Wearing Band Kilt?

[Flatlander Bob]

Hi All,
Boy this is a cool forum. It is always nice to deal with thoughtful people!
My Band provides me with a very nice Kilt and black waistcoat.
I do not have a have a jacket yet. With a nice shirt and a nice tie
would this be an acceptable in stead of a conventional suit and tie?
Thanks, Bob.

[cessna152towser]

It all depends on the circumstances as to whether a kilt rig can substitute for a conventional suit, and if you are intending on wearing it for business I would advise that you should first sound out the attitude of your employer.
Here in Scotland, before I retired, I worked as a Town Hall Manager and as a District Court Legal Assessor where I quite often wore a black kilt and black Argyle jacket as a business suit. There are a few kilted lawyers around the Edinburgh courts circuit. I don't know how the kilt would be accepted in USA. My limited experience of USA has been holidays (vacations) and I have only visited three states out of your fifty (California, Massachusetts and New Hampshire) where I have worn kilts daily and found folks to be about equally kilt friendly as they would be here in Scotland.

[Tarheel]

The advantage you have Bob is the kilt. The rest of the ensemble can be adjusted up (semi to formal) or down (polo shirt, boots and flop hat) as needed. I would look to find a style of jacket, tie (vest if wanted) to meet the needs of the event you wish to attend. Shop for the particulars that fit your personality or your "color wheel" priorities.

[OC Richard]

I know that in pipe bands it's standard practice nowadays to wear a waistcoat without jacket.

But in non-pipe band situations, if you're somewhere where the men are in suits, you should wear a jacket.

Specifically a tweed jacket, say Lovat Green, Lovat Blue, or grey, or what have you, if the other men are in suits.

The black Argyll jackets with silver buttons is the standard piper's jacket, and for sure if you're piping at an event it's common for the piper to be dressed at a somewhat fancier way than the other men attending. But really black Barathea with silver buttons means Evening Dress, suitable for a function where the other men are in tuxedos.

I know the Scots will jump on me saying that there's no such thing as a correspondence between the various levels of ordinary men's wear and the various levels of Highland Dress, but for me it's common sense and "the eye test". If the men are in various-coloured suits, I'll wear something that has the appearance of being at a similar level of formality, a tweed Argyll. If the men are all in black, I'll wear a black Argyll. If the men are all in tuxes with bow ties, I'll wear a black Argyll or Prince Charlie and a bow tie.

I don't know of an accepted level of formality where the men would all be in waistcoats without jackets.

[Father Bill]

I don't know of an accepted level of formality where the men would all be in waistcoats without jackets.

Pub party, after the main event.