so this is what we've come to? (Prince Charlie)

[artificer]

Almost every detail about this outfit is dreadful.

The colour-matched sporran, jacket, tie, and kilt turn the whole outfit into one gigantic blur of purple, all the way down to the fly plaid pinned with a blue/purple stoned brooch... (why?)

The spread collar & ruche tie are dreadful with the coate,

The dreadful matching sporran chain, sporran cantle, belt plate (and probably the roundel on the brooch) speak of buying or renting it all in one fell-swoop,

I'll admit to not personally caring for most buckled shoes, but the ghillies are dreadful, especially with the white hose.
I know some folks love both, but IMO diced hose just look so much richer for evening.

I DO realize that all of this kit is quite expensive, and not everyone can lay out for an outfit they might wear once a year, or even once in a lifetime,
but even a standard black tie rental (black jacket and standard black tie, a sporran in a colour that might possibly be found outside of the Henson studios) would improve this outfit tremendously.

Just my $0.02 / £0.01

ith:

[Phil]

What you must remember, however, is that the first example shows bespoke garments, and no doubt pretty expensive ones at that. Not to mention tartan hose the whole outfit wouldn't leave a lot of change out of £2,000 nowadays. The second example, however, could probably be bought for a fraction of that price as an "off the peg" outfit. Most of the mainstream kilt shops nowadays go down this route and you have to go somewhere like Stewart Christie to get bespoke (and pay accordingly for it!).
People are just not prepared to pay what it is worth for the bespoke item. Hardly surprising when you see the vast amount of cheap clothing imported from oriental sweatshops.

[Geoff Withnell]

Minor nit with the OP. I would think that outside of uniform wear, a lefty would have his sgian on that side.

[HippieLee]

Looks like some one used a Muppet to make his sporran.

LMAO! Not that I would do it for anything other than a goof but it would be hilarious to have a full mask Cookie Monster sporran with the those big googly eyes rolling around on it

[Laird_M]

LMAO! Not that I would do it for anything other than a goof but it would be hilarious to have a full mask Cookie Monster sporran with the those big googly eyes rolling around on it

Was tryign to decide if ti was Cookie or Grover.

[cable scot]

As I am left handed I wear my sigan in my left sock. That being said this would not be an outfit I would be comfortable wearing or in fact want to stand next to the man wearing it. I would hope that no one would really wear that, but then people wear their pajamas pants out in public now too. It is all just a bit sad if you ask me.

[Llama]

I wonder if this outfit would look any better in subdued evening lighting. I doubt it, but it's another danger of wearing flashing evening attire in the middle of the day.

[mookien]

My wife wants to know why I don't look that ugly and unkempt.

[TheOfficialBren]

Some good points, Phil and company.

I blame not only the hire industry but the consumers. Demand something else en masse or be subject to the whim of a distributor. It's how commerce works.

[Elizabeth]

Sad to say, but in 75 years the Prince Charlie has gone from this



This image perfectly encapsulates what, to me, is the decline in elegance of Evening Dress.

-ruche tie
-belt showing under waistcoat
-white hose with evening dress
-shoes lacking buckles with evening dress
-tartan flashes
-added bonus: sgian in wrong leg

As someone fairly new to this how could this look (easily?) be corrected? I don't think many have the means to do the lovely example of evening wear OC Richard provided.

Loose the fly plaid?
Change out the tie for something more traditional? Bow tie?
Pull the kilt up to show more knee and get the belt up where it doesn't show?
Loose the muppet sporran and replace it with?
Darker hose?
I'll go with him being left handed so leave the sgian where it is.
Men's shoes I have not much knowledge of.....