Jacket advice

[Tommy Hunt]

What's ok to wear with a jacket (maybe an argyle) and kilt? I don't like ties, at least not for casual wear and I'm wondering if it's acceptable to go tie-less with a shirt or even a t-shirt. What type of upper wear is ok with a jacket and kilt? Thanks.

[PiobBear]

What's ok to wear with a jacket (maybe an argyle) and kilt? I don't like ties, at least not for casual wear and I'm wondering if it's acceptable to go tie-less with a shirt or even a t-shirt. What type of upper wear is ok with a jacket and kilt? Thanks.

An Argyll jacket isn't "casual wear", and would look goofy as Hell with an open collar or T-shirt. It's worn with a dress shirt and tie.

[Mark Keeney]

Open dress shirt would be fine. If you like it and are comfortable with the way it looks, go for it. No one is going to take your kilt away.

[cavscout]

An argyle jacket would look strange to my eye without a tie. Now if you had a very simple tweed or corduroy coat (no gauntlet cuffs or epaulets) so it had more of a sport coat look you could probably pull it off. It would not cost much to take an old sport coat to a alteration shop and have it re-cut into a kilt coat.

[Tommy Hunt]

Open dress shirt would be fine. If you like it and are comfortable with the way it looks, go for it. No one is going to take your kilt away.

Yeah I generally go with what's comfortable to me but I'm such a newbie with this I gotta ask. My idea is to learn the tradition/rules so at least I know when I'm breaking them.

[McMurdo]

I've seen the Argyll worn with a mock neck sweater, however by definition it is a semi formal to formal jacket depending on the material and buttons used so wearing it with a t-shirt would not do. I have also worn an Argyll with a dress shirt without a tie however not often.

So you could wear it like this:


or perhaps this:


But the best way to wear it would be something like this:

[Tommy Hunt]

An argyle jacket would look strange to my eye without a tie. Now if you had a very simple tweed or corduroy coat (no gauntlet cuffs or epaulets) so it had more of a sport coat look you could probably pull it off. It would not cost much to take an old sport coat to a alteration shop and have it re-cut into a kilt coat.

There's a point. I did find one guy without a tie in an argyle:

http://www.kiltsatjakes.com/tweed-package.html

A couple more tie-less ones:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/h...ilt/html/8.stm

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/viewP...89812441362290

And Rod the Mod in his Prince Charlie:

http://mytartan.bpweb.net/bmz_cache/...ge.150x168.jpg

[Tommy Hunt]

I've seen the Argyll worn with a mock neck sweater, however by definition it is a semi formal to formal jacket depending on the material and buttons used so wearing it with a t-shirt would not do. I have also worn an Argyll with a dress shirt without a tie however not often.

Thanks McMurdo. All look pretty good to me.

[cavscout]

The first pic doesn't do it for me. It could be that all 3 components are the same material and then he has a simple plain white shirt on. Perhaps a darker green shirt to contrast with the jacket and vest would help. I like the outfit in your second link. the shirt being black looks like it is part of the outfit rather than a shirt worn with the outfit. I also notice that in all those photos the subject is wearing a vest. Visually, this may be a substitute for the tie to some extent. Matt's photo in your third link comes off much more casual due to the tweed pattern of the fabric. I'm much more partial to having the vest and coat contrast a bit like in this photo
http://lh6.ggpht.com/macnewsome/RilO...JPG?imgmax=576

And then of course, Rod Stewart can get away with pushing the fashion edge

Keep in mind, wearing a kilt is about as flashy as I get in my wardrobe. For the most part, the tartan is the most colorful thing I will wear. Shirts, hose, coats and vests will typically be a solid color that contrasts and/or compliments a color in the tartan. So take any of my preferences as very conservative.

[davedove]

An argyle jacket would look strange to my eye without a tie. Now if you had a very simple tweed or corduroy coat (no gauntlet cuffs or epaulets) so it had more of a sport coat look you could probably pull it off. It would not cost much to take an old sport coat to a alteration shop and have it re-cut into a kilt coat.

I'm going to have to go with this point of view as well. A normal argyle is just a little too dressy to wear without a tie with the cuffs and epaulets. Something less ornate that mimics a sport coat would work okay.

McMrudo's examples illustrate this to my eye. While there is nothing "wrong" with his first outfit with the open collar shirt, it just seems a liitle incomplete to my eye. I believe it is the cuffs on the jacket; without those I think the outfit would be fine.

Oh, and don't do the t-shirt and jacket thing. I never have liked that look.