Out To Dinner

[LANCER1562]

I'm taking my fiancée to a five star restaurant on Tuesday evening and I'm wondering what would be appropriate. I have a dark navy suit jacket, red button front shirt, black or navy tie, my Kerr Modern tartan kilt, black kilt belt with silver waist plate, bottle green socks and black shoes. I also have a black Spencer jacket with silver thistle buttons and matching vest, white pleat-front shirt, black bow tie, Kerr Modern kilt, bottle green socks and black shoes. I'm wondering which outfit would be more appropriate.

Thank you.

[sailortats]

How about black spencer jacket and vest with the red shirt and black tie. Not quite as formal as the white pleated shirt and I think it would look sharp.

[Liam]

You don't say if the navy jacket is kilt or Saxon length. If kilt length it would get my nod! along with the plain white shirt, either tie, bottle green hose etc. I would view business wear as appropriate for going out for a fancy restaraunt.

[Father Bill]

The number of stars for a restaurant does not necessarily coordinate with the level of formality. I look at your signature and imagine that you're personally a bit of a "free spirit" and likely then, so is your fiancee (lucky guy!)

What does she like seeing you wear? You're trying to please her, not the maitre d' or the other patrons. Has she seen you kilted before or is this a new revelation of you? I tend to stick with the maxim that "less is more" and slightly conservative is safer than avante garde. You want to please and impress the poor girl, not disturb her.



I would also leave the sghian at home if you normally wear one. She won't notice its absence, but the restaurant staff might notice its presence to your great embarassment and "take the edge off" the evening.

Remember that the kilt is already a massive departure from the norm. Turning it into something even more unusual could turn a triumph into nothing more than weirdness.

[Taskr]

Father Bill raises a good point. Many five-star establishments do not follow a particular dress convention, even if stated. Our favorite five-star has had my wife and I feeling a bit over-dressed on occasion and that is without putting too much effort into it.
This is only opinion, of course, but with the Kerr having red perhaps a red shirt is a bit much. Perhaps, as "red" has many variations. A complimentary colour would stand the kilt off that much more. For that, with any dark jacket a white shirt is a good go-too but you might also find a blue that would do as well or better. I happily found that most of my blue dress shirts go well with my MacDonald. I'd imagine the blue jacket would look very sharp, but if it is too long then it is going to look a bit odd.
With what you've stated, if I had the same I'd wear the spencer (assuming the suit jacket is too long) with white shirt and navy tie. The shirt being pleated, the vest would likely look very good, but if that felt too dressed up I would forgo it. The belt would also get the same treatment, in the oft mentioned XMarks theme of less can be more.
Seems you might want to take a bit of time prior to Tues trying on different variations and going with what suits you best. Regrdless of your final decision its all about dinner with your fiancée. Your fiancée, I well imagine, THE focus. Enjoy.

[Tarheel]

The red shirt (as sailortats and I agree) would certainly bring on the special splash of the evening. Though Taskr also has a point that the kilt will attract the attention where a lighter pastel shirt will be enough as I hope you will be sitting while you dine. Father Bill correctly suggests leaving the sgian at home (even a sushi bar have knifes for customers that need them). I would wear the navy jacket if kilt length.

My thoughts are just suggestions but the dinner should be a hit if you chose differently.

[LANCER1562]

Gentlemen,
Thank you all for the great advice.

Sailortats- the outfit you suggested of the Spencer jacket and vest with red shirt and black tie sounds good jacket and vest won't be back from the cleaner's in time for me to wear it on Tuesday.

Liam-the navy blue jacket is kilt length and is my stand in for a black Argyll as I can't afford one at this time.

Father Bill-Judy (my fiancée) has seen me kilted a few times and recently quite casually when we flew home from California last month. She really likes the Spencer/Prince Charlie look but understands that may be too much for the kind of restaurant we're going to. I really don't think anyone is going to notice the sgian dubh as their attention is probably going to be focused on my beautiful lady. Besides, most people in Colorado Springs, CO carry some kind of knife and if not, they're carrying a gun either openly or concealed. Also, Colorado Springs is already weird.

[LANCER1562]

Gentlemen,

I have recently been on the restaurant's website and their dress code "casual" so the Spencer outfit would probably have a bit too much. Also taking another look at the outfit I was planning to wear, I thought that with the red shirt, mostly red Kerr Modern kilt, red hose there was too much red going on, so I will be wearing a kind of moss green shirt instead. I'm also thinking of switching a brass waist plate for the silver one on my kilt belt.

[Father Bill]

Sounds like good choices.

[LANCER1562]

I went with the red shirt after all. I broke it up with the dark jacket, black tie, kilt belt and sporran.

Here's a picture from this evening of me and my fiancee taken at the restaurant after dinner with our service dog Sequoia.071.jpg