Since the Prince Charlie coatee and the Montrose shell jacket were introduced in the 20th century, at the time which Highland outfitters/tailors were producing catalogues, we can see how the firms which made them presented them to the public.
Over and over it was stressed that the Prince Charlie was suited for young slim fashionable men, and the Doublet was recommended for mature gents.
With the Montrose it's interesting that it's initially shown as a youth's costume, and the catalogues generally have it modelled on what appear to be teenagers or perhaps men in their early 20's.
These attitudes have gone by the wayside and at events I usually see Prince Charlies worn by older (and often rotund) gents. I hardly see the Montrose at all these days, though it was very popular in the 1940s and 1950s.
Being a large person myself, I can say that the most flattering cut for me is the Argyll, especially when buttoned and no bulky waistbelt or waistcoat worn under it.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
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