what formal events do you attend, and...

[Asser 1]

from what I've heard, you're missing a great time then. A friend of mine was the featured entertainment at that event several years ago, and he said it was a lot of fun.

I hate to say it, but threads like this one always make me cringe a bit, because they always seem to bring out the "I hate/don't do/etc. formal attire or events" comments. Horses for courses, but there are some of us here who enjoy said events and getting dressed up for such an occasion.

T.

T,

I resemble those remarks.

M.

[timseh]

Very rarely for me with the exception of the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball which is black tie, Dress Blues with Medals and Honors or Service Dress Alpha for those active Marines not issued Dress Blues. Senior officers usually attend in Mess Dress.

This year should be interesting as I'm attending in Full Highland attire including my Leatherneck Kilt and PC. The guest of honor this year is the Commanding General, 4th Marine Division. I'm guessing I'll be the only one kilted there. I'll be interested in the general's reaction, especially since I'm to be called before the ball to be recognized for work I've done with the Marine Corps League.

[auld argonian]

Two of the notable events that I've gone to Black Tie and Kilted:

The Richard Driehaus Architecture Award Dinner. That was fun...one other fella showed up kilted, a student from Notre Dame as Mr. Driehaus is a big supporter of the architecture program at ND. I ended up getting pulled over for speeding on the way home and was really hoping that the copper wasn't going to say, "All right, step out of the car.", cause I really didn't want to have to explain the whole regalia to a cop in the middle of the night on Ashland Avenue.

The dinner for the opening of the new wing of the Chicago Art Institute. I walked in and was immediately surrounded by the press. It took several minutes to assure them that I was, indeed, nobody of any great importance and make the point that if no one else had shown up in a kilt, it wasn't my fault. Had a few of the smarmy art crowd make snide comments but the people that I like that were there seemed to appreciate my having taken all the trouble to make it a special occasion.

My observations on wearing a kilt to a special event are these:

You will invariably have a certain percentage of people who will assume that you did it to draw attention to yourself. This reflects more on their insecurities and need for attention than anything else. Sorry to "upstage" you, my dears, but this is what I wear...deal with it.

The other is that you will always get one guy who will come up and say, "Oh yeah...y'know, I've got a kilt too." At which point I try to get a very honest and innocent look on my face and ask, "Then why aren't you wearing it?" This is where the fella usually changes the subject.

Best

AA

[Panache]

Alan,

Even if you only wear your formal rig once a year, isn't it still wonderful to look so dapper for that one night?

You may never need of it to attend any other formal events but isn't it a nice thing to have the option?

When you are invited to attend a premier at the the SF Opera in a box seat you will smile to yourself and know that in your closet you are prepared to escort the Luminous Joan in style.

Cheers

Jamie

[JSFMACLJR]

I think it was Cajunscot who said he dislikes this sort of thread because of the "I hate this" or "I hate that" overtones. I agree, but what I dislike even more is the "us versus them" attitudes. "Hell no, I won't wear a monkey suit! Only the spoilt, arrogant, elites dress up to look silly. I like to be comfortable! Nobody can tell me how to dress!"

Well, assume all you want to.

I wear a dinner jacket maybe 8 or 10 times a year. We are invited to a number of black tie events here in Kentucky. Some are charity events; some are just plain old dinners or parties at friends' houses. When I was younger and used to attend all sorts of debutante events, it would not have been inconcievable to wear black tie to 20 or 30 events in a year, and white tie to six or more! Ah, youth.

We are invited to a number of white tie events each year, as well--mostly hunt balls and that sort of thing. It is sad, though, to see that even at these white tie events, a great number of men dress in dinner jackets.

I wear the kilt to formal white/black tie events maybe four times a year. My family, though, dresses for dinner quite often, and usually on these occasions-- and also whenever Sara and I have a black tie dinner party at our house (maybe once a year)-- I wear the kilt.

