Square Gold Kilt Jacket Buttons Anyone?

[Danny the Who]

I am looking for some gold buttons for my PC. Something just like the standard square silver ones that are already on it.

I've been searching the web and the only ones I can find are these:

http://www.duncan-house.com/buttons/kiltjacket/

They are 14K gold and $295 each! Very nice, but gold plated and much cheaper will do me nicely for now at least. Does anyone know where I can find some square gold buttons at a reasonable price please?

Also, I am thinking of having small eyelets put in my jacket so I can have the buttons attached with split pins. Then I can interchange the gold buttons for silver ones and also remove them for dry cleaning. I am hoping my local tailor can do the job. Has anyone done this? Is it indeed practical?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Bugbear]

The eyelets are a great thing to have on a jacket.

I'm not a fan of the square or diamond shape buttons on the kilt jackets, but I guess you could have them gold plated; I know you can have them silver plated.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As Ted has pointed out, you could have them gold plated at you local jeweler. But a word of caution here--

If you do gold plate your buttons you will also want to gold plate your sporran cantle, kilt pin, and everything else you wear with your kilt because the metals have to match. It's one of the social conventions of Highland attire.

The other thing to consider is how you will be seen (and perceived) by others. If you are a fairly wealthy Scottish aristocrat (or a famous rap star) you can probably pull it off. On the other hand, if you aren't a member of the landed/stranded gentry, most folks will think you are rather jumped up with your gold plated gewgaws.

There are a lot of things you can do to customize your coatee without causing folks to arch an eyebrow; Ted's suggestion of custom buttons being the easiest way to achieve a distinctive look.

Any local alterations shop should be able to fit eyelets to your coatee-- but, again a word of warning. They will have to be extremely careful when putting in the eyelets to make sure they are even on both sides of the jacket, otherwise the buttons won't "line up" on the breast of the coatee.

Of course, you could dispense with the buttons on the left, and arrange your right hand buttons to be closer together on the edge of the jacket below the lapel, as with ordinary suit coats. Add matching button holes on the left side and you have a Prince Charlie coatee that looks very much as they did when they first appeared on the scene, low! those many years ago.

[MacAngus]

They have a bunch on ebay search under kilt jackets

[Danny the Who]

As Ted has pointed out, you could have them gold plated at you local jeweler. But a word of caution here--

If you do gold plate your buttons you will also want to gold plate your sporran cantle, kilt pin, and everything else you wear with your kilt because the metals have to match. It's one of the social conventions of Highland attire.

The other thing to consider is how you will be seen (and perceived) by others. If you are a fairly wealthy Scottish aristocrat (or a famous rap star) you can probably pull it off. On the other hand, if you aren't a member of the landed/stranded gentry, most folks will think you are rather jumped up with your gold plated gewgaws.

There are a lot of things you can do to customize your coatee without causing folks to arch an eyebrow; Ted's suggestion of custom buttons being the easiest way to achieve a distinctive look.

Any local alterations shop should be able to fit eyelets to your coatee-- but, again a word of warning. They will have to be extremely careful when putting in the eyelets to make sure they are even on both sides of the jacket, otherwise the buttons won't "line up" on the breast of the coatee.

Of course, you could dispense with the buttons on the left, and arrange your right hand buttons to be closer together on the edge of the jacket below the lapel, as with ordinary suit coats. Add matching button holes on the left side and you have a Prince Charlie coatee that looks very much as they did when they first appeared on the scene, low! those many years ago.

If I were a wealthy Scottish aristocrat I'd go for the solid gold ones. I guess that is who generally buys them (or maybe its the rap stars...)

Nice thing is if I get the eyelets fitted I'm completely flexible. I have just been examining my PC and it seems that the buttons are already fixed through slits and retained on the inside with tiny rings (like tiny key rings). The problem is that the lining is sewn over this. Maybe I can just get a slit cut in the lining to access these. Anyone done this?

[Danny the Who]

They have a bunch on ebay search under kilt jackets

Great lead thanks

[Bugbear]

I would look over the lining of your whole jacket to see if there is an access opening in the lining that you can reach through to get at the split rings. I have no idea why there would be eyelets for the removable buttons and no way to access them. Same for the sleeves.

[JSFMACLJR]

The problem is that the lining is sewn over this. Maybe I can just get a slit cut in the lining to access these. Anyone done this?

One nice thing about my bespoke doublet is that the tailor inclubed coverings for the inside buttonholes, so that they are hidden from view.

The first photo shows the inner lining on the front of the jacket. the rings holding the buttons are under the little stip of fabric:


Here you can see the inside better:


Here is the same deal on one of the flaps:

[JSFMACLJR]

The other thing to consider is how you will be seen (and perceived) by others. If you are a fairly wealthy Scottish aristocrat (or a famous rap star) you can probably pull it off. On the other hand, if you aren't a member of the landed/stranded gentry, most folks will think you are rather jumped up with your gold plated gewgaws.

There are a lot of things you can do to customize your coatee without causing folks to arch an eyebrow; Ted's suggestion of custom buttons being the easiest way to achieve a distinctive look.
.

Rathdown is quite right. Gold buttons would be "too much", I believe, and you most likely would be perceived as some sort of nouveau. Granted, some old chaps have gold buttons which have been in the family for generations, but most of the Highland grandees of my ken stick with silver.

[Bugbear]

That's a bit like what I was planning for my evening Argyle, JSFMACLJR. Thanks for describing the flaps.