The Varieties of Traditional Experience: To Jabot or not To Jabot

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Just to throw fuel on the fire...it is perfectly acceptable for black bow ties to be worn with the kilt for white tie events. Has been so for a long, long time!

I believe the wearing of a white bow tie with the kilt is a custom followed by gentlemen from Perthshire. One rarely sees others doing so.

I believe it was the custom in Perthshire to only wear white tie.

Those who are kilted and who wear black tie to white tie events seem to be following the custom of some military mess dress, rather than civilian standards of attire. White tie is white tie, and that's what should properly be worn, unless one is in uniform and their service regulations decree otherwise.

I think the confusion has arisen as a result of the relaxing of dress standards at Royal events, when during the Second World War HM King George VI gave permission for dinner jackets to be worn on formal occasions by gentlemen unable to obtain formal evening clothes due to rationing, and other exigencies of war.