Tartan waistcoat experimentation

[creagdhubh]

A 5-button waistcoat (self-coloured or tartan) = Argyll or Sherriffmuir, in my opinion. Though, it doesn't look too shabby with your Balmoral.

[rlh2]

I really like the first look. Very nice.

[McMurdo]

I am looking forward to the updated pictures I do think it looks fine though.

[IrishSean]

Nathan,

I assume you are a Montreal fan--if so, congratulations.

I agree with the need for better photos. As you may recall from a prior thread, I was very interested in the open-Balmoral look. So I am anxious to see how it turned out.

Thanks for your efforts.

[Nathan]

So here are some of the looks with the 5 button tartan waistcoat, the experimentation continued...

[Highlander31]

Nathan, I like the waistcoat with the Argyll.

Worn with the doublets, doesn't do it for me, though.

[MacRobert's Reply]

Looks good with the Argyll and fine with the longer doublet but not so good with the Balmorral IMHO. The convention is that the waistcoat should not be longer than the jacket or waistcoat. It works well with the jabot and longer doublet.

[BCAC]

Looks good with the Argyll and fine with the longer doublet but not so good with the Balmorral IMHO. The convention is that the waistcoat should not be longer than the jacket or waistcoat. It works well with the jabot and longer doublet.

My sentiments entirely. Fine with your Argyll and good with your Sherriffmuir but not so good with your Balmoral.

[Downunder Kilt]

Nathan, still like the waistcoat with the Argyll and green Balmoral, not sure about the belt though, thoughts are still in limbo about it. Don't like the look with the velvet doublet. I prefer evening wear with a bowtie rather than a jabot, but that's my little quirk. Cheers and looking good

[Nathan]

My sentiments entirely. Fine with your Argyll and good with your Sherriffmuir but not so good with your Balmoral.

I guess you're calling my velvet doublet a Sherriffmuir, but since it has no buttons on one side and no tashes, I just call it a velvet doublet. Doublet names are a confusing business, one shop's Montrose is another shop's Kenmore. Thompson calls a very similar jacket a high necked doublet in So You're Going to Wear the Kilt but I'm not sure if his had a soft, foldable collar.



I have toyed with calling it a Dunvegan doublet after the late MacLeod of MacLeod:

Looks good with the Argyll and fine with the longer doublet but not so good with the Balmorral IMHO. The convention is that the waistcoat should not be longer than the jacket or waistcoat. It works well with the jabot and longer doublet.

I agree. That's why I put on the belt so I could fold the bottom of the waistcoat under the belt or tuck it into the kilt and create the visual illusion of a straight bottom waistcoat. I didn't like the look of the long waistcoat without the belt and only posted pics of it due to a request.

The Balmoral is very similar to a Sherriffmuir when open (you own both, don't you?) but it only has buttons running down one side and of course the neck is more open. Is it shorter in the body above the tashes? I have some extra buttons and was toying with doubling them back to back and buttoning them into the holes to emulate the Sherriffmuir a little more.

Here we have the straight bottom waistcoat which is more or less level with the bottom of the doublet above the tashes.


Here we have a belt above the tartan waistcoat. No buttons on either side of this one.


Of my versions with the Balmoral and tartan waistcoat, this is the one I like most:



Here are a couple of looks with a pointed waistcoat that is longer than the jacket bottom above the tashes. I don't like it as much but don't hate it. The difference is less dramatic than in my example which is why I initially didn't post a photo of the waistcoat without the belt.