Cygnus Wears Black Tie!

[Cygnus]

I posted this picture in the "Best of your best" picture thread, but as the OP requested that there be no comments, I thought I'd post it here as well:



The jacket and waistcoat are from MacKenzie Frain, and they were a real pleasure to work with - the custom request that the buttons be "to close" rather than up either side like a tailcoat was no problem to them. I did, however, second-guess my measurements and ordered the sleeves a bit too long. Thankfully, the local tailor was able and willing to remove the sleeves and shorten them at the shoulders so as not to interfere with the cuff.

The shirt was an internet purchase from ages ago but has a Marcella bib, collar, and cuffs. The shirt studs and cufflinks, from my school days playing in bands and orchestras, are nickel and enamel.

The bow tie, also from my school days, is silk and self-tie.

The kilt is MacQueen Modern tartan, 16oz, 8 yard from the now-defunct Tartan Store.

The sporran and kilt pin are from Ian Grant, and I recommend the business highly - both the sporran and kilt pin are top quality.

The hose are machine knit hose from J Higgins, and I have to say that, for what they are, I am quite impressed. They don't fit like they were made for me, but they do the trick at 1/8 the time and 1/2 the cost of custom-knit hose (though I do intend to spring for custom-knit hose soon).

Garters are from the Scottish Tartans Museum.

The ghillie brogues are also from J Higgins and are a bit on the cheap side, but I wasn't sure if I could get the vintage court buckles to attach or if I would even like wearing them, so they're a bit of an experiment. I don't recall where the boot laces came from, but the tassels are homemade from pre-dyed leather.

Let me know what you think!

[JohntheBiker]

Nicely turned out and congratulations on post 1000!

[Kiltboy]

Nicely turned out and congratulations on post 1000!

Wow. Good catch on the 1000th.
And you look great. Thanks for posting the pic.

[Cygnus]

I hadn't even realized it was my 1000th post - but it seems appropriate!

Thanks for the positive comments!

[Chas]

I like it all - very well put together!

Regards

Chas

[CMcG]

...

The ghillie brogues are also from J Higgins and are a bit on the cheap side, but I wasn't sure if I could get the vintage court buckles to attach or if I would even like wearing them, so they're a bit of an experiment. I don't recall where the boot laces came from, but the tassels are homemade from pre-dyed leather.

Let me know what you think!

Cygnus, you look really sharp! Your attention to detail with things like the "close up" front on the doublet and self-tie bow tie are commendable.

How did you get the buckles onto your ghillie brogues in the end? And how are you liking them? I tend to prefer ghillie brogues with the less common short laces, but as far the long ones go, they really pop in red, eh?

[TheOfficialBren]

Very nice. Congrats on #1,000.

[Stirling McQueen]

As a wearer of MacQueen muted I thought that red/black diced hose would not work; but I like how it looks with your kit. I may have to consider the same. Nicely done.

Peace
Henry+

[Cygnus]

As a wearer of MacQueen muted I thought that red/black diced hose would not work; but I like how it looks with your kit. I may have to consider the same. Nicely done.

Peace
Henry+

Yeah, in person the tartan isn't quite so vibrant (it reacted with the camera a bit strangely) so the hose and tartan are a bit closer in colour; the hose may be about a shade darker. With the muted tartan, you'd probably have hose a shade brighter than the kilt.

[Cygnus]

How did you get the buckles onto your ghillie brogues in the end? And how are you liking them? I tend to prefer ghillie brogues with the less common short laces, but as far the long ones go, they really pop in red, eh?

You know, I don't mind the ghillies as much as I thought I would - they're more comfortable than I thought. I really like the red laces as they make them a bit different from the norm.

As for the buckles, the secret in this photo is black electrical tape! I took them to the cobbler in December(ish) only to find a sign on the door that they were on holiday and wouldn't be back for a couple of weeks. I, unfortunately, haven't been back since.

The buckles themselves have a spring-loaded clasp system and originally fit over leather straps on the toes of a pair of court shoes. I'm hoping the cobbler can stitch similar straps to these. If not, I may take a stab at punching a few small holes and doing the stitching myself.