Waistcoats

[Randycan]

Can one peers tell me if there is a big difference in waistcoats for suits vs for day wear with a kilt?
I can find waistcoats(vests) everywhere. Are they cut different? I see the jackets are cut differently, and supposed to stop at the top of the kilt.
Starting one piece at a time.....

Thank Y'all.

[CollinMacD]

Regarding waistcoats, its more of the design style rather the length of the waistcoat. Depending upon the style of Kilt Jacket, you either have 3 button like the Prince Charles or Argyle which is considered formal wear, however the Argyle Jacket can be less form and made in tweed but still a 3 button vest. The jackets like the Doublet, Crial, Sheriffmuir, or Balmorals that have ornamental buttons usually have 5 button vests, but depending on the design and cut dome Doublets and Balmorals you can wear the three button vest. There is a logic, but sometimes it can get confusing, as now you can get straight vests, or pointed vests, vest with pockets, covered pockets, solid backs same material, or silk backs, and goes on and on. My rule of thumb I use, if the jacket has three button I wear a three button best, If it has more I wear the 5 button higher collar vest.

[KiltedSergeant]

My rule of thumb I use, if the jacket has three button I wear a three button best, If it has more I wear the 5 button higher collar vest.

What is a high collar vest? Thanks!

[Father Bill]

What is a high collar vest? Thanks!

Five buttons.

[KiltedSergeant]

Five buttons.

The way he wrote "5 button high collar vest", I thought it was a special style of 5 button vest, with a particular collar. Thanks!

[CollinMacD]

What is a high collar vest? Thanks!

High Collar



Low Collar



19th Century Tab Collar Vest (usually Military)

[Jock Scot]

Speaking from a traditional Highland Scots point of view and in general terms.

Tweed is never formal kilt attire so a three button tweed waistcoat is not worn( in 70 something years I have never seen one). For morning dress equivalent ( formal daywear) then a black barathea silver buttoned argyll(BBSBA) and five button waist coat is worn with a drop down tie. Regardless of what the hire companies might come up with, what I have described is traditional day kilt attire.

For smart evening attire then the tweed jacket and five button waistcoat is worn. For formal evening attire(dinner suit/tux) then with the black barathea silver buttoned argyle (BBSBA) and/or the Prince Charlie jacket then the three buttoned(or even, the more military close spaced four button look) evening dress waist coat is the style to wear.

As to pockets, silk backs, collars, straight cut bottoms etc., then these are really more of a detail that can be left to personal preference if you are having a bespoke outfit made, if not, you probably have to make do with what you are given.

[Tobus]

Personally, I don't think most regular (non-kilt) waistcoats work with a kilt. They're just too long and interfere with the sporran. Or at least that's been my experience. However, some do happen to work, depending on the cut. It's just sort of hit-and-miss. I have a couple of non-kilt waistcoats that happen to work with a kilt if I wear my sporran just a smidge lower than normal. In general, though, I think any non-kilt waistcoat could be altered at the front to either flatten the bottom or do a cutaway to eliminate sporran interference.

[kingandrew]

As noted, much depends on the cut of the vest. I find that flat-bottom vests seem to work better than the ones with points at the bottom.

Much also depends on the occasion. Going to the pub may allow for a wider range of fit than going to a tartan ball or Burns Night.

One word of advice: don't wear the vest with your kilt belt, as they will interfere with each other and look messy together.

And if you're going to wear a vest, consider looking into a pocket watch and chain. It really looks sharp with a vest.

Andrew

[OC Richard]

Usually the various heights of the "V" in both jackets and waistcoats are described through the number of buttons.

So in ordinary suit jackets "two button" "three button" and "four button" have the buttoned area getting larger, the "V" getting higher, the opening getting smaller. Yes you could have three jackets with the same "V" and having more and more buttons crammed into the same space, but usually suits aren't like that.

Similarly with waistcoats the waistcoat worn with a Tux or Prince Charlie Coatee are often described as "three button" and they have a long low "V" opening while the standard waistcoats worn with Argyll jackets are called "five button" and have a much shorter "V" giving a smaller opening. Though true waistcoats with the same "V" are sometimes seen with only four widely-spaced buttons or six closely-spaced buttons.

Waistcoats of various number of buttons and "V" heights might have no lapels, narrow lapels, or wide lapels.

About non-Highland waistcoats, I have three that I regularly wear with kilts, they all work fine.



There's a common problem with people wearing waistcoats that are too short AND kilts that are too low AND belts... the three combined make for a very bad look...