Dress Codes

[JSFMACLJR]

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) holds a few parties each year for exchange students. The dress code on the invitation is: semi-formal / national costume

What would you wear? The VC is not available for comment and his representatives at CUHK are not well versed in interpreting dress codes...

Here are pictures from one of these events held earlier this year showing the actual range of formality. Unfortunately, no kilts at this one but I'm changing that at the next one!
http://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/events...il.php?id=14&s

I would recommend not wearing the kilt, for the reasons given by Jock Scot. Looking at the photos, I get the impression that a motley assortment of dress is worn to this party. If I were attending, I would wear a grey or navy suit. It looks like the top brass is wearing similar dress, so I would follow the lead of my hosts.

[CMcG]

Oh dear, I doubt if I am going to be too popular here!

...

You also have a problem! You are, I think, not a Scot, so the option of wearing the kilt as your national attire is not open to you . Sorry, but that choice is not available to you and you are laying yourself open to criticism if you do wear the kilt, in my view.

Jock, I always appreciate your input and I'm not surprised by your opinion at all. The issue you raise probably deserves its own thread...

I am Canadian and, briefly, we are encouraged to wear the ethnic clothing of our ancestors as national attire. This is what I was taught in school and there are even some references to it on the Canadian Heritage website, operated by the government of Canada. There is a clan tartan associated with my family name, so I wear a kilt in that tartan. I could also wear a kilt in a Canadian district tartan, but I don't currently have one.

And I think a conversation with a Scot at this event might go differently

VISITING SCOTS PROFESSOR: "Ah a fellow Scot eh? What part of Scotland are you from?

ME: "My ancestors were from Ulva."

V S P: "But you don't sound Scottish?"

ME: "I'm from Canada, where we try to preserve and promote our cultural background."

V S P: "Oh-----and what are you studying/what is your field?"

ME: "I'm doing a PhD in ethnomusicology focusing on the percussion music performed by Chinese kung fu clubs, so I came to Hong Kong to improve my Cantonese."

V S P: "Well, how international." And with scarcely concealed regret as he starts to walk off: " I should have worn my kilt!"

[JSFMACLJR]

Jock, I always appreciate your input and I'm not surprised by your opinion at all. The issue you raise probably deserves its own thread...

I am Canadian and, briefly, we are encouraged to wear the ethnic clothing of our ancestors as national attire. This is what I was taught in school and there are even some references to it on the Canadian Heritage website, operated by the government of Canada. There is a clan tartan associated with my family name, so I wear a kilt in that tartan. I could also wear a kilt in a Canadian district tartan, but I don't currently have one.

And I think a conversation with a Scot at this event might go differently

VISITING SCOTS PROFESSOR: "Ah a fellow Scot eh? What part of Scotland are you from?

ME: "My ancestors were from Ulva."

V S P: "But you don't sound Scottish?"

ME: "I'm from Canada, where we try to preserve and promote our cultural background."

V S P: "Oh-----and what are you studying/what is your field?"

ME: "I'm doing a PhD in ethnomusicology focusing on the percussion music performed by Chinese kung fu clubs, so I came to Hong Kong to improve my Cantonese."

V S P: "Well, how international." And with scarcely concealed regret as he starts to walk off: " I should have worn my kilt!"

On the other hand...

( I think I'd still wear a suit! )

[Chas]

Jock says it's simple and, for those of us who know, it is. In theory. In practice though there are so many outfitters out there that have got us confused and sloppy. So much so that it can indeed "become a nuisance, to be avoided if at all possible"

I'm attending a black tie dinner in 2 days time and I need a new evening dress shirt. I want to go with the traditional fold down collar, soft front marcella (I'd prefer plain front but that's asking the impossible), french cuff, stud fastening version. Can I get one? No. Every shop seems to think shiny black plastic buttons are the same as dress studs and attached wing collars are "the thing". Does it matter socially if I turn up dressed outside of the accepted convention, NO. Will I know if I am not doing it conventionally and with style, YES

I could turn up in one of my fly front shirts and still be correctly dressed, but I want to wear my studs. Why is that so difficult? Only because the retailers make it difficult. If I didn't know better would I bother with all this hassle? Probably not

David, I can personally recommend these people:

http://www.clermontdirect.com/index.php

They have a fast turn-around and good customer service.

Regards

Chas

[davidg]

David, I can personally recommend these people:

http://www.clermontdirect.com/index.php

They have a fast turn-around and good customer service.

Regards

Chas

I'm smiling at this. ClermontDirect screwed up and sent me the wrong shirt yesterday but I'm waiting on a replacement arriving this morning. Hopefully I will be wearing my studs tomorrow in the shirt they send, if they send me the right one this time

I agree with your assessment of their customer service though. They simply made a mistake but the other suppliers I tried didn't stock the right shirts at all

[Sir William]

I've noticed a distinct downward trend with regard to dress formality over the years, at least here in the US, but it appears to be spreading worldwide. "Formal" now seems to mean that collared shirt should be worn, with the tie and jacket (coat) being optional. I went to a formal dinner a couple of years ago and saw quite a few men wearing a tux jacket with a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers/trainers. The level of casual dress appears to be determined by how many holes are allowed in your jeans.

I see similar discussions on cruise forums about what to wear for formal nights. Passengers complain about having to dress up and wear a tie, asking if a polo shirt and jeans are acceptable, preferably worn without a coat. I'm surprised by the number who post saying they don't own a tie, let alone a jacket.

[OC Richard]

I might say that around here, in Southern California, there are quite a few men for whom "dressing up" means a Hawai'ian shirt and slacks. They have no suits, sport coats, or neckties of any sort, it appears, because they appear in their Hawai'ian shirts at the most formal of functions.

Likewise there are many other men who get no dressier than a plain black crewneck t-shirt, sport coat, and jeans.

One of these fellows I met at a function I was piping at had very interesting eyeglass frames, and when I complimented him on them he told me that those frames cost $3,000.

Many of these casual-dress men are millionares, and no one questions how they look!

[CMcG]

I would recommend not wearing the kilt, for the reasons given by Jock Scot. Looking at the photos, I get the impression that a motley assortment of dress is worn to this party. If I were attending, I would wear a grey or navy suit. It looks like the top brass is wearing similar dress, so I would follow the lead of my hosts.

There definitely appears to be a motley assortment of dress worn to this party. Some of the other students this year are talking about interpreting the dress code as button up shirts with either jeans or slacks. I few of them are planning on wearing suits.

In the pics from the last party, the Vice Chancellor is wearing a lovely Chinese jacket done up in blue silk. In a way, I'll be following his lead when I perform a traditional Chinese lion dance. I'm planning on getting changed into my kilt after the show.

[Spartan Tartan]

CMcG,

I would wear the kilt. I would also wear a darker tweed jacket with waistcoat (or a belt in lieu of waistcoat) with a tie. It appears from the pictures, black tie is way over the actual dress code.

I think your answer/idea for the kilt being YOUR national dress is spot on. Although, being from Canada you could just wear a hockey jersey

[Mike_Oettle]

While I see where Jock is coming from in saying non-Scots should rather not wear the kilt, I also believe there is room for non-Scottish tartans in this context.
Both the tartans I wear have African contexts. I do not pretend do be a Scot.
And while I have aspirations towards wearing my clan tartan as a kilt, I also hope to wear more African – and specifically South African – tartans.
Regards,
Mike