The Prince Charlie coatee dates pretty much from sometime after 1935. I have heard it stated that it was invented to coincide with the bi-centennial of the 1745 Jacobite rising (hence the name), but there is some evidence to suggest it was available before 1939. What is known is that it was invented to provide a lower cost evening wear jacket, and to possibly use up a backlog of "off the peg" tails coats. Because of it's ease of manufacture it gained wide popularity after WWII, and by the mid-60s had pretty much supplanted other styles of jackets for highland evening wear. Part of this was due, I believe, to it's popularity with country dancers. The cut of a Prince Charlie coatee shows a good deal of tartan while being at once less costly and more comfortable to move in than other formal jackets.