contemporary dressy/formal

[mull]

I greatly appreciate MoR's concise guide for levels of dress. As someone who lives in the midwest USA, I can say that there is no event I have not seen overalls worn at.

Formal levels of dress and rules that may apply are mostly non-existant here, although the all black mafia look is the most common to be attempted. This is probably what leads to my intense dislike of the all black look.

One thing most appealing to me about highland dress is all of the color and variety. Attempting to make it as drab as possible seems completely wrong.

Joe

[Tobus]

I'm in the same boat with gordontaos and mull. The term "formal" around here can mean anything from black jeans and bolo tie to a rented tuxedo. The term "white tie" does not compute with most people in this region.

For that reason, I much appreciate simple primers like the one MoR posted, or the "1 kilt 10 looks" thread. While there are some looks or levels of formality that I would never have reason to wear, it's good to at least know what they are.

What's funny, though, is that even though traditional dress/formality rules are not well understood, most people can at least tell the difference between "traditionally well-dressed" and "modern adaptation that doesn't look quite right". And some of the looks in the OP just seem to fall into the latter category, at least to my eye.

[Jock Scot]

I'm in the same boat with gordontaos and mull. The term "formal" around here can mean anything from black jeans and bolo tie to a rented tuxedo. The term "white tie" does not compute with most people in this region.

For that reason, I much appreciate simple primers like the one MoR posted, or the "1 kilt 10 looks" thread. While there are some looks or levels of formality that I would never have reason to wear, it's good to at least know what they are.

What's funny, though, is that even though traditional dress/formality rules are not well understood, most people can at least tell the difference between "traditionally well-dressed" and "modern adaptation that doesn't look quite right". And some of the looks in the OP just seem to fall into the latter category, at least to my eye.

Yes,I can see your problem and I suppose that is the problem of wearing another cultures attire out of context.OK, forget the weather that you have over there, it is a problem that you have to contend with, whatever culture you have.If it were me out there I would want to dress as traditionally(tartan kilt) as I possibly could so that maybe someone may recognize my outfit for what it is.I would not veer from that route so as to avoid any misunderstandings from the less well informed.

So what to do? Shirt sleeves and kilt sounds as though that might be "well dressed" for you chaps, so go for it! Shirt and tie would be "pretty formal" for you? Well go for it! Black tie,white tie,formal evening dress don't belong in your world----so don't worry about it!

[JSFMACLJR]

So what to do? Shirt sleeves and kilt sounds as though that might be "well dressed" for you chaps, so go for it! Shirt and tie would be "pretty formal" for you? Well go for it! Black tie,white tie,formal evening dress don't belong in your world----so don't worry about it!

Very well put, Jock.

[Lyle1]

The men in the photographs at the beginning of this post, are all young. Like it or not, they don't want to look like their grand-daddies or dress in costumes, a la the Highland Gentlemen. I think it is encouraging that dressier kilt accessories that appeal to a younger market are even being designed. Classic styles change with each generation; the width of ties, lapels, pant legs, the number of buttons on a jacket all change, but the classic look usually remains. I wouldn't wear my grandfather's tux, and I wouldn't expect a twenty-something to wear a traditional PC to nightclub.

[macwilkin]

The men in the photographs at the beginning of this post, are all young. Like it or not, they don't want to look like their grand-daddies or dress in costumes, a la the Highland Gentlemen. I think it is encouraging that dressier kilt accessories that appeal to a younger market are even being designed. Classic styles change with each generation; the width of ties, lapels, pant legs, the number of buttons on a jacket all change, but the classic look usually remains. I wouldn't wear my grandfather's tux, and I wouldn't expect a twenty-something to wear a traditional PC to nightclub.

I would kill to have my grandfather's tux, or at least one of his suits. At least I have a couple pairs of his cufflinks.

I'm not big on the generalisations, especially the assumption that all young people don't want traditional things. This sort of thing goes on in the church I attend all the time (not our local parish, mind you), and yet our parish has a number of late 20 - early 30 somethings who love tradition and don't like the modern or "hip".

T.

[JSFMACLJR]

The men in the photographs at the beginning of this post, are all young. Like it or not, they don't want to look like their grand-daddies or dress in costumes, a la the Highland Gentlemen. ... I wouldn't wear my grandfather's tux, and I wouldn't expect a twenty-something to wear a traditional PC to nightclub.

If your grandfather's dinner jacket was cut in a traditional, classic style, I certainly would expect it to be wearable today! I wear all sorts of my late grandfather's clothes: evening dress, morning dress, kilt stff, hunting clothes, etc. I wear them with pride, actually.

And what exactly do you mean by: "they don't want to look like their grand-daddies or dress in costumes, a la the Highland Gentlemen." ? Costumes??? That's rather insulting, no? And who do you classify as part of this group "the Highland Gentlemen"?

[Phil]

n costumes, a la the Highland Gentlemen.

Whether you like it or not is immaterial but you are treading on insulting and contentious ground by describing our Scottish national dress as a "costume". Because it is not your traditional dress gives you no right to deride the culture of others to whom it belongs.

[Jock Scot]

Whether you like it or not is immaterial but you are treading on insulting and contentious ground by describing our Scottish national dress as a "costume". Because it is not your traditional dress gives you no right to deride the culture of others to whom it belongs.

I could not find the right words Phil. Your words portray exactly what I was trying to say------- only you have said it diplomatically!

[wildrover]

I recognize "Taos formal"...it sounds exactly like "Moab formal"!

The ruche ties scream "I'M TRYING REALLY HARD!"...as does the black on black color scheme (for that matter, so does the grim thug look).

Unless you are Johnny Cash, may he rest in peace, put some color in to it.

My favorites of the photos posted thus far, and what I will attempt to emulate in some fashion, are Newsome's, the Duke's, and Alliance's...they look like gentlemen, not guys who threw a dark kilt in place of dark slacks. The latter looks like it's trying way too hard to be different.

Tell me if my following estimates are correct:

Duke of Rothesay is wearing business/official function attire. To my eye, it's the cut of the jacket, color and style of the shirt and tie, the hose tops with solid hose, and the brown sporran with black shoes...in other words, everything works together to give the impression of clothing for official functions or the daily business of being the Duke of Rothesay. It looks like it falls squarely in MoR's "before 6PM but not casual" list.

Ancienne Alliance looks to be wearing a kit that falls in the dinner/party/theater "after 6PM" category, and it would work for more formal events, but I don't know which..."Denver formal" is a bit above "Boulder formal", which is barely above "Taos formal" and "Moab formal" (ie "wear your clean hiking boots" ), so I'm a little inexperienced. With a plainer sporran (and maybe buckle-less shoes), it'd be business/official/formal before 6...to my eye, this looks like formal clothing a guy could wear the entire day, and just change the sporran and possibly shoes, while everyone else is changing most of their outfit. I'll be taking a lot of cues here...very nicely done!

Matt looks formal in every sense of the word, after 6PM, wedding, theater, and so on. Like the Duke of Rothesay's outfit, everything is working in unison to give a particular look.

All three kits use color effectively. Something else I noticed...the three outfits I mentioned look classy without trying. Frankly, I want to look that way. Some of the "contemporary formal" hire photos look like Kilted Jersey Shore.

-Sean