Formal night newbie

[Coinneach]

Hello,

I'll be off on another cruise in six months or so and thought I'd like to wear a kilt for formal night (and who knows, maybe other nights/days). I'm not generally a formal guy -- I can't remember the last time I wore a jacket and tie, and you should see the dust on the jackets in my closet. So I have a lot of questions about getting the formal look:

I know there are several types of jackets, argyle, PC, and probably others. Should I be looking for one more than the other?

A waist coat goes with the argyle, but not the PC?

Where have people generally found good deals on jackets?

Since I have two suits that I never wear (honestly, I think it's been 20 years), how can I tell if they're the right style to be altered? (One jacket is gray and the other jacket is a dark navy blue/black with some subtle green pin stripes...mostly it looks like a solid color from more than 3 feet away...except for the dust.)

Thanks for all the help.

Kenneth

[David Thorpe]

PC's are for evening wear, black Argyles for formal day wear. Both can be worn with or without waistcoats. Several vendors who advertise here have good deals on quality jackets and waistcoats. Many of their sites also have good guidance on how to choose what is most appropriate for your particular event or situation.

[Zardoz]

What you need kind of depends on the actual level of formality, while some cruise lines have black-tie formal nights, most of them are basically dark suit and tie.
If black-tie is not required, and you were going to invest in a jacket and/or waistcoat, hopefully to use more than just on the cruise, I'd go for a charcoal colored tweed argyll and 5 button waistcoat, that can be a very versatile option.

[AFS1970]

This is the subject of many (some heated) discussion on a cruise forum I go to. Most cruise lines have turned formal night into a suggested dress and not a required dress. I am going on the Oasis of the Seas in September and will be wearing a PC, the suggestion is Tuxedo or dark suit. In highland dress terms I suppose this would be PC or Argyle. I myself am just that stubborn and refuse to let the masses take away all of the formality in dressing for dinner.

[B R Gordon]

The most versatile would be a black argyle jacket. You can wear this without a waistcoat, casual wear, a five button waistcoat and straight tie, for day wear, or a three button waistcoat and black bow tie, for evening wear.

[Chas]

The most versatile would be a black argyle jacket. You can wear this without a waistcoat, casual wear, a five button waistcoat and straight tie, for day wear, or a three button waistcoat and black bow tie, for evening wear.

Agree totally 100%. It can be dressed up or dressed down. I saw a man last year wearing one with a scarf around his neck. He looked sporty. Totally versatile.

Regards

Chas

[creagdhubh]

Agree totally 100%. It can be dressed up or dressed down. I saw a man last year wearing one with a scarf around his neck. He looked sporty. Totally versatile.

Regards

Chas

***

[Grizzly]

I too am planning on a cruise next year and the only jacket I will be taking will be a black Argyll. Admittedly I will be restricted on luggage allowance so the tweed will have to stay at home.

[Barnfee]

I'm cruising next year too. I'd have preferred to wear my tweed Argyll, but my wife wants me to wear my PC. It's probably lighter anyway, and with current luggage restrictions that can't be ignored. Heck, I might even have to wear my kilt on the plane for that same reason!

BTW, this is my first post, so, umm, Hello.

-Michael

[Chas]

@ Michael, go to Newbie section and start a new thread. That way we can welcome you properly.

@ Kenneth, I don't think we answered your question did we. Post some pictures of both jackets. Many here have done the conversions and will be able to tell you at a glance whether it is do-able or not.

Regards

Chas