Preparing for the holiday season...

[John_Carrick]

I recall Jock equates a tweed jacket with a business suit (he will forgive me if I am wrong) but he is a respected authority on the board, so plenty smart but below black tie level.

I personally like charcoal tweed very much.

[Tobus]

A charcoal tweed jacket with matching waistcoat would surely fit the bill for office holiday parties, nights out on the town, theatre, and everything short of black tie events. It's easily dressed up or down, depending on whether you wear the waistcoat with it or accentuate with a pocket watch, and of course your shirt and tie choice as well as all your other kilt accessories can dramatically change your perceived level of dress.

Personally, I think American kilt wearers often tend to think that a jacket has to be dark to look dressy. They approach it as if the only suitable choices are black, navy, or charcoal. While I admit that tweed can often present a more casual day look when in lighter colours and patterns, it can also look quite smart. That's the beauty of tweed: it's extremely versatile.

Take, for instance, this vintage tweed jacket of mine below. When put together with waistcoat and pocket watch, shirt and tie, it dresses up quite nicely. I wouldn't hesitate to wear that to an office party or evening out at a nice restaurant. I'd lose the spats, and I'd probably wear a fur sporran. But my point is that this tweed is not a dark grey or charcoal tweed. From a distance it comes off as a lighter grey. Up close, though, it's a mixture of white, brown, and green yarns. But it dresses up as well as I need it to for events that are not black tie.

[Crawdaddyjc]

Tobus and all- thanks for the feedback! I love the tweed pics and feel this is the direction i will lean. I do nothing to the level of black tie so that level of dress is not required. Between the jacket, waistcoat, pocketwatch and dress sporran- i believe that will cover me for any situation that i may find myself going to! The ability to dress it up or down fits my personality better than any other option.

Now to start measuring, pricing and figuring out what color i want!