Tank with vest sweater=semi-dress enough?

[Warlock]

Check the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores in your area. They often get Tux jackets in. I actully found a jacket that looks very much like a Prince Charlie for only $5.00. I've seen many others in there as well that could be easily altered by a good tailor/seamstress

[McClef]

Is there any other garment that can go from black tie to laid back casual aside from a kilt?

It certainly one of the most versatile garments known to man!

And to paraphrase Yogi Bear:

It's smarter than yer average suit!

[Colin]

I would skip the bow tie and go for a plain coloured regular tie instead, but the rest sounds good. I wore a charcoal sweater vest with my traditional and argyle to a Christmas party last month. It worked out great.

There is a pic in my photo album.

[arrogcow]

In general, you can get away with this outfit, but things to consider.

Very few guys can pull off a bow tie in a non-formal event. Put it on, check your yourself in the mirror and then answer the question, "Do I look ruggedly handsom or like a geek?" Be honest (and it the tie is not one you have tied yourself the answer is already geek).

Second, it you wear a tie to the theater (any kind of tie) and it is not specifically for a gala event or possibly opening night, you will be one of the few. Not saying not to wear a tie. The last time I went to the theater (saw Spelling Bee - yeah Broadway Series), I wore a tie and a tweed Argyle jacket, but then I was at a pivate party in the corporate viewing box. On the other hand, I've seen both Rocky Horror and Urinetown on Broadway wearing a t-shirt and a Utilikilt. More typically, I an in a sweater or oxford shirt (no tie) and I usually fit right in with the non kilt wearing crowd.

Finally, not a big fan of the sweater vest (instantly take me back to 1982). If you really want to be dressed up, but avoid getting a kilt jacket of somekind at the moment the the advice of a vest given by others is your best bet (though keep checking e-bay, I have seen kilt jackets go for great prices).

adam

[Panache]

...Very few guys can pull off a bow tie in a non-formal event. Put it on, check your yourself in the mirror and then answer the question, "Do I look ruggedly handsom or like a geek?" Be honest (and it the tie is not one you have tied yourself the answer is already geek)...

Bow ties seldom fall into the "ruggedly handsome" catagory (unless James Bond is wearing them). They tend to go with the "Academic-Professor-Scholar" look, which is why Bow ties and tweed jackets go so well together (add a pair of corderoy pants, loafers with tassles, and a cashmere scarf and you are ready to teach "Introduction to Western Literature" at the college of your choice).

Real bow ties do have one very cool trick. At the end of the evening one can untie them, leave them hanging down from your neck, and and open the first button or two of your dress shirt. Which I think is a really stylish fashion statement (in a sort of David Bowie-Serious Moonlight Tour-kind-of-way)

Maybe I'm stuck in the early eighties!

Cheers

[ccga3359]

Real bow ties do have one very cool trick. At the end of the evening one can untie them, leave them hangingdown from your neck, and and open the first button or two of your dress shirt. Which I think is a really stylish fashion statement
Cheers

Do you think someone should tell Tucker Carlson that?

[David Dalglish]

I would not wear a bow tie with a sweater, but that's only my opinion. I would wear an normal tie, this suits the sweater better.

[walkerk]

beloitpiper...I love that sweater you are wearing, and that is exactly what I was thinking of. Where did you find that sweater?

Try eBay (The Purveyor of Everything) with the search string "argyl* sweater vest". Use the asterisk (wild card) character to find both spellings.

[beloitpiper]

beloitpiper...I love that sweater you are wearing, and that is exactly what I was thinking of. Where did you find that sweater?

I got lucky at the Salvation Army.

[cavscout]

I got lucky at the Salvation Army.

BwaaaaaHaaHaa! Have I seen that on a T-shirt somewhere?