Picking the right jacket

**Highlander31** · 10th September 13, 08:58 PM

Steve, nice look.

What tartan is that?

**CMcG** · 11th September 13, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by cortezcapt

... Something that could be worn for nice day wear as well as semi formal evening wear. Mostly I'm looking for something I can wear to a wedding, funeral, christenings, dinners, and maybe once or twice a year for dinners on a cruise. As of now I have 2 suits that serve these purposes interchangeably. Living in Florida ...

The kilt equivalent of a suit is an Argyll jacket. The comments about a dress Argyll (black barathea with shiny metal buttons) would be more useful if cortezcapt needed to also do formal wear, where a black tie rig is required. He has suggested, however, that the events he will attend would be suit appropriate, rather than tuxedo oriented. Downunder Kilt also made a good point about a dress Argyll traditionally being for morning dress. Nonetheless, in practice it often gets used as a catch-all for very dressy (dark suit equivalent) with a long tie, up to formal (tuxedo equivalent) with a black bow tie, which can be made more effective by the use of swappable buttons.

cortezcapt would be better served by a different Argyll. Given that he lives in Florida, the traditional tweed version wouldn't serve him well in the heat. I think MacLowlife hit the nail on the head with a suggestion for a lightweight, kilt cut jacket in a darker colour. You could get one with swappable buttons and alternate between horn for less dressy and shiny metal for more formal. Perhaps something like the ones that Steve suggested or else the ones made by New House Highland (Matt Newsome):

http://www.newhousehighland.com/jackets.php

**tulloch** · 13th September 13, 03:27 PM

I do like my Lovat Green Argyle jacket for a versitile garment. By the way, that is now my desktop image. Great stuff!

**Nathan** · 10th November 13, 08:21 AM

Warning: longwinded post regarding jacket formality...

I recently put out a call in the "wanted" section for a dark coloured jacket that could fill a void in my wardrobe. As I mentioned in that post, I had 4 jackets: A lovat green tweed jacket with Braemar cuffs, A black Prince Charlie coatee and waistcoat, a black velvet single-breasted Montrose-like doublet, and a bottle green barathea wool Balmoral doublet.

Given the versatility of the tweed, I didn't really "need" another jacket, but I don't live in the Highlands and although in Highland attire, the tweed is a business suit equivalent, I found there were occasions when the country/sporting/professorial look that tweed evokes to the uninitiated eye left me feeling slightly underdressed. I wanted something I could wear to a funeral or someone else's wedding so I put out the call on on xmarks and a local Torontonian member came through for me. What he sold me was the ubiquitous black argyll with shiny metal buttons as well as a charcoal argyll in a subtle herringbone suiting wool. Jock often points out that the black barathea argyll could do double duty with swappable buttons and I think CmcG made that point earlier in this thread, but a) I don't really like to wear black before 6pm and b) Since most of the buttons were sewn on, switchable buttons would have required some surgery to the lining.

While the tailoring quality of the black Argyll was far superior to the charcoal, after some alterations, I'm quite happy with the look of the charcoal for as long as it lasts and thought it would be a good suggestion to many.

The charcoal Argyll came with faux horn buttons. I'm not a fan of faux horn button although I quite like authentic horn buttons. To my eye though, the horn button gives the jacket a day wear look and pulls it toward the tweed end of the spectrum. Not my goal since I have that covered.

In the end, I changed the faux horn to black leather buttons and am quite happy with the result. I think the black barathea argyll with silver buttons is quite a fancy look. Its perfect to wear to your own daytime wedding as it is a morning suit equivalent. Although you can get away with it in a number of situations, I don't think it's perfect for anything besides a formal daytime event or a very fancy evening event that isn't black tie. Sure you can wear a three button waistcoat and bowtie and it will work but in my opinion, a coatee or doublet fits that level of dress better.

In contrast, this slightly less formal look is perfect for the Remembrance Day concert I played last night and would be ideal for a funeral, someone else's wedding or anywhere that a dark suit would de rigeur among those attired in the Saxon tradition. I could also comfortably wear it for day wear when it's too warm for the tweed since the leather buttons aren't too over the top for that.

So now...the photos

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Click image for larger version.

Name: Clanranald Taran kilt with charcoal argyll.jpg
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Certainly, the suit jacket like options that both Steve and Matt offer would be perfect for this purpose also.

**CMcG** · 10th November 13, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Nathan

Warning: longwinded post regarding jacket formality...

I recently put out a call in the "wanted" section for a dark coloured jacket that could fill a void in my wardrobe. As I mentioned in that post, I had 4 jackets: A lovat green tweed jacket with Braemar cuffs, A black Prince Charlie coatee and waistcoat, a black velvet single-breasted Montrose-like doublet, and a bottle green barathea wool Balmoral doublet.

...

With the additions of the dress barathea Argyll and charcoal suiting wool Argyll, you've really got all the bases covered, eh?

**knotty** · 10th November 13, 11:31 AM

I dont think you can go wrong with a tweed jacket in black/charcoal/grey. It will cover any occasion but black tie. As Steve's pix show, you can add a vest for a different look.