IN-formal Evening Attire Question

[artificer]

Here's a question I've had building for a while...

What is the appropriate leather colour for an INformal evening? Is it what you dressed in for the day?

I find the image of a whole pub full of Scots rushing home at 5pm to change their brown leathers for black so they can all get to a casual dinner properly turned-out a tad silly.

If you dressed for the day/afternoon, is brown leather appropriate for a casual evening?

As to the term 'casual', I mean dinner at home (or a friends, or casual restaurant) where MOST won't even be wearing a jacket.

Perhaps the root of this problem is the very casual nature of American dress... but I'm putting the question out there.

[acolander]

Here's a question I've had building for a while...

What is the appropriate leather colour for an INformal evening? Is it what you dressed in for the day?

That would be the usual and more convenient option, what one is already wearing..

If you dressed for the day/afternoon, is brown leather appropriate for a casual evening?

Most certainly.. but only a light or med/russet brown during the day and ox blood/cordovan for after 6pm, lest one wishes to chance being denied entry until a more appropriate brown colour casual evening shoe is donned.. ;)

But not really though.. ;) Any colour and/or shade will foot the bill in this instance..

[MacLowlife]

If you look around, you can find people who wear just about anything and everything when entertaining a few friends for supper. If we are to believe the movies, this can go right up to and include velvet dinner jackets and ascots. If we are to believe beer commercials, this includes sweats and athletic jerseys. I try not to be the only person in a jacket or the only person NOT in a jacket. Since it is easier to take one off than to produce one from one's sporran, I'd vote to take one if there is any question.

I had written an erudite and amusing ( not to mention lengthy) disquisition which I have just retracted, since not a word of it mentioned the original topic. I believe the traditional daywear color for shoes is black, even if you wear a brown belt and sporran. The exception would be true countrywear brown shoes or boots, which might be a touch casual for jackets, but probably fine for sweaters.

[Jock Scot]

In all honesty most Scots would not wear the kilt to those sorts of occasions, jeans and some sort of shirt(not a T shirt) seem to do these days. However, for the sort of event you are talking about, brown leathers will be fine.

[davidlpope]

Duplicate Post

[davidlpope]

I find the image of a whole pub full of Scots rushing home at 5pm to change their brown leathers for black so they can all get to a casual dinner properly turned-out a tad silly.

If you dressed for the day/afternoon, is brown leather appropriate for a casual evening?

Where are you getting the notion that black leather = formal? Many kilt belts worn during the day are black and black full brogues are the go-to for daytime footwear. Even black leather sporrans are worn during the day, since it's really the style of the sporran, rather than its color, that determines its level of formality.

My thought is that about the only part of formal THCD that would necessarily be black leather during an evening formal event is a dirk belt, if a waistcoat isn't worn or a dirk is. Sporrans would be either fur, hair, or mask, a metal sporran chain (or perhaps a black or white patent leather strap) would be used in place of a leather strap, and shoes would be highly-shined black or patent leather buckle brogues or slippers.

My guess is that if the occasion is not formal, then most Scots would probably wear the same sporran/belt/shoes combination they wore durng the day. (Which would probably be a misture of brown and black, anyway...)

As Jock is wont to say, "Enough of this matching business!"

David

[artificer]

Most certainly.. but only a light or med/russet brown during the day and ox blood/cordovan for after 6pm, lest one wishes to chance being denied entry until a more appropriate brown colour casual evening shoe is donned.. ;)

...I try not to be the only person in a jacket or the only person NOT in a jacket. Since it is easier to take one off than to produce one from one's sporran, I'd vote to take one if there is any question.

I had written an erudite and amusing ( not to mention lengthy) disquisition which I have just retracted, since not a word of it mentioned the original topic. I believe the traditional daywear color for shoes is black, even if you wear a brown belt and sporran. The exception would be true countrywear brown shoes or boots, which might be a touch casual for jackets, but probably fine for sweaters.

