Advice for a PC jacket

**george7** · 17th November 08, 11:20 AM

You should be happy with it. They argyll jackets and kilts seem top notch. I'm sure the PC will be as great.

**BEEDEE** · 17th November 08, 11:21 AM

Try a search in the DIY forum for Prince Charlie. A number of us have modified ex-rental tail coats into very usable alternatives.

Brian

**English Bloke** · 17th November 08, 04:08 PM

I do like the way a PC looks and in a formal setting it is the business but I've given this a lot of thought and for me I don't attend enough formal occasions where I could justify the expense of even an ebay cheapie. Heritage of Scotland's ebay site are currently knocking out a Navy PC and waistcoat in Barathea wool for £52.99 + postage and a Black PC and waistcoat for £83.97 + Postage. Don't know about the quality but the price is certainly affordable. The reason I haven't jumped at getting one is as I said, I don't think I'd be at enough posh do's to get any wear out of it and as can be seen on the 'kilt don'ts' thread, a PC with baseball cap and nike trainers is usually frowned upon.

What I've gone for is a Barathea Argyll and waistcoat (bought separately and from different internet sources, although they do match, or at least the material does) The Jacket was £70 with postage and had awful, badly moulded, metal silver buttons on arrival and also had buttons attached to the sleeves but no cuffs sewn on. I was very disappointed with it when I opened the package. The waistcoat was £12.99 and had 6 satin buttons (not a good match to the jacket, something had to give). I thought about silvering it all up but it occured to me that this would make it look like a formal only jacket set and I'm not keen on shiny buttons anyway. I have now removed all the buttons replaced them with normal black suit buttons and consequently, for about £85 all in I have an all purpose, black, kilt cut jacket and waistcoat, smart enough for all occasions I am likely to go to where a normal suit would suffice. I appreciate that some would say It's not formal enough but Kilt Policing isn't something I care much for. I am now very happy with it and if someone complains I am not properly dressed when I'm out in it I'm obviously at the wrong do and will leave.

You probably are limited to the internet rather than your local kilt shop, being in Norway an' all. I'd suggest you don't buy the first thing you see. Shop around and think carefully about when and where you'll be wearing your jacket. If you can find something that will work for all occasions well and good but if you are really after a PC, save the expensive one for when your buget is a bit less tight and buy one now that you can afford.

There is a review of the heritage Navy PC on here somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 17th November 08, 04:26 PM

Your "modified argyll & waistcoat" are perfectly acceptable for formal evening wear, as long as the waistcoat is the same as worn with a PC. With a five or six button waistcoat it is a very dressed up, go to a nice dinner look, and would not be out of place at a wedding, funeral, or meeting with your bank manager. Just don't wear white socks with it, unless you have a tropical foot disease!

**CDNSushi** · 17th November 08, 06:24 PM

As the new owner of an Ebay cheapie (from Hassan Geoffrey in Pakistan) let me say that I was very happy with my purchase. You can look at the thread I created in the General forum for more details, if you're curious.

**English Bloke** · 17th November 08, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown

Your "modified argyll & waistcoat" are perfectly acceptable for formal evening wear, as long as the waistcoat is the same as worn with a PC. With a five or six button waistcoat it is a very dressed up, go to a nice dinner look, and would not be out of place at a wedding, funeral, or meeting with your bank manager. Just don't wear white socks with it, unless you have a tropical foot disease!

Hi MacMillan. I appreciate your advice re: waistcoats but in the event I was not formal but not exactly in a levi jacket situation, I'd ditch the wesskit and wear a belt. The waistcoat is exactly that; the posh dinner/ wedding option without the added expense of mothballs to protect a Prince Charlie while it waits in the closet for an opportunity to wear it. I don't go to many weddings or posh dinners for that matter. Used to, used to have to but I'm glad that now I don't. If I went to see my bank manager in a kilt he'd probably be asking me difficult to answer questions regarding the way I choose to throw my money around. No point in winding the man up. He's usually trying to explain that it's usual for customers to bank with the bank rather than the bank, to bank with the customer.

I like what I have because it covers all. I didn't design it that way, it's just the way it turned out in the end. As I said I was hugely disappointed with the argyll when it showed up but now I've messed with it I'm more than happy. By the way, I would no more wear white socks than wear my kilt with pleats to the front!

**Bugbear** · 17th November 08, 07:05 PM

English Bloke, that is the neat part about the Argyle option, you can take it all the way from sport jacket-like to morning coat-like to black tie formal (black Argyle) by switching the other accessories. That is something you can not do with a regular suit or sport jacket. I don't think you could do that with a Prince Charlie either.

What I keep coming across on the forum is the use of a waistplate and fur/silver cantle sporran with a Prince Charlie jacket and no waistcoat at all. I don't know what to think of that.