Help with white tie

[thescot]

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?
. . ..

1. Wear only a white waistcoat. You can buy one pretty cheap at someplace like Burlington Coat Factory.
2. No fly plaid.
3. Wear black socks. They'll be fine, but I would recommend ribbon flashes. (You can buy grosgrain ribbon at a material store and sew it onto some elastic with velcro attached.)