A Night At The Opera

**fingertrouble** · 6th July 13, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by AJBryant

I'm a waistcoat junkie, too. But you might want a longer one. ;)

It's a Victorian waistcoat, 1860's - so it doesn't have a modern 'cut' or length. I can't magic extra brocade either - the back was already remade by SEW (surprisingly well in fact, I'd recommend them they took the time to make it work) and resized to me. Ditto the high collar...I guess that space would be filled by a cummerbund.

Also, that was taken at the end of the night, I suspect my kilt had slid down again...always a problem with me! I need a proper belt...

**BCAC** · 8th July 13, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by fingertrouble

It's a Victorian waistcoat, 1860's - so it doesn't have a modern 'cut' or length. I can't magic extra brocade either - the back was already remade by SEW (surprisingly well in fact, I'd recommend them they took the time to make it work) and resized to me. Ditto the high collar...I guess that space would be filled by a cummerbund

Also, that was taken at the end of the night, I suspect my kilt had slid down again...always a problem with me! I need a proper belt...

Nothing looks worse than a big expanse of white shirt between waistcoat and kilt. If it was even remotely possible for that to happen I would wear a different waistcoat, however much I liked the waistcoat in question. Oh, and I would never wear a cummerbund with a kilt, either.

**fingertrouble** · 8th July 13, 08:36 AM

And you speak for yourself there...depends on the waistcoat. e.g. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...4/index24.html - those were proper hire ones from Jakes, and I know my kilt was too low - partly because I had to dress my partner and myself in a hurry with him grizzling and surprisingly as a Scot had zero knowledge how to put any of these things on, so had minimal time for myself - but I doubt with that type of waistcoat you would ever 'fill' the space.

I suspect like the Kilt Kops thread this is a matter of taste...or that I had the wrong jacket for the waistcoat. *shrug* I preferred the P.C. anyway to the Argyle, and the Kilt Gremlins didn't eat me nor did anyone point out it was the wrong time of day...or that the white space was 'horrible'.

In fact, no-one ever has til this thread...so I suspect this is only something kilt 'experts' care about. None of my Scots friends (ie. ones that live there, or in the UK, not ex-pats!), wedding guests, opera people or partner spotted it, nor cared.

**Jock Scot** · 8th July 13, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by fingertrouble

And you speak for yourself there...depends on the waistcoat. e.g. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...4/index24.html - those were proper hire ones from Jakes, and I know my kilt was too low - partly because I had to dress my partner and myself in a hurry with him grizzling and surprisingly as a Scot had zero knowledge how to put any of these things on, so had minimal time for myself - but I doubt with that type of waistcoat you would ever 'fill' the space.

I suspect like the Kilt Kops thread this is a matter of taste...or that I had the wrong jacket for the waistcoat. *shrug* I preferred the P.C. anyway to the Argyle, and the Kilt Gremlins didn't eat me nor did anyone point out it was the wrong time of day...or that the white space was 'horrible'.

In fact, no-one ever has til this thread...so I suspect this is only something kilt 'experts' care about. None of my Scots friends (ie. ones that live there, or in the UK, not ex-pats!), wedding guests, opera people or partner spotted it, nor cared.

Perhaps they were too polite to comment? After all, it would be bad form so to do.

**gwynng** · 8th July 13, 10:03 AM

qwynng, you must have had waaaay better seats than us. I have been able to see the moon at other performances but we were in the nosebleeds for this performance, at almost $300 per couple!

Back to the opera:

Gordontaos, I did have good seats that night, but it was MANY years ago and things were a lot more affordable then. Opera tix were priced such that even a lad in his twenties, working as a paste-up artist at an ad agency could wrangle an occasional orchestra seat. Ah, the days when you could go to sit in the nosebleeds in Denver for around $6.00 (that is if you bought the WHOLE season for a whopping $18.00). But then Opera Colorado hadn't yet built the big opera house and was performing in the round at the symphony hall. Not ideal for staging. I digress, but imagine a Tosca trying to leap from Castel San Angelo when the stage is nearly the lowest point in the entire house...solution, she shot herself!

Looks like you had an amazing night.

**gordontaos** · 8th July 13, 12:59 PM

Champagne, starry sky, balmy evening weather, culture, great food, beautiful women that are elegantly dressed...Yes, it was an amazing night.

**fingertrouble** · 8th July 13, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

Perhaps they were too polite to comment? After all, it would be bad form so to do.

I think they would mention it, but agreed it is bad form to make such a comment. Rude, even.

**BCAC** · 9th July 13, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by fingertrouble

I think they would mention it, but agreed it is bad form to make such a comment. Rude, even.

I stated in my previous post that nothing looks worse than a big expanse of white shirt between the waistcoat and the kilt. I stand by this statement. This is in fact true whatever is being worn on the bottom half of your body. The fact that it is hired gear is neither here nor there. In fact, if it was hired gear I would never taken it out of the shop. It is not only possible to fill this gap, but it is necessary. If, whatever I tried, there was always this big expanse of white shirt between my waistcoat and what I had on the bottom of my body (kilt or trousers), and it wasn't hired gear, then I would leave the waistcoat off.

It is, in effect, my opinion, but I believe that I am not alone in having this same opinion. Of course, if I saw someone whom I considered to have made a "faux pas" when dressing for the evening, I would not say anything to him about that at all.

I'm only stating here what I would do and my way of looking at these things. This great expanse of white shirt between waistcoat and kilt is not normal, can easily be corrected and does not look good. You, of course, are at liberty to do as you wish (and you don't need my permission to be able to do so).

**fingertrouble** · 9th July 13, 07:30 AM

Still rude. If I'd asked 'what do you think?' or 'do you think this looks OK?' or it had been a critical thread about kilt wear, then OK. Or a positive suggestion, like 'if you wear this jacket you'd avoid that space' - again that would be fine.

But to proffer an unasked negative, even snarky opinion in an unrelated thread, especially with the trigger phrase 'Nothing looks worse than...' (a bit like 'I don't mean to be prejudiced but...' in the uh-oh stakes) then yes, it's rude, whatever you think is 'proper' or correct. In fact, I would say if you think *anything* is proper and correct then politeness should factor in that most highly. Public critical comments will *always* rub people the wrong way. Strange you would not mention it in person as a faux pas, but find the anonymity behind a keyboard much more acceptable? That makes it worse in fact. Classic keyboard warrior, and makes me feel that it was intended as snark and not a friendly comment at all, or an idle comment without thinking.

As it is, it just makes me self-concious and less likely to wear a kilt now :-( , so I'd respectfully request you keep any future opinions to yourself, and maybe learn some basic internet etiquette.