navy mess jacket

[Biathlonman]

Notwithstanding all the advice you've had about removing insignia from your Navy mess jacket, you might consider trews as an option. Trews (tartan pants) were worn by officers I believe because they were more practical for riding in. (If I'm wrong here I'm sure an avalanche of corrections will follow)

If your mess jacket is white - and you have white in your tartan - it would look amazing.

I haven't seen trews mentioned in discussion threads yet but they would work, where a kilt might not look quite right with a mess jacket.

[Detroitpete]

Bill,
I think it looks good. Formal enough for sure...in the same league as the PC but a different cut... so as to be unique. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try one of these if I can get one large enough. After all, I'm not that 24 year old Machinist Mate anymore...
Rondo

Hey Snipe!

I think it will look great and still have a bit of a harken to the Navy. Good choice! I'd change the buttons out though ;)

[Drac]

Bill,
I think it looks good. Formal enough for sure...in the same league as the PC but a different cut... so as to be unique. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try one of these if I can get one large enough. After all, I'm not that 24 year old Machinist Mate anymore...
Rondo

Hey Snipe!

I think it will look great and still have a bit of a harken to the Navy. Good choice! I'd change the buttons out though ;)

Whach that snipe thing there. He might be a fresh air type, A-Gangers!!

I was a pit snipe the first time around. Got smart and came back as a twigget, an ET.

Back on topic though.

If you go with a mess dress get to a uniform shop and try them on. They run REALLY small for the sizing. Sometimes 2 or 3 sizes.

Jim

[Sir William]

My late father preferred a black mess jacket over the more traditional styles of Highland evening jackets. As long as there are no military buttons or rank insignia of any kind, it is a perfectly acceptable alternative to a PC, etc. Because of their cut they need to be worn with a 3-button waistcoat. While black is the traditional colour, either red or rifle green also work well with a mess jacket and kilt. The cummerbund is to be avoided at all costs.

I'm in total agreement with MoR. Since you're planning to replace the buttons you could perhaps find some with a nautical theme to them, such as an anchor or ship.

[Lyle1]

I was speaking to a man wearing a mess jacket (with pants) on New Years Eve. He is active with the American Legion and often wears it with medals, when appropriate. It did not have military buttons, and he said that he bought it quite reasonably from a formal wear rental shop.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I was speaking to a man wearing a mess jacket (with pants) on New Years Eve. He is active with the American Legion and often wears it with medals, when appropriate. It did not have military buttons, and he said that he bought it quite reasonably from a formal wear rental shop.

If buying from a formal wear rental shop, try on the jacket with your kilt to make certain that there is no gap on either the side or across the back of the jacket when sitting as well as standing.

[robbiethepiper]

I've just ordered a mess jacket from Mckenzie Frain. Rifle green, plain buttons. Find the style an interesting and valid alternative to "Prince Charlie" jacket. 40 years since I was in army. To those who opine that civilians ought not to wear military styling...Are all civilian pipe bands wrongly dressed?

[Biathlonman]

I've just ordered a mess jacket from Mckenzie Frain. Rifle green, plain buttons. Find the style an interesting and valid alternative to "Prince Charlie" jacket. 40 years since I was in army. To those who opine that civilians ought not to wear military styling...Are all civilian pipe bands wrongly dressed?

Looked up what you have on order from Mckenzie Frain. Quite a website, and if your mess jacket looks half as good as the photo, you're going knock 'em dead. Ladies should just take a number and stand in line.

Remember that the British military preserved highland dress for nearly 40 years while the civilian tartan was proscribed, so military styling is OK in my book.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Looked up what you have on order from Mckenzie Frain. Quite a website, and if your mess jacket looks half as good as the photo, you're going knock 'em dead. Ladies should just take a number and stand in line.

Remember that the British military preserved highland dress for nearly 40 years while the civilian tartan was proscribed, so military styling is OK in my book.

True enough, but during that period (and subsequent periods) military style was virtually the same as civilian style. What made it a uniform was the fact that identical civilian style clothing was worn by a mass of people for the purpose of group identification, something that did not happen in civilian society, with the exception of the "clan tartan". That being the case, it would seem that Highland attire, as we have come to think of it, has always been first and foremost "civilian attire" and it is for that reason that one tries very hard not to make it look like a military uniform.