Waist coat? Or belt?

**Father Bill** · 3rd January 14, 06:46 PM

Totally and utterly agree with Jamie - the white gap between is horrendous... therefore, no belt, but rather suspenders covered by the vest. If indeed the jacket comes off, you still see a well but informally presented gentleman who can put his jacket back on if he cools down, or better still, offer it to his lady.

It has always fascinated me that men (who normally complain of the heat) wear a jacket, vest, long sleeves, etc. while women (who normally shiver if there's a window open anywhere in the building) are expected to walk around with bare shoulders and arms.

Yes the lady looks marvellous, but if she then wears a gentleman's jacket and he goes about with long sleeves and a vest, everyone smiles and thinks how feminine she is and how gallant he is. Everyone wins - she's warm, he's cool, and everyone thinks how wonderfully in love they are.

**Panache** · 3rd January 14, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

...no belt, but rather suspenders covered by the vest. If indeed the jacket comes off, you still see a well but informally presented gentleman who can put his jacket back on if he cools down, or better still, offer it to his lady.

The braces/suspenders idea advocated by Father Bill is one I endorse whole heartedly. It saves one the necessity of "hitching" up one's kilt after dancing vigorously. They keep the kilt exactly where it should be.

Cheers

Jamie

**Spartan Tartan** · 4th January 14, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by Panache

The braces/suspenders idea advocated by Father Bill is one I endorse whole heartedly. It saves one the necessity of "hitching" up one's kilt after dancing vigorously. They keep the kilt exactly where it should be.

Cheers

Jamie

How does one attach braces/suspenders to a kilt? I know in my trousers there is a button where they are buttoned into place. Would you use a similar method, or would you use the type of suspenders that "pinch" at the ends and essentially clip to your kilt--thereby requiring good tension in the clip and friction to keep them in place.

It seems to me that if I wanted to use my suspenders on a regular basis with my kilt (or even at all to be honest), I would have to get buttons sewn into the inside of the waistband. Is there another way?

**Father Bill** · 4th January 14, 05:56 AM

Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan

How does one attach braces/suspenders to a kilt? I know in my trousers there is a button where they are buttoned into place. Would you use a similar method, or would you use the type of suspenders that "pinch" at the ends and essentially clip to your kilt--thereby requiring good tension in the clip and friction to keep them in place.

It seems to me that if I wanted to use my suspenders on a regular basis with my kilt (or even at all to be honest), I would have to get buttons sewn into the inside of the waistband. Is there another way?

You're right. Just be sure to sew the buttons right through the various layers that support the kilt. If they're sewn inside they don't show even whether or not you wear the braces.

**OC Richard** · 4th January 14, 06:47 AM

Of course if you're wearing a dirk you would wear a dirk belt over the waistcoat

It was quite a fad, back in the 1970s, for pipe bands to wear Prince Charlies, without waistcoats, with ordinary shirts, long ties, offwhite hose, and ghillies. Some bands around here continued that look into the present century (with the offwhite hose becoming pure white hose in the 1990s)

**Manxstralian** · 5th January 14, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by OC Richard

Off-topic, but this is the COOLEST character ever! (no offense intended to his clansmen or relatives, but he looks like he's taking one for the team, and just wants to get back to the party) I saw this photo on another thread, and was blown away by how suave he looked...

Cheers,
Cameron

PS. How cool are his hose?! Matching nothing in the ensemble, but worn with such panache!

**MacLowlife** · 6th January 14, 05:57 AM

I can't find much in the above posts to disagree with, but I'd like to add a couple of comments. Saxon formal wear has a couple of cycles that go back and forth- vest/waistcoat or cummerbund is one and the other is wing or laydown collar. They go in and out of style. One looks cool and the other one looks dated. Or one looks classic and the other one looks fakey, contrived, inappropriate. You will see people on these pages endorse one collar or the other, but the cummerbund doesn't get much respect here. I am not endorsing a cummerbund with a kilt, though it can look pretty good. But I think the dirk belt and waistplate functions as a cummerbund would. Kyle, where is your picture of your Clan chief in a belt and black tie? As several people have noted, the belt doesn't tend to gap the way the waistcoat can, but the waistcoat does a better job of hiding a big middle.

On one thing we can pretty much all agree- absent a dirk, there is no point in wearing the belt AND the waistcoat- except to make the rental clerk happy.

**OC Richard** · 6th January 14, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Manxstralian

Off-topic, but this is the COOLEST character ever! ...blown away by how suave he looked...

How cool are his hose?! Matching nothing in the ensemble, but worn with such panache!

That of course is none other than Pipe Major John D Burgess, famous for his playing and for his style.

Entire threads here have been devoted to him and his fashion sense

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ess-mbe-67632/