Royal wedding inivtation: Dress

[MacMillans son]

London is hardly the "home region" of the kilt. There are a great many gentlemen from the Highlands who NEVER wear the kilt south of the Highland Line. They might wear it to a ball ( the Callie comes to mind ), but that's about it.

I guess I should clarify, I was using "region" to refer to that part of the world, not to infer that London was the home of the kilt. My concern was for someone outside of the U.K. to wear a kilt in "that part of the world", so close to the Highlands, to a formal day event, it may be assumed that the person is a Highlander. And, like the discussions in the thread about a non-Highlander wearing a kilt to a U.N function, that there may be a potential to be perceived as a "poser".

Regarding those who would "NEVER wear a kilt south of the Highland line", would a Royal wedding also be an example of when those same Highlanders may in fact wear a kilt outside of the Highlands ?

Respectfully,
Brooke

[thescot]

The upcoming wedding of William and Kate - The invitation states: " Uniform, Morning Coat, Lounge Suit". I'm curious as to what is the Mourning Coat equivalent when wearing a kilt. Would a person wear a jacket or doublet with Inverness flaps, Jabot, Cuffs: perhaps a jacket and gray silk tie?
It's not often we get to see such formal daytime events. A great opportunity to see the correct, accepted formal attire for military, kilted and non-kilted folks.

OK, I'll demonstrate my ignorance here.

There is a pretty big difference between a morning coat and a lounge suit. Does the invitation imply that either is correct?

[Jock Scot]

OK, I'll demonstrate my ignorance here.

There is a pretty big difference between a morning coat and a lounge suit. Does the invitation imply that either is correct?

Yes. For this specific event as it is the host's wishes. On another occasion the host's wishes may be different.

[Paul Henry]

OK, I'll demonstrate my ignorance here.

There is a pretty big difference between a morning coat and a lounge suit. Does the invitation imply that either is correct?

You could wear either, there is no suggestion that either is "correct"

[KenB]

Wow! a Freudian slip (mourning coat instead of morning coat) But since I wasn't invited perhaps mourning would be appropriate

[Brian K]

OK, I'll demonstrate my ignorance here.

There is a pretty big difference between a morning coat and a lounge suit. Does the invitation imply that either is correct?

Jim,

I don't think you're demonstrating ignorance here. You're simply reflecting the sartorial confusion represented by the invitation.

My guess would be that the protocol officials at Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office decided on this wording to increase the comfort level of foreign dignitaries attending who hail from countries where daytime formal wear is either unheard of or looked down on for cultural, political or ideological reasons. If the most formal ensemble ever worn in a country is a lounge or business suit then that would be acceptable.

Let's say the Obamas are invited. When was the last time you saw a U.S. President in morning wear, other than the marriage of a daughter? For some reason that eludes me, evening formal wear is considered the right thing to do in the States but should you presume to wear daytime formal wear (i.e. morning dress) you, at worst, appear to have adopted the affections of an effete elite who think they're better than everyone else. At best you seem to look quaint and old-fashioned to some. I'm not sure why people feel this way, but they do.

An example we frequently see along these lines is when the president gives a formal state banquet for a head of state or government of certain countries and we see the President in a tux or white tie and tails and the foreign leader in a business suit. This sartorial schizophrenia is a way of making sure that certain people are comfortable with the best that they have.

I dress quite casually most of the time and, while I own a black suit I do not own, nor have I ever needed, formal wear. I do wish, however, that people wouldn't look askance at formal wear and those who know how, and when, to wear it. There is little enough propriety and elegance in the modern world and we shouldn't squash whatever is left of it.

Regards,

Brian

[Jock Scot]

If the wedding in question was to be a full State Occasion, which it is not by the way, then the dress stipulations would have much less room for manoeuvre.

[JSFMACLJR]

To clarify, if I may, the "black kilt jacket" Sandy. I take it you mean the black, silver buttoned, barathea, argyll?.

Yes, I should have been clearer.

[fluter]

Let's say the Obamas are invited. When was the last time you saw a U.S. President in morning wear, other than the marriage of a daughter?

ON cursory research, Mr. Nixon's inauguration in 1969??? It's too bad (IMHO) that Mr. Carter went with the lounge suit, but it was characteristic of the time.

I feel I could come up with a decent kilted version using a charcoal barathea Braemar jacket (which I already have) & gray cravat. But the black Argyll would be more traditional.

Not sayin' I'd wear it in London, but I've worn the kilt from London to Dover. The only known pearl-clutching was from a lady of a certain age from central England (!) who was mollified by the usual genealogical introduction (Mum was a Wallace, her gran' was a MacGregor, etc).

[Jock Scot]

ON cursory research, Mr. Nixon's inauguration in 1969??? It's too bad (IMHO) that Mr. Carter went with the lounge suit, but it was characteristic of the time.

I feel I could come up with a decent kilted version using a charcoal barathea Braemar jacket (which I already have) & gray cravat. But the black Argyll would be more traditional.

Not sayin' I'd wear it in London, but I've worn the kilt from London to Dover. The only known pearl-clutching was from a lady of a certain age from central England (!) who was mollified by the usual genealogical introduction (Mum was a Wallace, her gran' was a MacGregor, etc).

Whilst it does not apply for the wedding in question, there is actually little room to manoeuvre in the Highland equivalent of morning dress. Tweed jackets certainly will not do and really in barathea, to coin a phrase, "you can have any colour you like---------as long as it is black". I can think of a few exceptions to this(3), but then they were "exceptions" in life too, but black is safest and the expected norm.