uber formal on the cheap: dollar by dollar

[Alan H]

This topic has come up before, and I've wondered about it. All right, so now I've DONE it (see the pics in the "show us your pics" forum), as has cavscout and some others, so I'm gonna lay it out for you. You're the guy who wants to dress up for black tie occasions, but cannot, just can NOT see dropping $250 for a Prince Charlie plus all the accoutrements at full price from the Big Retailers. You've got a nice kilt, appropriate hose black dress shoes and a formal or at least semi-formal sporran. How are you going to do this?

OK, point your browser here: http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com

Uniformal Wearhouse is a supply place online for waiters and musicians, guys and gals who have to dress formally for work, but can't possibly afford to pay for the all-wool, Italian or Scottish tailored kit. My tuxedo that I wear for music gigs is an ex-rental....very much the same as what you'll find here. OK, what you want to do is get a proper A.) formal (wing-collar or fold-down collar, whichever appeals to you) white shirt, a B.) black bow-tie (or get a tartan one, or solid color to match your kilt), C.) a single-button Eton jacket and....options.

You can do the "mess jacket look" which is just fine and what you do is replace the single button with button-holes on both sides of the jacket and then make a two-button-closure with two nice pewter or silver buttons and a bit of chain, or...

...go the waistcoat route, which looks a bit more like a Prince Charlie and buy a waistcoat and replace the buttons with little petwer or silver ones.

Here's the single button Eton. Get the SINGLE BUTTON, not the three button! ... the SINGLE BUTTON. Note that the price is under forty bucks. This is a polyester jacket, OK, not wool, but polyester has come a long way from the "sparkle in the sun" polyester leisure suits that you remember from 1974. Of course a tailored Barathea Wool jacket is nicer, but if you want that, you have to pay for it and......that's why you're reading this thread in the FIRST place.

http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/ap...ojackets4.html

Here are bow ties, of which you can always go with black. Or if you want you can match the primary color of your tartan pretty easily here. I'd sure recommend getting the matte finish, not the satin, eh? I'd STRONGLY recommend that. This is going to cost you $1.95. Wooo-hoo. A buck ninety-five.

http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/ap...sts_cumbs.html

Here are the shirts. I, personally prefer the lay-down collar variety, but most guys these days wear wing-collar. This sets you back $10.95

http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/ap...rts_index.html

OK< studs and cufflinks! Get silver, if you're going to be buying pewter/silver buttons. You can get this for under five bucks. You may own a set already, eh? I inherited two sets from my Dad, actually.

http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/ap...edojewel1.html


OK, for the "Mess Jacket" look, you're done except for the buttons and the closure. See below.

if you want to approximate the Prince Charlie and Waistcoat look, then get one of these...

http://www.uniformalwearhouse.com/ap...sts_solid.html

Get the three-button backless vest. I got the "one size fits all" and it works just fine. I wish it didn't have a satin lapel, but details, details.

OK, now you need buttons.

You have options...go to ebay and search for "Kilt Jacket Buttons"

You'll find results like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Set-of-6-Replace...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/LARGE-NICKLE-FIN...QQcmdZViewItem

You want large...3/4 to 1 inch buttons for the three-per-side of the front of the jacket look. If you want to do the big-buttons-up-the-sleeve look, then buy two sets of these. As you can see, this is only going to run you 11-12 dollars for the buttons, including shipping. Personally, I bought my buttons from Treasure Cast

http://www.treasurecast.com/pages/buttons.htm

Theyr'e round, which is a bit different, but that's OK. If you're Irish, these are what go on a Brian Boru jacket, anyway. If you search for Celtic Buttons on Ebay you find Treasure Casts ebay shop, and you can buy that way. There's also the Rams Horn Studio

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mystical-Celtic-...QQcmdZViewItem

A Card or two of buttons isn't going to break the bank. You'll want six 1-inch ones for the front and if you decide to do 2 or 3 smaller ones up the cuffs like a sportcoat does, rather than big ones up the sleeves like a more traditional Prince Charlie, you'll save a few bucks. If you opt for the "waistcoat" look, then buy another card of the 5/8ths buttons for the waistcoat.

OK, if you opt to do the "Mess Jacket" look, then what you're going to do is cut off the one satin button that comes with the jacket. Then you put the jacket down on the sewing machine, or take it to a tailor, and tell them to put a 1-inch buttonhole exactly where the button is/was.

Now you go down to the hardware store or hobby sotre and buy a 2 1/2 to 3 inch length of small, shiny decorative silver/chrome chain. Orchard Supply is where I got mine. Now you take two of those nice, big buttons you bought and join them back-to-back with the chain. Just take a bit of fine wire or even fishing line and attach the chain to the loops at the back of the buttons. Voila! The Mess jacket closure.

Now you go online and stare at a mess of pictures of Mess Jackets and Prince charlies. You eyeball it until you figure out where those buttons are going to go. Get out a needle and some black thread and sit down and sew the buttons on the jacket. This will take you about an hour, a small price to pay.

How much did you spend, roughly, and not counting shipping?

"Mess Jacket" look

1 button Eton Jacket........ $40
Matte Black or solid color bow tie......... $2
formal shirt............ $11
studs and cufflinks............ $5
Kilt buttons........... $18
2 - 3 inches of silver chain........ $1

TOTAL..... $77

If you buy the vest for the "Prince Charlie" look, add

3 button backless vest....... $25 - 30
another card of buttons...... $6

TOTAL...... about $110

HINT...don't use a white dress shirt for this. Spend the money for the real dress shirt, cufflinks and studs

Slainte!

Alan

[beerbecue]

Very informative Alan...

I had forgotten about uniformalwearhouse....

I have a graduation ceremony to attend in May, this just may be the way I go.....

[Bob C]

Alan, you continue to provide outstanding service to the members of this board. If I didn't already have my whole kit, I'd be all over this.

Nice job!

[Mattg]

Thanks for the info! I'm going to print that out so I can keep it and reference it when I do look to buy a formal get-up.

[Southern Breeze]

Outstanding post! Thanks for the info, I'll be puting it to good use.

[cloves]

ok...stupid girl question here..but can one of you gents tell me the difference between a cravat and a tie? I thought they were the same thing...also, the diff between a four-in-hand and an ascot.
I've always liked the look of those morning tux outfits I see in the tux books around prom time. I was wondering if you could modify that light colored formal look... to fit a nice kilt outfit? Would it work?

[Cinnabar]

Thank you so much for a helpful and informative post that will no doubt save many people on this forum considerable $. I'm very impressed with all the time and work you put into the post. Not only do I think this post should be sticky, I hearby nominate you for the Nobel Kilt Prize. Anyone second?

[cloves]

I second! and not just for his work in this particular thread.

[Scottish Chi]

Wow! If I had done this instead of getting a Prince Charlie and a inexpensive kilt I could have had enough for a tank. Great information. Thanks.

[Southern Breeze]

We've got a move and a second, all in favor say AYE!!