The Varieties of Traditional Experience: To Jabot or not To Jabot

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

It advertises to all and sundry that the wearer is totally ignorant of what a clan badge is, who it belongs to, and how it is properly displayed or worn.

According to Lord Lyon Sir Thomas Innes of Learny in Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands (page 521):

"The Chief's 'strap and buckle' badge... is worn by all 'his clan', not as 'theirs', but as showing they are his clan and following. The crest is legally an armorial bearing and the property of the Chief or Chieftain."

Now the Chiefs, speaking through the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, have indicated that the "clan badge" should be worn as a bonnet badge, or a brooch, or as a decorative item applied to certain licensed items-- sgians dubh, for example. And that's it. (Individual Chiefs may have authorized some clan officers to wear the "clan badge" from a ribbon worn about the neck as indicative of their office within the clan-- which is of course their right as a Chief-- but as far as I am aware none have approved the wearing of their badge by their followers in imitation of one of Her Majesty's Orders of Merit or Honour.)

So, by taking a clan badge and attaching it to a ribbon, and then wearing it in imitation of an order of merit or honour, or in an attempt to "pass oneself off" as an officer or functionary of a clan, shows either extreme ignorance, or a conscientious desire to deceive people into believing that the wearer is somehow entitled to some sort of deference to which he clearly is not entitled.

[creagdhubh]

Precisely - David and Scott...well stated indeed! I could not agree with you two gentlemen any further.

[MacLowlife]

I am not going to bother with the ceangail, which doesn't really offend me. If nobody wants it, they will not buy it. If they do want it, they can either buy it or copy it. Like so many items of clothing, it is not to my taste, but let's face it: If we do not embrace a few iffy choices in our youth, what will we regret in our old age? Nik Nik shirts do not go with the kilt, either, but that didn't stop me from thinking they were pretty cool in 1975...

BUT I am posting in reply to MacBug's questions about the jabot and other alternative formal wear. The first place I would send you is the costume department of any James Bond movie, specifically the villain department. They almost ALWAYS wear some unusual form of formal wear. Of course, some of the things Roger Moore got up in were a little far afield as well. The next place I would send you is the Ralph Lauren website. Mr Lauren sells a lot of traditional formal wear, but he seems to favor the slightly unusual and the slightly offbeat as well. Red tailcoats anyone? Tartan just about anything? I have a shirt sold under his name that is made up like a wing collar tuxedo shirt (pleated bosom, French cuffs, etc) - in a fashion tartan resembling the Dress Gordon. Now nobody can call THAT traditional. Now and then, Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto will draw up and sell some confection in black intended to be worn to formal events.

And finally, I commend The (original Patrick MacNee) Avengers to you for some cool retro formal concepts.

I offer all of this to show that formal wear is usually conventional, but not always, and the person who chooses to stray from the conventional path will probably be either mocked or admired (or blown up) based on factors beyond his choice of neckwear. My guess is that he will swim or drown based on his confidence and savoir-faire.


But it never hurts to have a muscular henchman in tow.

[Bugbear]

Don't forget the guy with stainless steel teeth, MacLowlife. He might make a good doorman...

I'll just plan on coughing up a tuxedo if anything ever happens. Nothing wrong with that.

[Cygnus]

And just when I was thinking about getting one to replace the damaged ribbon on my 'social honor'

I should have said civic rather than social.

I believe my social honour has been damaged beyond repair!

[Bugbear]

And while I'm at it, I like those evening shoes with buckles. I'm talking specifically about the single buckle up on the instep where laces would be, with round not pointed toe.

They look nice, from what I remember.

Not sure those would go with a tuxedo, though...

[Jack Daw]

All I can say after reading this thread is that I hope no crofter has come up with a black jabot to add to the confusion.

[Bugbear]

All I can say after reading this thread is that I hope no crofter has come up with a black jabot to add to the confusion.

I think someone brought up black stocks.

I have decided to get in touch with my inner blandness, and now believe in black bow ties for black tie attire; self tie, of course.