Argyle jacket with white tie?

[RichardtheLarge]

I am one of those that believes that white tie is not just wearing a white bow tie instead of a black one. I do not believe wearing lace jabot and cuffs denotes white tie.

To me white tie is only for those most formal of events. State dinners, the Noble prize awards and banquet, the opening night of the Vienna opera.
(I happened to witness first hand a man arrive at the Noble prize ceremony not in the proscribed uniform who was politly directed down the street to one of the hire stores, who stay open late, and to obtain the appropriate attire.)

To me white tie is a proscribed uniform. It is "White Tie and Tails". This means a tail coat and all of the appropriate accessories.

I am one of those who does not believe that there is a kilted equivilant to white tie. The only exception would be as the official representitive of Scotland at a state function where other heads of state are representig their countries in their National Dress.

So no, I'm sorry, I do not believe that an Argyle jacket is acceptable white tie attire.

I suppose I’m conflating “white tie” and “full dress” here, but I’m of the opinion that a gent in buckle brogues, tartan hose, kilt, doublet and jabot would look absolutely terrific at an event where people were otherwise mostly in Marcella ties, waistcoats and tails. I suppose that this is a function of my great love for uniqueness and individuality.

I’ve read, too, that at certain functions one risks being turned away if one appears out of the local standard formal dress, but I wonder if that’s really true today. It’s hard to imagine that an assembly from a country which uses National dress instead of the imported Western formalwear would be barred from the Nobel prizes or the Vienna State opera in 2018. There would be mutterings about “cultural imperialism” and “cultural insensitivity” nowadays, and I can imagine that scene starting a small row. To my mind, a ban on Highlandwear would be no exception in that situation.

My understanding is that, at least in the Edwardian and Victorian eras, a gent with a Highlander background would show up to dinner in his jabot and cuffs and be seated next to those in tails and white bow ties.