Tie with a Prince Charlie

[Phil]

Here is a useful guide to dress for a 'black tie' event - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture...t-experiments/ - which is easily adapted for a kilt and PC.

[Chas]

Here is a useful guide to dress for a 'black tie' event - http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture...t-experiments/ - which is easily adapted for a kilt and PC.

Excellent link, Phil!

I think the best reply is on page two -

Failing to observe the dress rules is either arrogance or ignorance.

Regards

Chas

[Tobus]

My 2 cents:
There is a pic floating around of Tobus wearing a long tie with a mess style coat [similar to a PC] that looks okay, but it is possible it looks okay because he is a more slender fellow [don't think I could pull off the look being a phat bistid].

LOL, I was afraid someone was going to bring that up. Yes, I tried out this look a couple of years ago when preparing for my step-daughter's wedding. Proportionally and visually, I didn't think it looked bad at all, especially since the horse hair sporran draws the eye. But after being quickly corrected on the fact that this was mixing different levels of dress, I chose instead to wear a bow-tie to the wedding. And looking back, yes, it does look "odd" from the perspective of mixing a formal jacket with a long tie. I wouldn't recommend doing this, as it would cause the awkward cringe-factor later on. But since you brought it up, here's the photo in question.

Again, I do not recommend this. But just to show what it looks like when you wear a long necktie with a short formal jacket (mess jacket here, but PC would be about the same):

[Phil]

I thought this section was particularly relevant to the thread -
"Bow tie: Black Tie does not mean a black necktie: they are for funerals and downmarket actors. Bow ties should be hand-tied (Her Majesty the Queen is said to be able to spot a ‘fake’, pre-tied bow tie a mile off.) If you cannot tie one, then I suggest you learn."

[unixken]

I thought this section was particularly relevant to the thread -
"Bow tie: Black Tie does not mean a black necktie: they are for funerals and downmarket actors. Bow ties should be hand-tied (Her Majesty the Queen is said to be able to spot a ‘fake’, pre-tied bow tie a mile off.) If you cannot tie one, then I suggest you learn."

How could anyone pull off that classic "James Bond, Casino Royale, I just got poisoned" look, with a clip-on bow-tie.

[JSFMACLJR]

Here's a wild suggestion. How about one of these?



Tie...not the rest of the outfit.

That's nothing more than a bow tie with the ends tucked under the collar.

[Gauranga]

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for the many helpful replies. Let me clarify some things to answer some of your questions.

-The wedding will be held outside in September around 2pm.
-It ceremony is a semi-formal event (at most).
-The reception immediately following will be casual.
-We have convinced nearly all of the male guests to wear a kilt, many of them will be renting. Unfortunately I can't find a rental house that rents anything other than a PC. (we live about an hour outside of Philadelphia) Renting a jacket isn't a requirement but what should we recommend to our guests for an overall dress code? Jacobite shirts are not an option
-I already own an Argyle and 5 button waistcoat (and love it!)
-My fiancés objection to bow-ties are mostly that they will be too formal for the event (she also just doesn't like the look of them on most men).

I don't want our guests to rent anything too formal. I'd rather them be a little more casual and comfortable. But that doesn't mean I want them hanging around in t-shirts.

Sorry for making an initial simple question and turning it into a complicated issue. But, as always, I couldn't think of a better group of people to ask. You guys are the best.

[Tobus]

Daytime wedding, and not formal? Definitely go with the Argyll jacket and regular tie. It's perfect for that.

Maybe have everyone else just wear a waistcoat and tie? This will be September, so it could still be hot outside. And that would still look dressy, as well as provide them with a low-cost alternative to a jacket. If you're in PA, you're not too far from USA Kilts. He sells waistcoats for around $100.

[Llama]

Waistcoat and tie is exactly what I was going to suggest too. Most summer / early autumn weddings that I've been to in the past few years have gone with this look and it always looks great to me.

[Tony]

Rocky at USA kilts is starting a rental line.
Give him a buzz to see if he can do Argylls. He's only an hour away.