PC Waistcoat Options: 3 vs 5 Button

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Personally, I can't bear the thought of somebody wearing either a high cut waistcoat or a regular necktie to a black tie event. Personally I find the cut if a PC to be quite flattering but if you must, a black barathea Argyll jacket with both waistcoats sounds like an acceptable alternative to me.

David, before the now ubiquitous Prince Charlie Coatee appeared sometime around WWI, a "dress Argyll" was regularly worn as part of formal Highland attire. Opposite page 33 in the book "THE KILT A Manual of Scottish National Dress", written about 1913 by Loudon MacQueen Douglas, there is a photograph of the council of the Scottish Society in Edinburgh and all of the gentlemen are in formal attire (including jabots and dirks) and wearing dress Argyll jackets.

Now perhaps I've misinterpreted your comment ("but if you must, a black barathea Argyll jacket...sounds like an acceptable alternative to me."), but I would suggest that the Prince Charlie coatee is itself merely an "acceptable alternative" to any number of proper styles of Highland formal jackets.