Every time I think I've seen all the MacLeay portraits, I come across another one I haven't seen yet. This is one of those. I'm fascinated by the jacket/coatee and waistcoat he's wearing. They are very unique!



Is there a name for the style jacket? Pardon my lack of finer understanding of the details and names of these things. But it appears to have gauntlet cuffs and epaulets, much like an Argyle jacket. But the lapels, short tails (or whatever you call the bottom decorative portions), and the fact that it's clearly made to be wide open at the front, make for a very interesting look. Must like military coats of the time, but not really. And when coupled with that very interesting waistcoat, which appears not to have a regular overlapping-style button closure (the middles touch each other and must have some type of loops that reach over to the buttons?), as well as different-coloured border, the result is far different than anything else I've seen.

Not sure I'm a fan of the scarf or kerchief tied around his neck, though. I haven't seen that in other Highland examples, but unlike the jacket/waistcoat, it doesn't appeal to me.

So my question is three-fold. First, does this style of jacket have a name, or is it just a unique style that never caught on? Second, is there any maker who produces a replica or similar style? And third, though he clearly seems to be wearing non-formal daywear type attire (or is he?), would such a jacket be considered more on the casual or formal end? The cut, style, and square metal buttons seem like they'd be more suited to evening or formal attire, but the overall appearance could go either way to me.

Note that while I'm asking this in the traditional forum, my question is asked more in the spirit of "historical tradition" rather than "modern tradition". In other words, I'm hoping for input based on the traditions of the 1850s to the 1920s (or thereabouts), rather than the traditions of the 1930s to present day. I don't know whether that would be more appropriate for the historical forum, though I tend to think of Jacobite-era stuff and earlier is more suited to that forum.