What is the consensus about shirts when wearing bow ties?

[Scooter]

I was curious about the kind of shirt one should wear with a bow tie while wearing a kilt. For instance whether one should wear a shirt with studs or not, the type of collar, and if there is a difference regarding a PC or an Argyll jacket and waistcoat. I apologize in advance for opening up a potential can of worms.

[revdpatience]

If you're wearing a bow tie to work, whatever shirt you're wearing will be just fine. Button-down or tattersall or whatever.

If you're wearing black tie, the shirt style is partly a matter of personal preference and partly what looks good on you. Both wing-collar and spread collar formal shirts can use studs -- it just depends on the occasion.

To get specific, I have a formal white shirt with a spread collar and a convertible placket that can use studs or buttons. If I'm wearing a five-button waistcoat with my black Argyll jacket, I usually don't use the studs. If I'm wearing a belt instead of a waistcoat, I'll put the studs in.

If I were to choose to wear a bowtie with my lovat green Argyll jacket and waistcoat, I'd probably wear a blue shirt and choose the orange bowtie that picks up the stripe in my Ancient MacKenzie kilt.

[Scooter]

If you're wearing a bow tie to work, whatever shirt you're wearing will be just fine. Button-down or tattersall or whatever.

If you're wearing black tie, the shirt style is partly a matter of personal preference and partly what looks good on you. Both wing-collar and spread collar formal shirts can use studs -- it just depends on the occasion.

To get specific, I have a formal white shirt with a spread collar and a convertible placket that can use studs or buttons. If I'm wearing a five-button waistcoat with my black Argyll jacket, I usually don't use the studs. If I'm wearing a belt instead of a waistcoat, I'll put the studs in.

If I were to choose to wear a bowtie with my lovat green Argyll jacket and waistcoat, I'd probably wear a blue shirt and choose the orange bowtie that picks up the stripe in my Ancient MacKenzie kilt.

RevdPatience, thank you for the advice. I haven't really worn bow ties, except at a prom decades ago, and after seeing them worn on Burns Night, I was curious about any special issues regarding wearing them with a kilt. To my eye, they make the outfit seem more formal, with respect to outfits other than the PC which is formal. Thank you again.

[CollinMacD]

Bowties I prefer just a plain spread collar. I use to like (and still on rare occasion) liked the wing collar, but have shied away from them. I also prefer when dressing for formal events white shirts, no colored shirts. Casual tattersall with solid tie. Very conservative.

[Steve Ashton]

Not a can of worms at all. Just a common misunderstanding

Many people wear a bow tie instead of a long tie. This is a matter of personal preference and wearing a bow tie is not what sets the level of formality of the outfit.

A tuxedo shirt is one fastened with studs with matching cufflinks and not buttons. A tuxedo shirt can have a 'stand and fall collar' similar to a dress shirt or a wing collar. A tuxedo shirt can have a pleated or plain front. Some tuxedo shirts have a starched front section and some do not. These are personal preference.
A shirt with buttons is a dress shirt and is considered less formal that a tuxedo shirt.

The Prince Charlie Coattee with its satin lapels is considered to be the kilt equivalent of a tuxedo. The 3 button vest worn with the Prince Charlie Coatee is usually thought to be more formal than the 5 button vest worn with the Argyle.

An Argyle Jacket can be worn with with a dress shirt and long tie for jacket & tie events or with a tuxedo shirt and black bow tie for formal events but a Prince Charlie is usually worn only for formal events.

So in short it is the entire outfit that sets the level of formality and not just if you wear a bow tie or what style of jacket you wear.

It is sort of like sporrans and shoes. It is normally accepted (not a hard and fast rule) that a sporran with a bright cantle opening is more formal that one made from leather with a flap opening. It is also normally accepted that polished shoes are more formal than boots.

[gsmacleod]

My first experience with formal dress was mess kit with the military and the dress regs were explicit about what we could wear. The shirt was a white tuxedo shirt with a turndown collar, pleats, shirt studs, French cuffs and cufflinks. Later, it relaxed to include wingtips (everything else remained the same).

To me, the Prince Charlie is equivalent to mess kit so it seemed natural that for the times I wore it, I'd just wear one of my tux shirts with it. Currently I have a wingtip tux shirt but I prefer turndown collar so when (if) I need to replace it, it'll be with a turndown instead.

I know there's not a rigid dress code for highland attire but my former military self has a hard time breaking some of the rules from those days.

Shane

[Liam]

If you are considering wearing a bow tie, whether for formal or everyday wear, spend the time to learn to tie it yourself rather than wearing a pre-tied version. It displays a much more sophisticated look.
Slainte

[Scooter]

If you are considering wearing a bow tie, whether for formal or everyday wear, spend the time to learn to tie it yourself rather than wearing a pre-tied version. It displays a much more sophisticated look.
Slainte

I really appreciate all of the input to date. I would definitely wear a self-tie bow tie. I currently use a trinity knot when wearing a kilt, so I can keep the length appropriate for the kilt, so I will not have an issue wearing a self-tie bow tie. Good advice. Thank you.

[OC Richard]

If you are considering wearing a bow tie, whether for formal or everyday wear, spend the time to learn to tie it yourself rather than wearing a pre-tied version. It displays a much more sophisticated look.

I cheated and did a compromise: I needed to wear a bow tie and I don't know how to tie one and I don't want to fuss with tying it every time... so I followed YouTube instructions, tied it just the once, and converted into a pre-tied bow tie.

Evidently it does look more sophisticated, because more than once people have commented on it like "good man! You have a real tie!" etc.

[kingandrew]

I am one of those people who generally wears a bow tie. I find them easier and more stylish than the long tie. The knot is simple, just like tying my shoes. I can do it without a mirror and it comes out fine every time. Plus, it never gets dragged through the soup or other obstacles that straight ties can tangle with.

This means that pretty much every work day (and other times I hope to look smart), I've got on a bow tie. As Revdpatience suggests, I wear them with whatever dress shirt I want: buttondown, spread collar, or straight collar. I have shirts in all the usual pastels (pink, blue, yellow), various stripes and tattersals, along with the standard white. I try to pair them with ties that have a complementary color and pattern. Aside from the busiest stripes and checks, these will all work fine with a kilt.

For formal events, I wear my "tux" shirt, with studs, cuff links, and a black bow tie. The shirt has tucks on the front and a wing collar. It works just fine with the Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, or with my tuxedo jacket, pants, and a cummerbund.

So any shirt that you would wear with a tie with pants, pretty much works with a bow tie and a kilt.

Andrew