So I am still in the process of assembling my kit in a manner that allows me to wear the kilt to anything from a casual afternoon to a white tie function.

For black and white tie attire, the usual non-highland overcoat is a Chesterfield Coat. I searched on this here at X Marks and got only 2 threads that mostly discussed the Inverness Cape.

Now, I have an Inverness rain cape that is well made. I would wear it to highland games in the rain, or to some functions around my area casually if raining, but here in the USA heavy wool Inverness Capes most certainly give off a "I'm wearing a Sherlock Holmes period piece costume" vibe, at least IMHO. I am sure opinions vary and I hope none take offense to that as none is intended. I have seen many beautiful Inverness Capes, I just am not sure I personally could pull off wearing one here in the USA if I was out for a night at the opera in highland attire, or attending a benefit ball, etc.

SO, I am looking at appropriate alternatives to the Inverness Cape for the purpose of wearing as an overcoat with formal highland attire, either black or white tie. There would be the added bonus that such an overcoat could be used as a nice dressy coat for smart business look highland attire as well (if I am careful when I choose to wear it since a velvet collar can be a bit much for those types of occasions).

The only problem is that I have never seen anyone wearing the kilt under a Chesterfield Coat. Maybe I just need to get out more.

What do you all think of this notion? I am assuming that the coat would need to come mid-calf like a proper formal Inverness Cape, which is a bit longer than many Chesterfield Coats are sold these days. I was picturing it in nice charcoal tweed with a velvet collar in a traditional formal look but it would seem to me that to look nice it would certainly need to be longer than the bottom of the kilt so top of the calf would seem the minimum length to me with mid-calf being perhaps more suitable.

So my questions to the forum are:

1) Is this an appropriate overcoat for highland attire or is this a kilt-clad no-no? I realize that highland attire is free-wear and all the usual caveats but I'm speaking to the kilt police here as my purpose is for formal functions where do's and don'ts make a more critical difference in deciding what to put on. As MoR has mentioned before, with formal attire the point is to blend in and do it with aplomb rather than being remembered for an out of place component to your attire. Highland wear is already a stand-out most of the time where I am located so I tend to be more minimalistic and traditional/classic in my approach to wearing the kilt to formal functions as a rule of thumb anyway.

2) If it is, then does anybody have photos of themselves wearing the kilt under a Chesterfield Overcoat? I would like to see how you did it if so. If you think it is appropriate but with some specific caveats ("Have it made like this, not like that...," etc.) I would like to hear your opinions on that as well.

3) If the general feeling is that a Chesterfield coat should not be worn with highland attire, does the group feel that there is another acceptable alternative to the Inverness Cape for a formal overcoat or is that the only option?

I realize that the impressions of someone wearing an Inverness Cape may vary significantly from country to country. Were I living in Scotland I'm not sure I would have the same reservations about the Inverness Cape but living here in the USA is a bit different and I am loathe to ever have my kilt outfits come across to anyone at events I attend as a "costume." I'm out to rock the kilt like James Bond, not Sherlock Holmes (hats off to Robert Downey Jr. though for pulling off a James Bond-esque Sherlock Holmes variant--for the sake of this discussion though let's leave that out of it).

OK, have at it. I am quite interested in hearing opinions on this. As always, if I missed a thread that already debated this then feel free to point me to it with my apologies. I tried to search prior to posting and did not see an answer to this one.

Slainte