adult, confident, man of the world and not that geeky gauche kid that they might remember.

Only you will know your target audience, but the thing to remember is that on the day, you will be the expert. You will be the man in the kilt, so you will be the man who knows.

Regards

Chas

[Macman]

Good thread, Robert! My 40th reunion is coming up at the end of the summer and I had just begun to consider what I was going to wear, so I look forward to the responses. I'm leaning towards something similar to your second choice for our dinner/dance (which will also be "dressy"), because there will be everything from tuxedos to open neck shirts on display there.

[cck]

If you are going in a kilt with a jacket, whichever combination you choose, you will be the dressiest person there. The black jacket will put you just slightly below "formal." Look at the other activities that will be taking place.

[LANCER1562]

I should have mentioned that this an evening event starting at about 6pm and will be held at medium to upscale Hispanic restaurant in San Francisco. There will be a reception, dinner, dancing, cash bar, and a raffle.

When I was in high school, I was more like the class cameleon than the class stand out so this will the polar oposite of my personality back then.

When I asked a long time lady friend if she thought I should go with Argyle outfit, she said "Go big, or don't go at all."

[cck]

By all means, go for the Argyle jacket.

[LANCER1562]

On a related note, should I go with the white rabbit fur with silver cantle sporran to go with the Argyle outfit or should I try to find a less dressy sporran?

[David Thorpe]

Your rabbit is appropriate for evening attire and the black Argyle.

[LANCER1562]

Well, gentlemen, I have recently discovered that due an unexpected weight loss, the kilt and Argyle jacket that I had planned to wear to my reunion in three weeks are now too big for me and I have neither the time nor the funds to get an Argyle that does fit. This past Sunday at church a couple referred me to a local seamstress that might be able to take the kilt in about three inches by moving the buckles and strap on the right hip.

I spoke to the seamstress on the phone today and she thinks she can alter the kilt in time but the jacket may be beyond her skills. So I'm wondering if this outfit, with Lovat green or burgundy kilt hose instead of white (they were all I had at the time), with my SWK Black Stewart would be too much for my reunion.



If the above outfit is too formal, I have a dark navy kilt jacket that I've been planning to replace the buttons on with silver buttons and a black 5 button vest (that fits me fine that I was going to wear with the Argyle.