Silk Formal Waistcoats?

[Heming]

Some tailors do make backless waistcoats with working buttonholes, just as they might make functional cuff buttons on a jacket sleeve. But neither is necessary, and both are rare on mass produced garments. Buying a cheap one for a pattern and sewing a better one yourself sounds like a grand idea. I'd probably make the buttons functional, but I'm anal.

[Bugbear]

Ya, I'm just not able to make buttonholes by hand that all come out the same. I can, however, make the tiny holes required by removeable buttons. I can also use a templat to embroider buttonhole-like stitching; it just doesn't seem to work with real buttonholes.

I'm thinking that with a tartan waistcoat, a very small seam, like the darts on the front of a jacket, on a thick strip of interfacing of some sort, would make a very good edge of a closure without actually having to make a real closure that overlaps.

On the solid color waistcoat, I could always put a silk backing and removable buttons, making it a reversable waistcoat: silk on one side, wool on the other. Or some other combination for that matter.

I could, without much trouble, make a full back waistcoat that has a closure of some sort in the back and a non-funtional front. The jacket is supposed to never come off, so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

I think there's options here...

[Heming]

Options indeed! A picture progress report would be much appreciated once you start working. Keep us posted!

Oh, and btw many sewing pattern suppliers have waistcoat patterns in different styles.

[Cavebear58]

It' true if you don't buy the waistcoat with the jacket it may not match. So if both are black and don't match it looks like you tried to match them and were unsuccessful. So why not try a wool waistcoat that matches one of the brighter colors in your kilt? Perhaps a red or a yellow. Like the one featured here:
http://www.vestsbycharlotte.com/red-...html?cPath=2_8

I think it's a way to bring in some more color and the red always looks good at Christmas. Just my humble opinion.
Regards,
David

There's someone in the UK (Sussex, I think) who makes waistcoats to order. I think I saw her in an ad on eBay. She charges about £30 to make one, as they really aren't that complex. She also makes the point that a made-to-measure means you don't need that silly strap affair at the back.

If I was a little less pear shaped I'd definitely invest in a few.

All the best
Graham.

[Cavebear58]

I've been looking into the formal waistcoats and keep coming across silk waistcoats.

Any opinions about wearing the silk rather than the wool waistcoats with kilts?

While looking into this, I read, on a black tie attire advice site, suggestions that one should buy a black silk waistcoat rather than a wool waistcoat, if needing to add one to an outfit, because the black wool would never match the black wool of the jacket, and look mismatched.

Should I just ignore that advice and not worry too much about it?

Thank you.

http://www.mytuxedo.co.uk/waistcoats...Fc0B4wodAnladA

[Bugbear]

Ya, I've been looking at that site, only for this side of the Atlantic, and there's lots of things to sort through.

I guess I didn't really bring it up in this thread, but I found a tuxedo jacket of good quality wool and lapel facings. It fits well, though might have the sleeves shortened just a little.

The down side seems to be that it has notched lapels rather than peek or shawl, and it also has the same silk satin around the pocket slits as on the lapels. I don't know if people really do go around telling people who have notched lapels to fill their water glasses at black tie events.

I keep reconsidering converting this jacket into a formal kilt jacket because I will need to get tuxedo trousers, and a waistcoat to complete the outfit.

Balance that with needing to still get a waistcoat, but also silver buttons for the conversion, and I don't know what would be the most effective.

I'm just thinking over all of it while the jacket is at the dry cleaners...

[Bugbear]

Ok, after looking at several sites, I think I like this bow tie from Buy4LessTuxedo.
Cristoforo Cardi Luxury Silk Self Tie Bowtie

They also have this set.
CARDI Formal Cummerbund and Bowtie Set That is, of course the one with the self tie bow tie.

I'm still thinking that I will go with the wool, backless, formal waistcoat on this page from Uniformalwearhouse

I could at least use it as a pattern, or more as a model, for making backless waistcoats.

And I think the Spencer Waist Coat from World Wide Tuxedos would make a fine formal kilt jacket.
BTW, from the same site, here is a Neil Allyn tuxedo jacket that seems to be very close to the description of the tuxedo jacket I bought at the Good Will the other day.

When I get it back from the cleaners, I will look at where all the parts lay in relation to the fell of a kilt. With those notched lapels, it might make a conversion to a dress argyle. I will also look at how much material will be removed and usable on the sleeve cuffs, pocket flaps, and epaulets.

Then I will probably decide to not convert it to a kilt jacket, but I can't be sure right now. I guess it all depends on how big of a deal having notched rather than peaked lapels on a tuxedo really is.