I am perfectly comfortable wearing a dinner jacket, white tie, the kilt, and even breeches (which I have worn with my green beagling tailcoat to hunt balls). I have only owned (or inherited ) my own clothes, and would feel quite ackward wearing rented things. But that's me...don't worry about it!

[davedove]

I always wonder about some of the folks who say they avoid going to these events because they are formal. Is it because you just dislike the idea of formal events or that you don't have the attire and don't want to put it together?

If you just dislike the idea of formal, that's your business, but I think you're missing a fun time.

Now, if you just don't have the attire, you will find that once you have the attire and are prepared, they are not near the same hassle as before. You don't have to worry about putting together the outfit and with that bit of worry behind you, you can enjoy things a lot more.

[irishrob]

I usually attend a couple of charity galas a year as well a Christmas or winter ball or two....as my wife says I am always the best dressed whether wearing a PC and vest or for less formal, Argyle.

So being ruggedly handsome and the best dressed is the curse of being formall kilted.

Rob

[Arlen]

I rarely get invited to anything that is 'SPECIFICALLY' black or white tie, but I attend formal events where I feel happier if I am nicely attired.

[MacLowlife]

Alan, others have seen that your question is really a two-parter:
1) Do you go to black and white tie events , and
2) Do you get really dressed up in your kilt?

Like JSFMcL, I don't do as much of that sort of thing as I used to, but I wear (Saxon) white tie once or twice a year. It is definitely worth having your own, just to avoid the cheesy rental shirts. We are really talking about one more coat and a good wing-collar shirt, along with the white tie and vest. The trousers are your regular tux pants.

My black tie participation varies greatly. In my neck of the woods, plenty of weddings are black tie, or at least held at the time when black tie would be appropriate. Again, I don't do as much of that as I once did, being in that trough between your own friends having fancy weddings and your own friends' CHILDREN having fancy weddings.

I can't remember being much more frustrated than when I had to rent nasty made-up "formal wear" to match other groomsmen in a couple of weddings. There is something very sensible about a groom who says "We will all wear our own tuxes."

But I have rambled on and risked missing out on this very important point. As brother McLean already implied, the answer is HAVE YOUR OWN BLACK TIE FUNCTION. If you want to go to black tie parties, host one and see what happens next.

As for kilted black tie, my local group of miscreants have two events, around St Andrew's day. They bracket what we sometimes call Dress Up and Drink week. Monday is our Annual Meeting, which is black tie and stag. Saturday is our Tartan Brawl, which is black tie ( and not stag .) In the days between, several unrelated (Non- Scots) organizations have parties that also happen to be black tie. It is a rough week for the liver.

[auld argonian]

Mulling this thread over, I thought that I might throw in my thoughts about when you wear the "conventional" dress outfits versus when you wear the kilt.

In my case, I wear both (not at the same time, obviously) just to make the point that when I wear the kilt it is by CHOICE. I think that this is important because it makes it clear to the folks around you that the kilt should be considered a normal part of your wardrobe otherwise the assumption may be that you are just wearing it to draw attention, be contrary or to make some kind of abstract point. I'm sorta more into trying to make kilts part of the norm an not some kind of exception and mixing it up seems to accomplish that end.

I've mentioned one couple that I know who got very weird about my showing up at their events kilted...this being pretty odd to me since the husband is of Welsh Ancestry and seems to be very proud of it. I've stopped wearing it to their events. It takes a while but eventually one or the other of them will ask why I'm not wearing the kilt. My reply is very straightforward: I know that it makes them uncomfortable and even though I feel that by wearing it I'm honoring their hospitality by showing up in what I consider to be my "best", I will make them feel more comfortable by wearing "conventional" dress at their functions and save the kilt for other functions where it's more welcomed. This has been the best reverse psychology ever. Now they're actually starting to feel insulted that I'm not showing up in the kilt.

So I suggest that you mix it up just to keep them on their toes.


Best

AA