Quote Originally Posted by WBHenry View Post
The traditional silver buttons on the Argyll, however, are having an adverse affect on my very parochial psyche!
I suffer exactly the same problem. One of my colleagues wears a black clerical shirt with standard 5 button black vest and an Argyll jacket but I simply do not like that look. I often wear just the black shirt and an Argyll jacket because I think that looks better, but it still does not quite work for me

I have made a clerical vest that looks similar to this one



but I made it in black barathea to match the Argyll jacket and the buttons are the small silver "lion rampant" buttons that also match the Argyll

The only problem with this is that you are still very "bright" as there is too much silver for my tastes so I think the far better alternative is actually Matt's suggestion. Use the standard clergy vest (or a black-buttoned barathea version) with a simple Braemar jacket, the kind that has black buttons at the front and a single lack button on each cuff. That should really give you the highland equivalent of a priest's black suit and clerical vest

Quote Originally Posted by WBHenry View Post
I checked and the Argyll does have shank buttons with pins, but they are located inside the coat lining
There is usually a slit somewhere inside the jacket that will allow access to remove the buttons. It may be in the centre back lining or at one of the side seams. Buttons on the cuff sometimes have a slit in the lower sleeve lining, pocket flaps underneath the flap and PC tails at the top of the tail lining on each side. If these openings are not there it is easy enough to open the lining enough to get a hand in and then slip stitch it closed after changing the buttons