Going the custom shirt route...

[Tobus]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. Yes, wearing French cuffs seems to be proper only when worn with a tie, and preferably a jacket. That is my intent.

Honestly, I don't see anybody around here in my everyday life wearing French cuffs, so it's interesting to see perspectives from elsewhere (which is why I asked). It sounds like they are just a detail of personal flair, or subtle elegance, rather than a mark of formality. Perfect.

Gosh you chaps do make life complicated! I agree a well fitted shirt is a nice thing to wear, but after that, much of my conscious everyday thoughts about shirts is almost non existent.

Well, that's sort of the point here. If I'm ordering a truly custom shirt where I choose every option from collar style to cuff style to fabric to buttons, I want to make sure my choice is something that will remove any need for "conscious everyday thoughts" when picking out the shirt I'll wear. Specifically, I want to avoid having to separate my shirts into categories for kilt-appropriate or non-kilt-appropriate. I want to make sure I'm not doing anything that would cause the dreaded "raised eyebrow" effect.

[JohntheBiker]

If you would like to play around designing a custom tailored shirt, try itailor.com. They have software that builds the shirt with each choice - reasonable prices as well.

I agree that french cuffs look best with a jacket and would look great with a kilted outfit. A little more formal than a buttoned cuff, I feel they look better in white's, solids or stripes. That's just personal preference.

[creagdhubh]

Gosh you chaps do make life complicated! I agree a well fitted shirt is a nice thing to wear, but after that, much of my conscious everyday thoughts about shirts is almost non existent. Yes most of my shirts require cuff-links, none have button down collars, but after that my thought processes go something like this, white shirts for weddings and funerals, newer shirts for smarter do's and older shirts for everything else. Of course for formal evening wear a dress shirt(UK definition of a dress shirt) is required and I have a few of those too, although I rarely wear them these days, but they are there just in case.

***

Tobus,

A check or tattersal shirt with French cuffs would be perfectly fine with Highland day attire. I have seen a lovely photo of our own Sandy MacLean (JSFMACLJR) at a Highland games/gathering, wearing just a shirt with French cuffs, knot cuff links, tie, kilt, sporran, Balmoral, etc, and no tweed jacket or waistcoat was in sight! More than likely he simply removed it due to the weather conditions. It is a very smart photo and I believe that it not only demonstrates Sandy's impeccable fashion sense, but also how virtually any style of cuff (and shirt, mind you) works well with Highland day attire.

As far as fine, bespoke shirtings go, I can quite easily recommend Brooks Brothers' custom, made-to-measure shirt service. Not only do you control the precise fit and sizing of the shirt, but other pertinent details as well. They offer a multitude of collar and cuff choices, as well your shirt yoke preference, cuff monogramming, and a plethora of material to choose from. The price isn't too terribly expensive and the quality is definitely evident. I own several and have always been very pleased with them.

http://www.brooksbrothers.com/select...ectshirts.tem#

Cheers,

[creagdhubh]

Tobus,

Here is the photo in I was referring to. I hope Sandy doesn't mind me sharing it on the forum again, as I located it in a thread in which he began in July of last year. I think Sandy looks absolutely well turned out, stylish yet understated (not ostentatious), and COMFORTABLE!



Cheers,

[Lime]

If I might put a word in for the Jermyn Street shirtmakers; their shirts are (on the whole) the best in the world and you may find that even their off the rack shirts provide a better fit than other shirts because of all the trouble they go to (pre-washing the material before and during making the shirt to avoid future shrinkage, split yokes, gussets, greater length (ideal for kilt wearing as you will sit on shirt tail rather than directly on the kilt material) a greater number of pleats where the sleeve joins cuff... I could go on.

Even the top notch e.g. Turnbull & Asser (I think POW get's his here) only cost as much as a much lesser (in my opinion) "fashion" shirt but somewhere like Charles Tyrwhitt are virtually giving them away and allow a range of fits and sizes straight from the shelf, bespoke options (monogramming, precise sleeve size adjustment etc) extremely reasonably.

