What is the most versatile kilt jacket in your opinion?

[kilted2000]

I know that one jacket can’t do it all, but budgetary issues prevent me from buying a wide range of different jackets at once. Maybe in time I will be able to expand my kilt wardrobe over the next few years. But for now I’m looking for one jacket that can be worn at a wide range of events. Ideally it could go from situations when pant wearing person would wear a sport coat with or without a tie all the way to wearable at a nice night out at a restaurant. I know such a thing probably doesn’t exist, but hopefully something close can be found. For now it will just have to do. I was thinking an argyle jacket might work, but I’m worried that the metal buttons might make it too formal for tieless daywear. One more thing, where I live it can get up to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and only now is the temperature starting to go below 60 degrees F. So I’m a little afraid that tweed might be too warm most of the time. Is there a place I can get a kilt jacket in the kind of worsted wool my suit jackets and blue blazer are made from?

[Jock Scot]

A plain light weight Greenish/brownish tweed argyll will do you well for non formal events, which do end up being the majority of the events. Which will do everything from mowing the lawn to any lounge/business suit event, day or evening you can think of.

[figheadair]

Or something like this perhaps?

[Steve Ashton]

I am partial to a grey lightweight tweed it a more Contemporary style.
3 button front, no epaulettes, plain buttons. no gauntlet cuff.
Some makers call this style "Wallace" some call it "Contemporary" and some a "Kilt-Cut Sport Coat"

Honestly it is the only jacket from my closet that gets any use. I wore my Prince Charlie exactly one time. I wore my Black Argyle twice.

By far the most versatile jacket I own is this -
It is not a 'standard' kilt style. I have worn military uniforms much of my life and wanted something less military looking. It is basically a suit coat cut shorter in length for a kilt and has the cut-away front for the sporran.

For a 3 piece suit look it is worn with a waistcoat of the same fabric -



A very inexpensive addition was to purchase some waistcoats of different fabrics -
I now have one jacket & 3 different waistcoats. This combination is what wear most often. -



This same jacket can easily be worn without the vest or even without the tie.

Yes this is the same cut and style, just in a different color. I'm trying to illustrate that while a charcoal grey goes with everything, there are many fabrics for a jacket but fit, cut and style are more important than the color.

[MurrayInGA]

I was in the same situation as you recently, looking for a good dress "up"/down first jacket and did as the last two posts suggested. Got a charcoal "arrochar" tweed Argyll (Braemar cuffs) from https://stkildastore.com/. Very happy with the choice and have felt confident with its relative versatility for a Sunday at a highland games or a nice evening out on the town.

[kilted2000]

I was in the same situation as you recently, looking for a good dress "up"/down first jacket and did as the last two posts suggested. Got a charcoal "arrochar" tweed Argyll (Braemar cuffs) from https://stkildastore.com/. Very happy with the choice and have felt confident with its relative versatility for a Sunday at a highland games or a nice evening out on the town.

Do you happen to know the weight of the tweed fabric?

[Nemuragh]

Do you happen to know the weight of the tweed fabric?

It may be this material: https://martonmills.com/product/charcoal-3/ . (But, maybe it isn’t!)

[MurrayInGA]

Do you happen to know the weight of the tweed fabric?

Sorry, I dont. Visually, it does look exactly like the the Marton Mills one above. The texture is definitely my favorite part.

[McMurdo]

When I first started wearing the kilt I was told that a charcoal tweed would be the most versatile. As I have grown in confidence my views have changed, while a charcoal argyll is a good one to have in the wardrobe I think you can't go wrong with a Lovat green or Lovat blue tweed. Having said that, I think your biggest issue will be the heat. Perhaps going for a bespoke option would be the best route or a conversion from a lighter weight jacket. I wish the tropical weight kilt jackets from the Scottish Tartan Museum were still being offered.

[OC Richard]

Over the years I've heard, over and over, Scots state that the charcoal-grey jacket is the most versatile.

In 20th century Traditional Civilian Highland Dress perhaps the most visible line in the sand between Day and Evening jackets is the style of button, silver for Eve and stag-horn for Day.

So I think the most versatile jacket might be a charcoal-grey jacket, the fabric neither a heavy strongly-textured tweed nor a fine smooth Barathea, with ordinary dark grey or black buttons.

In the c1920-1970 period a complete separation was generally maintained between Evening Dress and Day Dress, however the booklet The Scottish National Dress published by Wm Anderson & Sons LTD Edinburgh (1930s) does state the following in their discussion of "modern Highland Dress" after they describe "Day Wear" and "Evening Wear"

"Highland Dress for formal occasions. There is frequently some doubt as to what constitutes correct Highland Dress for use at Weddings and other Full Dress functions, and the following notes may be of assistance.

Weddings:
The bridegroom should be in full dress, consisting of a button-up coat, kilt, sporran, hose, buckled brogues, belted or short plaid, dirk belt, and dirk. It should be used by the bridegroom and the best man whenever the bride is in full bridal array. (Evidently the then-new Prince Charlie coatee wasn't considered suitable!)

An alternative permissible, especially when the wedding is in the country, is that a jacket of the ordinary Day shape should be worn, but that this be made of dark grey or black material. This dress is also the correct one for a guest at a wedding. Except when the bride is in ordinary dress and the male guests are in lounge suits, a tweed jacket is not strictly correct, though sometimes worn.

Morning Dress:
A kilt, worn with a dark grey or black jacket, cut like a tweed jacket, is used on occasions such as Royal Garden Parties, funerals, and formal meetings, when a morning coat suit and top hat would otherwise be used. This outfit is also suitable for semi-formal evening occasions."

So the concept of a dark grey Argyll-cut jacket goes right back to the 1930s, it seems, as does the term "semi-dress".

I do wish they had stated what sort of button! I'm guessing it would neither be silver nor stag, as I mentioned above.