The ideal time for the black argyll

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I have a new Argyll jacket in the making. The body of the jacket is black corduroy and the lapels and cuffs are black silk fialle. I haven't decided on the buttons, but will probably go with faceted jett on both the jacket and waistcoat.

The idea is to have something that approximates a smoking jacket for the black tie "smokers" my local St. Andrew's Society has from time to time.

[creagdhubh]

I have a new Argyll jacket in the making. The body of the jacket is black corduroy and the lapels and cuffs are black silk fialle. I haven't decided on the buttons, but will probably go with faceted jett on both the jacket and waistcoat.

The idea is to have something that approximates a smoking jacket for the black tie "smokers" my local St. Andrew's Society has from time to time.

Sounds absolutely gorgeous, Scott!

[MacLowlife]

MoR, would you consider monogrammed silver?

I think it is interesting to see the two most popular- dare I say overexposed- jackets skewered on these pages. We have run down the Prince Charlie on a regular basis. I do not know, but I will bet that the black barathea Argyll is even more popular amongst the kilt wearing public. And here it is, roundly criticized for being (or trying to be) too many things at once.

A step back for perspective might help. Most wearers of Saxon day dress clothes - suits, sportcoats and the like- do not manage for long with a single jacket. It is easy to spot the man in a crowd who puts on a tie infrequently, not just by the way he wears it, but often by the one coat he wears. At the other end of the spectrum, a careful observer can spot the man whose outfit so perfectly suits the event that it can't possibly be the only one he has. In the middle are the dozens of us who have, say two or three suits and three or four sportjackets. We ratchet them up and down with our choices of shirt and tie. We subdivide the classes of events by whether we want to look sporty or sober, dignified or stylish.

And, here, amongst a crowd of dedicated enthusiasts, it is not really surprising that the all-rounder jacket gets so little respect. Where is the flair of a sporty check, casually matched just so with one's tartan, or a wooly tweed? Where is the polish of something made just for me, with well-turned cuffs and a distinctive waistcoat? Certainly not on that hanger from the rent-it-all shop!

But remember how things get to be overexposed- it is because they fit right in. The Argyll is probably the very best first kilt jacket a man can have. He may quickly decide he needs a doublet or something more formal. He may eventually opt for a tweed or a check to round things out. He might end up with a whole rack of jackets for this occasion or that one, but until he does, he could do far worse than a nice dark Argyll with some bright and shiny buttons.

Or so I believe, anyway.

[Father Bill]

Nicely put, nice perspective MacLowlife!

[David Thorpe]

I have worn mine with a white dress shirt and long tie on several evening, dressy but not formal, occasions. I also wore it last year to a ceremony where my nephew was decorated for valor. It seemed quite appropriate, and I would do so again to similar functions.
The older school of thought seems to be that it is the morning suit equivalent, while some more contemporary sources place it as slightly less dressy than the PC.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

MoR, would you consider monogrammed silver (buttons)?

Actually I did consider crested silver buttons, but decided that in this instance I wanted something fairly understated, and the choice came down to silk knotted buttons, silk covered buttons, or jett buttons. I opted for jett as it lifted the look of the jacket without being flashy. I had originally though of doing the jacket in a deep murrey, but wasn't able to find a silk corduroy in that colour, so fell back on basic black.

[Spartan Tartan]

I think the Black Argyle is perfect for evening when a jacket and tie (not necessarily black tie) are expected (I really like the previous example of attending the opera or theater). But also, a perfect choice for black tie as well--especially if you are going to be among the few that are wearing a kilt. In this case, less-is-more type of thought. If most people will NOT be wearing a kilt, then the argyle is a perfect choice. Whereas it may not be "ideal" for a St. Andrews Ball, it is certainly acceptable. However, if I were to attend an alumni New Years Ball from my University, an argyle would be perfect (as I would anticipate being the only kilted gentlemen there) among the other saxon black tie attendees.

[BCAC]

The black argyll is ideal for a kiltie who can't afford a daywear tweed and an evening coatee/doublet. It does both of these. I have one and wear it often, during the day (because I made myself afford a Montrose doublet (cheap - off ebay) simply because I love the look).

It's ideal for a smart business look at work, too, if you're lucky enough to be able to do that.

[artificer]

I think the Black Argyle is perfect for evening when a jacket and tie (not necessarily black tie) are expected (I really like the previous example of attending the opera or theater). But also, a perfect choice for black tie as well--especially if you are going to be among the few that are wearing a kilt. In this case, less-is-more type of thought. If most people will NOT be wearing a kilt, then the argyle is a perfect choice. Whereas it may not be "ideal" for a St. Andrews Ball, it is certainly acceptable. However, if I were to attend an alumni New Years Ball from my University, an argyle would be perfect (as I would anticipate being the only kilted gentlemen there) among the other saxon black tie attendees.

Bolding mine-

I actually really like wearing the Argyll for Black Tie, as it stands out a bit in the sea of identical PCs without being overly flashy.

With a 3-Button waistcoat


and with my Bias-Cut 4-Button waistcoat


Perfect for times when Velvet and a Jabot might be overkill, but you really don't want to look exactly like the 300 other chaps in attendance in their cookie-cutter PCs.

ith:

[creagdhubh]

You look very smart, Scott! Well done. I especially like the look of the tartan waistcoat with the Argyll style jacket. The 3 button waistcoat looks rather sharp too - something you don't necessarily see too often with this particular style of jacket. And of course, the sporrans look amazing. I wonder who made them?

Kindest regards,