Burns Night is coming. Formal on the cheap.

[usonian]

My formal jacket at the moment is a spencer jacket - I got mine third hand with silver celtic buttons already sewn on, and I'm quite happy with it until such time as I decide to invest in a PC.

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I believe it originally came from here -100% wool spencer jacket for $59.00.

I haven't worn it to a black tie event with lots of other kilted folks yet, so I can't speak to how many eyebrows it might raise... but at an event where most people aren't kilted you'll probably be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows the difference between a PC, spencer jacket, argyle, etc.

[Zardoz]

I did exactly what Allen suggests for years, although I prefer nicer shirts that you can get at Uniformal.
I recently 'upgraded' to a nice wool tailcoat that I got from a tux re-seller for like 40 bucks and had a local tailor modify into my version of a PC style jacket;


Total cost for the coat, tailoring and buttons was under 80 bucks, and is plenty good for the 2 or 3 black tie events I might attend every year

[Alan H]

I believe it originally came from here -100% wool spencer jacket for $59.00.

I haven't worn it to a black tie event with lots of other kilted folks yet, so I can't speak to how many eyebrows it might raise... but at an event where most people aren't kilted you'll probably be hard-pressed to find anyone who knows the difference between a PC, spencer jacket, argyle, etc.

That Spencer jacket looks like a good deal, actually. $59? Can't beat it. If I was going to be attending a black tie event, I'd be tempted...well... if they had a size that would fit me, but they only go up to 48 and I need a 50 or 52.

Yeah, the Uniformalwearhouse stuff is polyester. EEeeeeewww. ---> But so is your poly-viscose kilt, eh? Anyway, they don't claim to be the same stuff as wool, and if you've got a "wool budget" then absolutely, purchase a wool jacket. But if you don't have the budget, you're not completely stuck.