Black Tie with Kilt Etiquette - Ladies edition

[lschwartz]

I would ask the people who are sponsoring/hosting the dinner what women would wear for "black tie". It may not include any tartan at all.

[figheadair]

I would ask the people who are sponsoring/hosting the dinner what women would wear for "black tie". It may not include any tartan at all.

That's sound advice and certainly should be your starting point. Can you tell us a little more about the event, we may then be able to offer better advice? Things to consider:

1. Format- - just Dinner or will there be Dancing?

2. Size of the event (number of people)?

3. Most senior guest(s)?

4. Is this a one off or a regular/more frequent event? If the latter, are there pictures available anywhere that show what ladies wear?

Having attended my fair share of Black-Tie events in Scotland, both military and civilian, I cannot think of one where a lady wore a long tartan skirt, although there may have been someone I missed. This style of long kilt skirt was fashionable 40+ years ago but much less so nowadays.
I would certainly avoid wearing one with a sash here.

Whether to wear a sash or more will depend on the type of event. They are worn by some at Balls but not usually for a Dinner. If you want to wear tartan then consider something more like a tartan favour - a case of less is more.

[Jock Scot]

That's sound advice and certainly should be your starting point. Can you tell us a little more about the event, we may then be able to offer better advice? Things to consider:

1. Format- - just Dinner or will there be Dancing?

2. Size of the event (number of people)?

3. Most senior guest(s)?

4. Is this a one off or a regular/more frequent event? If the latter, are there pictures available anywhere that show what ladies wear?

Having attended my fair share of Black-Tie events in Scotland, both military and civilian, I cannot think of one where a lady wore a long tartan skirt, although there may have been someone I missed. This style of long kilt skirt was fashionable 40+ years ago but much less so nowadays.
I would certainly avoid wearing one with a sash here.

Whether to wear a sash or more will depend on the type of event. They are worn by some at Balls but not usually for a Dinner. If you want to wear tartan then consider something more like a tartan favour - a case of less is more.

Sound advice here. Do your research, but Peter is bang on in my view.

[sarakirsch]

That's sound advice and certainly should be your starting point. Can you tell us a little more about the event, we may then be able to offer better advice? Things to consider:

1. Format- - just Dinner or will there be Dancing?

2. Size of the event (number of people)?

3. Most senior guest(s)?

4. Is this a one off or a regular/more frequent event? If the latter, are there pictures available anywhere that show what ladies wear?

Having attended my fair share of Black-Tie events in Scotland, both military and civilian, I cannot think of one where a lady wore a long tartan skirt, although there may have been someone I missed. This style of long kilt skirt was fashionable 40+ years ago but much less so nowadays.
I would certainly avoid wearing one with a sash here.

Whether to wear a sash or more will depend on the type of event. They are worn by some at Balls but not usually for a Dinner. If you want to wear tartan then consider something more like a tartan favour - a case of less is more.

I will definitely have to reach out and ask them. I know there's no dancing - just dinner, but the other questions I'm clueless on...which is why I started here! Very good points to ask.

I also know there aren't any photos of past events (not allowed by the host) but I will definitely reach out to the host/hostess for advice since I'm an uneducated American. LOL

[Father Bill]

Being an American does NOT mean that you're uneducated; you're just educated in different things.

[Patty Logan]

how about something like this?

https://www.scotclans.com/product/fo...weight-tartan/

[sarakirsch]

That is really pretty and would look great with the modern formal dress that I was going to use! Thank you for the suggestion!

[Patty Logan]

That is really pretty and would look great with the modern formal dress that I was going to use! Thank you for the suggestion!

your welcome! glad to help!

[Jock Scot]

I would ask the people who are sponsoring/hosting the dinner what women would wear for "black tie". It may not include any tartan at all.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but it might be worth you bearing in mind the words in the post above. Although I don't venture out to many black tie functions these days, other than small dinner parties(8/10 people) where tartan is almost never worn by the ladies. I am also told by the younger generation who do venture out to larger formal events in Scotland that a lady wearing any tartan at all is a very rare sight and its been that way for many a year in my experience................and before some wag makes a witty observation,........... yes the ladies were definitely wearing something!

Often, photographs are not encouraged and are sometimes, actively discouraged if a V.I.P. is present.

What you choose to wear is up to you, but if it were my wife, she would be in touch with the hosts for their advice.

Good luck.

[Allan Thomson]

I would say wear what ladies normally wear to black tie with an addition of a tartan sash. That is what most ladies would wear to a burns or st Andrew's.

Tartan skirts are more informal unless you're wearing a tartan wedding dress.