A Night At The Opera

**gordontaos** · 5th July 13, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by JonathanB

I wore my kilt last night to Gloriana and last month to La donna del largo in which the entire male chorus was kilted and Juan Diego Florez was in Royal Stewart tartan kilt at the end to recall George IV's visit to Scotland (although he was upstaged by Joyce Denato's singing). I was probably the most overdressed man in the auditorium, but what the hell.

If one cannot get dressed up properly for the opera, then when?

**JonathanB** · 6th July 13, 02:31 PM

I have to say that at Covent Garden, the men in the audience seem more interested in scoffing the grossly overpriced smoked salmon and warm champagne in the interval rather than dressing up.

**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...

**fingertrouble** · 6th July 13, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by gordontaos

If one cannot get dressed up properly for the opera, then when?

Very true...my excuse. I can wear the garb that's a little too much or fragile for other occasions!

**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.