Personal flair

[Jock Scot]

Clan Donald USA. I think I mentioned it in my previous posts even if not my last one. They host a banquet every year at their general meeting and that it where the second picture of lord Macdonald comes from. It’s a banquet/tartan ball.

Now I don’t know what the dress code is from an invitation but lord Macdonald is in a doublet and argyle hose and the woman he is talking to is wearing a cocktail dress so I don’t know what to make of the formality of the event except that it’s probably black tie of some level.

I have nothing against PCs. So you think they work for the gamut of black tie? I am not worried about day formal because that is almost unheard of in the US (like morning dress).

Sorry I must have missed the explanation of CDUSA.

Lord MacDonald is the Clan Chief! He is expected to cut a dash! Although he does appear to have moderated his attire some what. Who knows what he was thinking, but I wonder if luggage considerations influenced his attire choices? Or perhaps it was a conscious choice to put his Clansmen at ease by toning down his attire a tad? We shall never know of course, but his attire in the second picture is very effective. Nevertheless, his attire is well ahead of what one would wear at the more normal black tie event.

This is where over-egging ones attire fails, when worn to the normal standard black tie event-----just what does one wear to the smarter black tie event? White tie event? There are no choices left!

I think A PC is about the most versitile black tie outfit. Black oxfords/brogues, plain hose and plain sporran perhaps, for the basic black tie event. A smarter sporran and chain for the slightly smarter do. Patterned hose and a nice dress sporran for something smarter. For the very smart black tie event, then buckled shoes, tartan hose, dress sporran and chain. When you get to that level that will see you through to anything up to, but not including white tie events.

Actually at the last white tie event that I attended, probably twenty years ago now, some------a wee minority---- were happily wearing a PC. Were they invited the following year? I have no idea!

An afterthought.

When we consider white tie equivalent kilt attire, I doubt that many(any?) kilt hire companies will have the attire readily to hand, so one will probably need to employ a tailor to make the attire required. Tartan/velvet jacket, tartan/velvet waistcoat, the tartan jacket and waistcoat both cut on the bias is one choice, a very smart sporran and sporran chain, tartan hose, buckled shoes AND not the place for a cheapo, non traditionally cut kilt, or cut price kilt accoutramants either. Not an exercise for the feint of heart financially speaking then, particularly as most of us will not be wearing all of it on a regular basis.

So in this modern day and age these uncommon events cannot justify or expect that every one should be attired as was usual in the recent past. Or should they? Whilst I am personally reluctant to lower standards at all, as we can see everywhere around the world a slackening of attire standards can decend into a hotch-potch of sloppiness. However, it is time I think, for a modest relaxation of attire expectations at the more uncommon top end of the private social occasions ladder. And I think that is already happening to an extent.