Help with white tie

[Chef]

[aside] MacMillan, how do you get BBC4 in VA?[/aside]

[Coemgen]

OK, a few specific questions:

1) Must the waistcoat be white, as MacMillian states, or may it be black, as the Wikipedia article says?

2) Is the fly plaid permitted?

3) I don't foresee being able to afford any argyle, tartan, or diced hose anytime soon. Will black hose work?

Also, in case in makes a difference, the performers will not be seen together by the audience. We will go onto the stage one at a time, perform, take our bows, and then exit the stage. Once the recital is over, the audience leaves, and we meet friends and family outside the auditorium.

[BoldHighlander]

You have an awesome motorcycle. And to ride it, you have to follow certain rules. One of those rules requires you to wear a helmet. Now you may prefer wearing one of those WWI German army spiked helmets, but if you do there will probably be some undesirable consequences. To be sure, you will attract a lot of attention, and probably receive some favourable comments regarding your picklehaube. But this attention will do nothing to mitigate the unfavourable consequence of your act. You will get a ticket, you may get banned.

I have a friend who rides a chopped Harley with 24" apehangers & a German style WWII helmet with 3 huge spikes added to the top of it, and he's never been ticketed!

I know (& not much help w/ your questions)

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

OK, a few specific questions:

1) Must the waistcoat be white, as MacMillian states, or may it be black, as the Wikipedia article says?

2) Is the fly plaid permitted?

3) I don't foresee being able to afford any argyle, tartan, or diced hose anytime soon. Will black hose work?

Also, in case in makes a difference, the performers will not be seen together by the audience. We will go onto the stage one at a time, perform, take our bows, and then exit the stage. Once the recital is over, the audience leaves, and we meet friends and family outside the auditorium.

In rapid succession:

1) Wikipedia is wrong re: white tie (unless you want to look like a servant). The white waistcoat is required with white tie.

2) Normally I'd say no to the fly plaid, but as you will be on stage a bit of theatricality probably would do no harm. It's up to you.

3) Black hose are fine with white tie if you don't have tartan or dyced hose.

And when recital time rolls around-- Break a leg!

[Phil]

I have posted this elsewhere but they say a picture tells a thousand words -



This is full levee dress which is the uber formal version of highland dress. You would only wear feathers in your headgear if you were a clan chief. Also the basket-hilted sword is unlikely nowadays. Note the waistcoat (red) but can also be black according to instructions issued by the Lord Chamberlain. The dress doublet does not have to be buttoned but if not a waistcoat of any colour (or tartan) is worn. Anything else including Montrose, Sherrifmuir etc. doublets and the PC is regarded as evening dress only, not white tie, whether or not a jabot is worn.

[slohairt]

I like that very much. It's too bad that basket-hilt swords are not more common these days. One would think Pirates of the Caribbean would have helped that along!

[Phil]

I like that very much. It's too bad that basket-hilt swords are not more common these days. One would think Pirates of the Caribbean would have helped that along!

The rule seems to have been if you've got it-flaunt it. You could even wear a pair of pistols and a powder horn - really. I doubt if the authorities would take kindly to someone parading around with sword etc. nowadays though.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I have posted this elsewhere but they say a picture tells a thousand words -



This is full levee dress which is the uber formal version of highland dress.

Back in the good old days when gentlemen were gentlemen and servants tugged their forelocks, levees were held quarterly at Buckingham Palace. These were strictly stag events, and the purpose was to be "presented" formally, at court, to the Monarch. In order to attend you had to be introduced by two gentlemen previously "presented" at court. Needless to say, it took an awful lot of brown-nosing in all the right circles to be presented at a levee.

The rules of dress were excruciatingly exact down to the smallest detail. Basically three forms of attire were approved to be worn at a levee: Full Dress Uniform (either civil or military); Court Dress (velvet coat and waistcoat, cut steel buttons, knee britches, black silk hose, patent leather pumps with cut steel bows, and court sword with cut steel hilt and black patent leather scabbard); or the Highland Attire as depicted above. (Clergy had their own rules as laid down by the Lord Chamberlain's office.)

I am not totally sure of the date, however I believe the last Levee was in either 1948 or 1954-- perhaps someone with more time on their hands than I have would care to look it up?

Missing from the above illustration are the regulation pistols and powder horn-- although these may have been dispensed with post WWII. And the sharp-eyed amongst you will have no doubt noticed that the sword is sheathed in a leather scabbard.

[BoldHighlander]

I have posted this elsewhere but they say a picture tells a thousand words -



This is full levee dress which is the uber formal version of highland dress. You would only wear feathers in your headgear if you were a clan chief. Also the basket-hilted sword is unlikely nowadays. Note the waistcoat (red) but can also be black according to instructions issued by the Lord Chamberlain. The dress doublet does not have to be buttoned but if not a waistcoat of any colour (or tartan) is worn. Anything else including Montrose, Sherrifmuir etc. doublets and the PC is regarded as evening dress only, not white tie, whether or not a jabot is worn.

Very smart looking....I love the "regimental/military" look of the jacket/complete outfit.

[Jack Daw]

I have posted this elsewhere but they say a picture tells a thousand words -



This is full levee dress which is the uber formal version of highland dress. You would only wear feathers in your headgear if you were a clan chief. Also the basket-hilted sword is unlikely nowadays. Note the waistcoat (red) but can also be black according to instructions issued by the Lord Chamberlain. The dress doublet does not have to be buttoned but if not a waistcoat of any colour (or tartan) is worn. Anything else including Montrose, Sherrifmuir etc. doublets and the PC is regarded as evening dress only, not white tie, whether or not a jabot is worn.

Actually, clan chiefs get to wear 3 feathers, chieftains wear 2, and armigers get to wear 1.

BTW, I thought formal wear required the donning of white gloves. Am I off?