PC Waistcoat

[MacRobert's Reply]

I have a green three-button waistcoat that I used to wear with a PC until, quite unaccountably, it appears to have got smaller. I also have a red one that fits. This really stands out in a crowd! Cream (putty) also works well. IMHO a good contrast is always better than a bad match. Dark jackets often look good with light-coloured waistcoats and light jacket with dark waistcoats.

[Highlander31]

....IMHO a good contrast is always better than a bad match. Dark jackets often look good with light-coloured waistcoats and light jacket with dark waistcoats.

I agree with you, contrast is definitely better than a bad match. It might be possible for Geoff to order a waistcoat from a company with a good return policy. If the waistcoat color isn't close enough to his jacket, he can simply return it for another color.


Warning: A slight derailment from the thread.

Planning a wardrobe with multiple waistcoats is an economical way to increase your options.
Having multiple waistcoats for the Argyll or PC has been discussed multiple times on the forum. This should apply for day wear, as well. If a person purchases two jackets with waistcoats, one in charcoal and the other in a light grey. The waistcoats can be worn with either jacket. Allowing for eight different looks (including wearing the waistcoats sans jacket.) Of course that is before adding ties and hose. Taking the waistcoats when picking out ties will ensure the ties work with both jacket/waistcoat colors.

The two jackets and waistcoats along with four ties and four pair of different colored hose, allows one the option of 128 different looks (this assumes a person is only using one kilt, one sporran, and one set of garter ties.) If you are traveling, this would all fit in a carry on with room to spare for shoes, shaving kit, etc..

We now return you to the regularly scheduled thread.

[OC Richard]

Yes, J Higgins (I'm sure among others) will make you one.

But beware that the black cloth Higgins uses probably won't match a Scottish-made jacket.

Our band, and many pipe bands around here, wear Higgins black waistcoats, because they're inexpensive and are available in a variety of sizes and lengths.

But when I've worn either of my two Higgins waistcoats with any of my three black Scottish-made jackets (two Argylls and one Prince Charlie) I can see that the fabric is clearly different. The Scottish jackets are an extremely deep pure black, while the Higgins waistcoats are noticeably lighter, like a very dark charcoal grey.

Traditionally it was fairly common to see red, buff/yellow, or tartan waistcoats worn both with black Evening Dress jackets and with tweed Day Dress jackets.

Here is a red waistcoat worn with a Prince Charlie in a c1960 catalogue



Here is a buff/yellow waistcoat worn with a windowpane tweed jacket

[Geoff Withnell]

Thanks to all who replied. I'll be looking into getting a blue waistcoat and a red waistcoat, which should cover all of the tartans I am likely to wear formally, and let me mix it up a little.

[MacLowlife]

But beware that the black cloth Higgins uses probably won't match a Scottish-made jacket.

Our band, and many pipe bands around here, wear Higgins black waistcoats, because they're inexpensive and are available in a variety of sizes and lengths.

But when I've worn either of my two Higgins waistcoats with any of my three black Scottish-made jackets (two Argylls and one Prince Charlie) I can see that the fabric is clearly different. The Scottish jackets are an extremely deep pure black, while the Higgins waistcoats are noticeably lighter, like a very dark charcoal grey.

Traditionally it was fairly common to see red, buff/yellow, or tartan waistcoats worn both with black Evening Dress jackets and with tweed Day Dress jackets.

Here is a red waistcoat worn with a Prince Charlie in a c1960 catalogue



Here is a buff/yellow waistcoat worn with a windowpane tweed jacket

OCR, these pictures bring to mind a question I have been meaning to ask you

(hold onto your hats, gents, this thread may leave the rails for a moment)

Can you spot the emergence of white hose in your catalogue archives? I see them in the 1960 page, but am wondering just how closely you can pinpoint their appearance.

Thanks

(we now return to the original topic)

[ASinclair]

Thanks to all who replied. I'll be looking into getting a blue waistcoat and a red waistcoat, which should cover all of the tartans I am likely to wear formally, and let me mix it up a little.

I think that's a good choice, Geoff. I have a black PC with matching waistcoat, but I have added a red 3-button waistcoat to my THCD wardrobe wish list.

[OC Richard]

Can you spot the emergence of white hose in your catalogue archives? I see them in the 1960 page, but am wondering just how closely you can pinpoint their appearance.

It's devilishly hard to pin down dates of just when things started getting popular.

Good eye there, I hadn't noticed his hose, though they appear to be beige/tan rather than white. In any case, hose which traditionally wouldn't have been worn for Evening Dress.

Plain 'day' kilt hose (with a diamond pattern knit into the cuffs, the rest being plain) seemed to be offered in the same stock colours by several major firms when I started kiltwearing in the 70s: cream, tan, Lovat blue, Lovat green... you didn't often see hose in other colours. I remember in the early 80s seeing a place offering royal blue and red, which I'd not seen before.

At some point, safe to say by the 70s, one started to see cream/offwhite hose being worn with ghillies with Prince Charlies.

Around 1980 cream heavy handknit Aran/Arran pattern hose got very popular and these would be worn with Prince Charlies as well as for day dress.

Then by 1990 the pure stark white bobble top/popcorn top 'piper socks' became all the rage with pipe bands. Bands wearing the old cream hose stood out like sore thumbs, and they soon switched over.

That's about all I know.

It would be interesting indeed to look over a large number of kilt photos taken in the 50s and 60s and try to spot when offwhite/cream hose started being worn with Prince Charlies.