[John McQuillen]

2. On the subject of French cuffs, I can see that these would be perfectly acceptable with the kilt for evening attire, but what about day wear? Are French cuffs ever worn with a kilt when paired with, say, a tweed jacket and Balmoral bonnet? Or would this, again, be an odd mix of styles? Is it ever done in the Highlands? I suppose this is a general question on the appropriateness of French cuffs with the lower levels of dress in THCD.

Probably 75% or more of my shirts have French cuffs, I wear them with jeans, with kilts, with suits..... I see it as a matter of personal taste..... Yes i wear them during the day..... Of course I'm not in the highlands of Scotland..... Far as I know from my cousins they don't really think much about it..... They probably wear the colour they want that's clean and I guess would wear a French cuff from time to time.....I have certainly seen one of my cousins wear French cuffs with a kilt and with jeans just as I do.

[Lime]

3. I'm unlikely to choose a coloured shirt with a white collar and cuffs (which is a look I usually associate with bankers or executive types), but just for my own edification, are shirts like this ever worn with the kilt? Seems like a strange mix of styles, but I'm curious if it's ever done.

I am sure others are much better qualified to answer whether or not this is (or has ever been) done in Highland Attire; but this style of shirt has gained a terrible reputation in relatively recent years; partly, I think, from the film Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels which made them, ahem, "gangster" and, um, "cool" resulting in a proliferation of cheap copies.

The style has (I believe) come from the days when you would have a shirt body made with detachable collar and "surgeons cuffs" (like a double cuff but removable) and could then replace with a fresh collar and cuffs which could be matching or contrasting. You could use this feature to freshen up during the day (or evening), to change the look of the shirt, or simply as a practical measure so that your shirts would last for longer or not need to be laundered so frequently (for instance when Jeeves begged a day to go up to East Dulwich to extract his niece from yet another unsuitable marital alliance leaving you to fend for yourself).

Some of the very best dressed still have their shirts made this way: the difference between seeing one worn well and one worn badly is legion. They are however increasingly rare.

[creagdhubh]

If I might put a word in for the Jermyn Street shirtmakers; their shirts are (on the whole) the best in the world and you may find that even their off the rack shirts provide a better fit than other shirts because of all the trouble they go to (pre-washing the material before and during making the shirt to avoid future shrinkage, split yokes, gussets, greater length (ideal for kilt wearing as you will sit on shirt tail rather than directly on the kilt material) a greater number of pleats where the sleeve joins cuff... I could go on.

Even the top notch e.g. Turnbull & Asser (I think POW get's his here) only cost as much as a much lesser (in my opinion) "fashion" shirt but somewhere like Charles Tyrwhitt are virtually giving them away and allow a range of fits and sizes straight from the shelf, bespoke options (monogramming, precise sleeve size adjustment etc) extremely reasonably.

***

[Tobus]

If you would like to play around designing a custom tailored shirt, try itailor.com. They have software that builds the shirt with each choice - reasonable prices as well.

Wow. I have been playing with that website for the last hour. They do indeed have pretty good prices. Even after the conversion from Euros to USD, it's reasonable. And I love the choices for designing a custom shirt or suit. I made myself quite a fetching 3-piece suit using their site, and even with all the custom options I wanted, it still came out under $300 (I guess I got side-tracked off of shirts, lol). Where is this company located, that they can do this so cheaply? I can't find any reference to their actual location, but on the "about us" link, all the photos of their workers tends to suggest that they're in Asia.

[ForresterModern]

Before dropping dollars on custom made shirts I might suggest a look at jcpenney.com who have under men's dress shirts 96 different listings each in a plethora of colors. Solids, stripes, tattersals, French cuffs, all manner of styles as well as full or tapered fits and various collars. Extensive neck size range, options for standard or short or long bodies and the widest range of sleeve lengths I have seen at a single off the rack retailer. Most tab in at under $30US, nothing over $40US, some on sale for as little as $8US. Being an 18.5 neck, long standard taper body, and 37 inch sleeve, you can imagine how much trouble I have finding shirts that are stylish and in nice colors and patterns. No problem at jcpenney.com, and my wife lets out a big frustrated sigh each time she catches me grazing the site for the sales. Give it a look. I have not been dissatisfied with the quality once after several purchases of multiple shirts each.

Jeff