Quote Originally Posted by Nathan View Post
I'm open to having my mind changed about this, but I can say that I've been told this many, many times, so if you choose to put your kilt belt through the loops there are many out there who will think you've made a sartorial error like buttoning the bottom button on your waistcoat etc...
Sartorial error? Not at all. This is something that irks me. Especially with the bottom button on waistcoats. It is not improper to close the bottom button. Leaving it undone was a fashion trend at one time which has developed into a tradition, but it has never been a universal rule. If someone has told you that it is a sartorial error to button the bottom button on a waistcoat, they do not know what they are talking about.

There are various theories about how this fashion trend started, but it is quite clear that it has always been just a fashion statement. There are perhaps some utilitarian reasons for leaving it undone if you ride a horse or do a lot of sitting, especially if the waistcoat interferes with your sporran, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with buttoning it. If someone is going to smirk or silently chuckle at someone for buttoning the bottom of their waistcoat, they really need a good smack upside the head.

That said, I tend to do it both ways. As you can see below, this waistcoat has a pretty low drop in front, and it's just easier to leave it unbuttoned so it doesn't run afoul of my sporran. But if it were higher up, I'd probably button it. And when I'm wearing a 3-piece suit, I usually button it