'Kilt' Jackets

[McMurdo]

OK focusing on the jacket, a jacket like that is simply too long, it is done, however to my eye it always looks off, as you are covering quite a bit of your kilt. Most people will never notice, however if you are at event with people dressed in kilt jackets you will look the odd man out. Take a look at the 10 looks thread Jamie and myself did it shows how a kilt jacket looks with a kilt, much more flattering, if you ask me.

[macwilkin]

The jacket in the first photo (I believe that is the Scottish actor Brian Cox, btw) is not a Blazer, but a sportcoat. A Blazer is a double-breasted jacket, similar to a boating/rowing jacket or a reefer jacket, like the ones worn by Naval officers. A single-breated "blazer" is sometimes known as a "club jacket".

To me, a blazer isn't Highland attire, so it just doesn't look "right" to my eyes. It looks better with grey flannels or even tartan trews, such as Government Sett (Black Watch). I know the regimental association of the Cameronian regiment wears trews in Douglas tartan with single-breasted jackets in rifle green:

http://www.community-council.org.uk/...n%20Sunday.jpg

While you will find photographs from the mid 19th century showing some gentlemen wearing "sack suits" with kilts (the ghillies of the Balmoral estate and Prince Frederick William of Prussia, for example), I would agree with McMurdo that a "Saxon" jacket worn with Highland attire tends to stand out among jackets tailored to be worn with a kilt.

Regards,

Todd

[DWFII]

While you will find photographs from the mid 19th century showing some gentlemen wearing "sack suits" with kilts (the ghillies of the Balmoral estate and Prince Frederick William of Prussia, for example), I would agree with McMurdo that a "Saxon" jacket worn with Highland attire tends to stand out among jackets tailored to be worn with a kilt.Regards,

Todd

I'm not fond of the look, either. I don't think it works...in either example.

Of course the sack coat eventually evolved into the sports coat but it is my understanding that sack coats were originally a little shorter than a contemporary sport coat or blazer and had rounded rather than square corners. If so they might have worked a little better.

I might add that it was fashionable in the late 1800's to wear the sack coat buttoned at the top button only. Because the style was high gorge this allowed the rest of the jacket to spread in an inverted "V" from the button to the hips. You can see this a lot in photos of Civil War veterans in the 1880's and 90's when there were still enough of them to make photographing a reunion a snapshot of the larger society.

It's actually quite a conundrum because some of the nicest sports coats out there are Harris Tweed and they can sometimes be found for a song at SA or Goodwill, etc.. I have one I got for converting and haven't been able to bring myself to cut it. I had to get another that I liked a little bit less...which, fortunately, had some moth nips right in the area that was to be cut off.

[macwilkin]

One of these drawings from the Northern Meeting thread is a perfect illustration for this thread:



T.

[Bugbear]

Deleted

[Kiltman]

I was looking through a book with pictures from the 45. The illustrations (the photography was invented back then) show several different coats & kilts combinations. You don't have to have it cut away to get the sporran out. I do, however, believe it looks better if the coat is not too long.

[Stravaiger]

The length of the kilt is possibly also a factor in how the jacket looks. In both photos the kilt is relatively long to my eyes (personally I prefer my kilt to finish above the knee - so I'm biased), so the longer jacket doesn't look so bad. With a kilt finishing above the knee I think that it would accentuate the long appearance of the jacket & look much less of an outfit.