Coloured Waistcoats

[carlb]

In the dim and distant past I had a mustard yellow waist coat for day wear and loved it. Sadly it suddenly shrank, as they do and the last time I saw it, it was being worn by one of my nephews.

I picture this waistcoat underneath a tweed jacket, and it seems very hobbit-like, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Makes me wonder if any of the little folk wore kilts.

[saxandpipes]

I would love a red one!

I currently don't have any coloured waiscoats, with the exception of my white 3-button marcella one for white-tie (non-kilt). I never had the jacket to go with it, so haven't ever used it with the kilt. Perhaps when my new Regulation Doublet arrives! Incedently, what colour tie would one wear with a white waistcoat?

I would imagine white, but have always heard that black ties are worn (even for white-tie when wearing the kilt, excepting people from a particular region... and then, I would imagine, without a white waistcoat). I absolutely adore this picture and assume that everything is exactly as it should be, although, I do understand (perhaps wrongly) that this is uniform:



Cheers,

Michael

[Cygnus]

Michael,

If you're wearing a white marcella waistcoat, your tie ought to match; though you do have the option of wearing a black tie and coloured or black waistcoat to white-tie events when wearing traditional Highland dress.

Here's a picture of a white-tie reception held at Holyrood House to illustrate:

[CMcG]

Most Forumeers mention wearing black evening waistcoats when togged out for formal events, with a smattering of tartan waistcoats worn by some of more...advanced tastes. Seldom, though, do we hear about coloured waistcoats. I have a red one I sometimes wear, as well as a white marcella one.

What thoughts do you have about this very traditional bit of Highland haberdashery, the coloured waistcoat?

I'm betting that a lot of people buy their jacket and waistcoat as part of a matching set, which explains the dominance of black.

I recently acquired a used civilian mess jacket and it came with a waistcoat. Both are black but, unfortunately, the waistcoat fit too low on me and was sticking out from under the jacket. I swapped in a white waistcoat that I had sitting in my closet and was quite pleased with result. Necessity is the mother of invention

The waistcoat is backless, has a paisley pattern, and came from a second hand store. On eBay, I found a set of vintage sterling silver and mother of pearl buttons to jazz it up a bit.

In action:


Closeup of the waistcoat fabric and buttons:

[saxandpipes]

Michael,

If you're wearing a white marcella waistcoat, your tie ought to match; though you do have the option of wearing a black tie and coloured or black waistcoat to white-tie events when wearing traditional Highland dress.

Here's a picture of a white-tie reception held at Holyrood House to illustrate:

Thanks!

Thats what I would imagine. Thanks for posting this pic. It's also one of my favourites... Oh to have to dress up every time your cousins come to dinner...

[Cygnus]

Thanks!

Thats what I would imagine. Thanks for posting this pic. It's also one of my favourites... Oh to have to dress up every time your cousins come to dinner...

Just take a page from Hector MacDonald's book and do it anyway!

[saxandpipes]

Quite!

[creagdhubh]

No one place in particular comes to mind, I'm afraid. David is having Matt Newsome at STM make one. My red waistcoat is ancient. I've been told by my tailor that making up a properly fitting waistcoat is no easy undertaking, so I'd make sure that whoever makes it has made many, many waistcoats and is highly recommended.

I believe Kinloch Anderson makes up waiscoats in various colours and fabrics. In the MacLean Collection, I do have an old red waistcoat made by William Anderson, which unfortunately is much to small for me now!

Kinloch-Anderson is a good resource for bespoke and off-the-peg waistcoats, that is where mine are from.

Slainte,

[creagdhubh]

Just take a page from Hector MacDonald's book and do it anyway!

LOL! Quite!

[creagdhubh]

Quite!

Precisely!!!