How to Complete this Outfit?

[MacLowlife]

The depth of the gorge of formal vests has not ALWAYS been low. Granted, it was low in the golden age of modern formal wear, but there have been two waves of high cut black tie vests since WWII. (and substantial periods in earlier centuries when high cut vests were the norm)

I do prefer a lower gorge for black tie, but I expect your vest will look great with a bow tie. If you aren't convinced, look for pictures of men in 3 piece (daywear) suits with bow ties. Those vests are almost always of the higher variety.

How is your vest bottom when worn over the kilt?

Too bad you aren't yet knighted- I suspect that is how The McGregor gets his medal.

[CMcG]

The depth of the gorge of formal vests has not ALWAYS been low. Granted, it was low in the golden age of modern formal wear, but there have been two waves of high cut black tie vests since WWII. (and substantial periods in earlier centuries when high cut vests were the norm)

I do prefer a lower gorge for black tie, but I expect your vest will look great with a bow tie. If you aren't convinced, look for pictures of men in 3 piece (daywear) suits with bow ties. Those vests are almost always of the higher variety.

How is your vest bottom when worn over the kilt?

Too bad you aren't yet knighted- I suspect that is how The McGregor gets his medal.

Good eye on the vest bottom M'LL. It is a tad long and causes me to wear my sporran a little lower to compensate. I have considered turning the peaks under, pinning them, and ironing the fold flat to see if looks good enough to take to a tailor for a more permanent solution.

As for the gorge of my vest, I did some Google image searching. I will definitely try out the black bow tie but the examples I found of high cut tartan waistcoats worn with kilts all have either cravats or long ties:

Fellow Xmarker M.A.C. Newsome:


Actor Allan Cumming (I believe he wore this outfit when he received the Order of the British Empire)


Absentee Xmarker Paul:




From the Clan Grant Society US website:


And from the Pride of Scotland website, a model wearing a ruche tie which we shall now ignore

[svc40bt]

I suggest the pleated front fold-down collar shirt, black studs, black bow tie, black cap toes, and either the fur or hair sporran.

[Spartan Tartan]

I'm following the tie conversation, and I believe a bow tie will look good. Hard to say without trying the whole thing on, but I can't see that the vest is cut to high for a bow tie at all.

[Downunder Kilt]

Forgot about "which sporran" The fur would go well, but for top of the line presentation, I'd go for the hair sporran.

[longhuntr74]

unless you have some aversion to the bow tie, I'd say it's quite proper and will look dashing. I think that a three button low cut vest looks a bit out of place with an Argyll jacket. I'd stick with the higher vest. A low cut vest, probably in white, is essential for white tie...but then you'd also need a doublet or PC. Your current rig is a bit dressy for semi-formal (though if you lost the tartan hose would be perfect, IMO)...and is perfectly black tie with a turn down collar shirt. Don't listen to those that say "too much tartan". I say that rig is oustanding!

Sporran? Either hair, fur, or leather...so long as it has a chrome / silver cantle...or is the proper type of fur that could serve as either informal or formal.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

With a white dress shirt and a four-in-hand tie this would be perfectly acceptable for dressy day or evening wear, although I might forgo the diced hose for day wear unless the event was very formal.

With a formal evening shirt and a black bow tie this would be perfectly acceptable as formal Highland attire. I personally think a fold-over collar works better than a wing collar, especially if the bow tie is self-adjusting rather than made to your collar size.

I would bin the flashes (they look cheap) and go with proper garters-- green or yellow would be my choice.

I like your sporran choices, although I'd advise spending a bit extra for a silver plated cantle rather than going with pewter or chrome plate. You might also consider a full-mask muskrat sporran which is appropriate for all levels of dress, day or evening (well, all levels of dress except white tie!).

All in all, it's a great ensemble!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

This may come as a bit of a shock to some of you out there, but (ignoring the Docs, tolerating the sporran, and being slightly disappointed by the length of the jacket) I think this is an absolutely smashing outfit, and in the best possible taste for day wear or dressy evening wear. It doesn't quite work for formal evening attire due to the super-abundance of tartan, and the boxy (and slightly too long) cut of the jacket. However, a three-button waistcoat would lessen the tartan "shock and awe" and help it make the transition to formal Highland evening attire, although this might tend to emphasize the boxy look of the jacket.

A solid "10" for day/evening wear, but only an "7.5" (with a three-button waistcoat) as formal attire.

From the OMG! Book of What Not to Wear:


Sorry, but this is just... unfortunate. The skinny, "Frank and the Rat Pack" tie is totally wrong (as is the wimpy looking wing collar). A Sheriffmuir, with its very high waistcoat, especially when it is in tartan cut on the bias--which looks smashing-- is strictly a formal evening wear jacket, and as such only looks its best if worn with a jabot or stock, as was intended by the designer who popularized this style of jacket about forty years ago. The fact that the jacket is about two sizes too large (look at the length of the sleeves!) doesn't help, nor does the blinding white sporran; against a dark tartan anything this bright becomes the total focus of attention (which, considering the tie may be no bad thing).

A big "0" , a total Goose Egg, for day wear, the Sheriffmuir is always a "10" when it comes to formal attire, especially when worn with a tartan waistcoat cut on the bias; but as seen above it struggles to score a measly "4.5".

Like I said... the best of times, and the worst of times. Or should that be ties?

[SlackerDrummer]

On these points, we completely agree.

[JSFMACLJR]

With a white dress shirt and a four-in-hand tie this would be perfectly acceptable for dressy day or evening wear, although I might forgo the diced hose for day wear unless the event was very formal.

With a formal evening shirt and a black bow tie this would be perfectly acceptable as formal Highland attire. I personally think a fold-over collar works better than a wing collar, especially if the bow tie is self-adjusting rather than made to your collar size.

I would bin the flashes (they look cheap) and go with proper garters-- green or yellow would be my choice.

I like your sporran choices, although I'd advise spending a bit extra for a silver plated cantle rather than going with pewter or chrome plate. You might also consider a full-mask muskrat sporran which is appropriate for all levels of dress, day or evening (well, all levels of dress except white tie!).

All in all, it's a great ensemble!

Rathdown's advice would be mine, exactly.