Evening Wear Ensemble

**MacKenzie** · 21st December 21, 12:37 PM

Very sharp!

I prefer the black bowtie. To my eye it pulls everything together.

**Kriegbert** · 21st December 21, 07:00 PM

Nathan, your belt seems a little tight, disrupting the silhouette of the doublet? Are there hooks at the waist so the belt can be worn a bit looser?

**Father Bill** · 21st December 21, 07:59 PM

You're a fashion plate, old friend!

**OC Richard** · 21st December 21, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jock Scot

The outfit is very green.

It could be worse...(though he did miss the mark on the bag-cover)

**Jock Scot** · 22nd December 21, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

It could be worse...(though he did miss the mark on the bag-cover)

Hummm, we are not comparing apples with apples though. Nathan is very smartly attired in green Civilian kit attire and your picture depicts a very smart entertainer clad in piping attire. The two examples are not comparable.

**Nathan** · 22nd December 21, 05:27 AM

It sounds to me as if yours is a Kenmore doublet rather than a Balmoral doublet. I’d have to see it, of course, but the collar is the primary difference between the two. A Balmoral doublet has a lay down collar and a Kenmore has a stand up collar.

Originally Posted by Troglodyte

I would say that is a splendid doublet..!

But mainly as I have almost exactly the same garment in an almost identical shade of green - only mine has plain silver buttons (completely smooth) and I find the collar prefers to stand, rather than lie flat as you have yours. The bulk of my jabot pushes against the lapels to keep them open, but they have sufficient resistance to support the jabot.

I have not thought of wearing it with a black tie (a regulation doublet does that duty) but I might now be tempted to try, seeing how yours has worked.

Another difference is that mine has a five button closure, with four silver 'show' and the bottom one plain as it is hidden under the belt.

Also, mine gets worn with an essentially red tartan kilt, with matching tartan hose - so I trust it would pass Jock's 'too green' test..!

**Nathan** · 22nd December 21, 05:29 AM

Good eye. They actually made it a bit too small for me on its largest setting, but I put it on for a photo before I sent it back for this to be remedied.

Originally Posted by Kriegbert

Nathan, your belt seems a little tight, disrupting the silhouette of the doublet? Are there hooks at the waist so the belt can be worn a bit looser?

**Patty Logan** · 22nd December 21, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Nathan

So, I've been putting together this evening ensemble slowly over the past few years. Recently, I purchased the belt buckle from OC Richard and a patent leather belt from L&M Highland Outfitters to complete the ensemble. (I neglected to wear my sgian dubh when snapping the photos.) I've shown how the outfit looks with the black bow tie and with the lace jabot and cuffs.

Other items of interest include:

Vintage Balmoral Doublet by McLaren (Glasgow, Scotland)
Goat Hair Sporran Moloch by Margaret Morrison Ltd (Perth, Scotland), with a Sterling Silver armiger crest badge by silversmith Jason Bellchamber (London, ON, Canada)
MacDonald Lord of the Isles Hunting Tartan kilt by Burnett's and Struth (Barrie, ON, Canada)
Bespoke Tartan Hose by Gail Piché (Hamilton, ON, Canada)

There is a thistle motif on the cantle, the buckle, my buttons and my show buckles, and the shoes, belt, and sporran cantle all have patent leather.

I tend to pay a bit more attention to coordinating these details with evening wear than I would with day wear.

Hope you enjoy.

How much do you think it’s worth?

**Troglodyte** · 23rd December 21, 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by Nathan

It sounds to me as if yours is a Kenmore doublet rather than a Balmoral doublet. I’d have to see it, of course, but the collar is the primary difference between the two. A Balmoral doublet has a lay down collar and a Kenmore has a stand up collar.

Yes, I would agree...

But the collar on mine is intended to fall open to reveal the jabot, or whatever the tie being worn. The buttoning stops well below the throat like a Balmoral, and unlike other Kenmores I have seen, which button-up right to the top.

The collar on your doublet is lying turned down - can it be worn standing up with a jabot, like a Kenmore? If so, the versatility of the collar, and therefore the style of tie options, is the main difference and an obvious advantage.

Incidentally, mine has a Campbells of Beauly label and I believe dates from the late '50s or early '60s, and is in a doeskin-like fine Melton cloth.

**Nathan** · 23rd December 21, 05:44 AM

Originally Posted by Troglodyte

Yes, I would agree...

But the collar on mine is intended to fall open to reveal the jabot, or whatever the tie being worn. The buttoning stops well below the throat like a Balmoral, and unlike other Kenmores I have seen, which button-up right to the top.

The collar on your doublet is lying turned down - can it be worn standing up with a jabot, like a Kenmore? If so, the versatility of the collar, and therefore the style of tie options, is the main difference and an obvious advantage.

Incidentally, mine has a Campbells of Beauly label and I believe dates from the late '50s or early '60s, and is in a doeskin-like fine Melton cloth.

I can wear mine standing up but would have to pin the two sides together under the jabot. I’d like to see a pic of yours.