I always strive for the same as well, which in most circles in America today means "I'm wearing dockers and a short sleeve broadcloth shirt, I MUST be dressed"
I'm proud to say that I don't own a pair of dockers.
I'd like to see your disquisition, should you care to retype it.

In all honesty most Scots would not wear the kilt to those sorts of occasions, jeans and some sort of shirt(not a T shirt) seem to do these days. However, for the sort of event you are talking about, brown leathers will be fine.

It's kind of sad that the Kilt is considered a "special occasion" garment (or worse, an American TOURIST garment) for most in Scotland today.
Thanks, I was assuming that brown sporran /straps would be okay, but wanted to bounce it off the experts.

Where are you getting the notion that black leather = formal? Many kilt belts worn during the day are black and black full brogues are the go-to for daytime footwear. Even black leather sporrans are worn during the day, since it's really the style of the sporran, rather than its color, that determines its level of formality.

My thought is that about the only part of formal THCD that would necessarily be black leather during an evening formal event is a dirk belt, if a waistcoat isn't worn or a dirk is. Sporrans would be either fur, hair, or mask, a metal sporran chain (or perhaps a black or white patent leather strap) would be used in place of a leather strap, and shoes would be highly-shined black or patent leather buckle brogues or slippers.

My guess is that if the occasion is not formal, then most Scots would probably wear the same sporran/belt/shoes combination they wore durng the day. (Which would probably be a misture of brown and black, anyway...)

I wasn't assuming that black = formal so much as brown /= formal (with the implication that evenings are generally more formal than day events). I'm well aware that many casual bags are in black, but it's rare that you'd see a BROWN sporran at an evening event. THAT, to me anyway, raises the issue of the brown belt/sporran/strap in the evening (casual or otherwise).

The rest of the tiers of formality I'm pretty familiar with, there are plenty of threads dealing with day wear and evening wear. My original question was dealing with the particular situation I hadn't seen discussed on the board yet- the 'casual' evening, or "wearing brown into the night"

edit: BTW- Isn't white patent leather limited exclusively to Military dress (or royal dress, since they usually have military titles as well)?

Thanks all for your thoughts and help on the matter

[wildrover]

"I'm wearing dockers and a short sleeve broadcloth shirt, I MUST be dressed"

Seeing as how I tend to phrase that as "I MUST be a clone", I will raise several beers to the following:

I'm proud to say that I don't own a pair of dockers.

Neither do I, brutha . Cheers!

It's kind of sad that the Kilt is considered a "special occasion" garment (or worse, an American TOURIST garment) for most in Scotland today.

That's cuz most of 'em these days came up from the Lowlands and England...the Highlanders for the most part moved to Australia, Canada, and America. razz razz razz razz LOL!

I think David put it best, in that style, not color, defines formality. There are certainly tartans which will combine better with a brown or black sporran, but not necessarily both equally.

Ok, I am just in a razzy sort of mood today. Somebody post something sartorial, so I can let out a good snark.

-Sean

[freddie]

I think that brown leathers are perfectly acceptable for casual evening functions. I always used to wear a black Argyll jacket with silver buttons and either a semi dress or silver dress sporran to these type of events but I sometimes felt a bit over dressed and now I always wear my 'Day Dress' of green tweed Argyll jacket, brown belt and plain brown sporran (and brown gillie brogues!). In fact I always feel more comfortable dressed this way. It really depends on the type of 'do' that you're going to and you just have to use your own judgement.

[MacRobert's Reply]

If it’s not a black or white tie do in the evening, then brown leather is fine.

My son was married on Friday afternoon in kilt, tweed jacket and waistcoat, tan sporran and tan semi-brogues. I was in a tweed jacket with tan belt and sporran and black brogues. The best man was wearing a tweed jacket and waistcoat, black sporran and black brogues. We all went to the evening reception in the same clothes.

Photographs to follow later.