One kilt, several looks. A canny Scot's take.

[Leonhardt]

Looking sharp

[CMcG]

Calgacus,

Thanks for taking the time and effort to put that together. You look great and your commentary is very useful. Great quality on the photos too, which helps to see all the nice details clearly!

A minor point, you might notice that I fasten all the buttons on my waistcoat. I believe that is the done thing with highland attire, and besides, I'm not a corpulent prince. The Kinloch Anderson chap above seems to have forgotten to button his...

Personally, I tend to leave the bottom button undone on my long waistcoats (5-6 buttons). This is not because of any perceived rule, nor any desire to break convention, but rather because it prevents them from puckering when I sit down. This may be a question of fit relative to waistcoat length, kilt height, and torso size... but I'm not a "corpulent prince" either! I suppose if it was really "just not done" I might consider undoing the bottom button while sitting and doing it up when I stand... I've seen pictures go both ways and it certainly doesn't seem to raise much fuss here on Xmarks...

[Nathan]

Duke of Windsor bottom button of pointed waistcoat undone.



Duke of Rothsay, bottom button of pointed waistcoat undone



Several open here




Rothsay flat bottom waist coat bottom button fastened


Sir Jackie Stewart open...


Chief to the right of the Duchess in the bias cut tartan, open - Rothsay's is closed I believe



Clanranald open.



MacLennen, closed:



Locheil closed



...and Locheil open

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RRbm7DlCJL...clan+chief.jpg

[MacRobert's Reply]

My practice, which has no authoritative status whatsoever, is: three-button or square-bottom waistcoat always has the last button done up; five or more buttoned waistcoat with points always has the last button undone. Why? Custom and practicality, and equally applicable to highland and and lowland dress. I think I was somehow imbued with this in my youth.

[Calgacus]

Hmm... Fair point about sitting down.

I think some of the above photos where the bottom button is open actually work quite well. It appears to me that some waistcoats are designed so that the bottom button is not meant to be fastened, for instance picture 8, Clanranald open. The bottom button appears not to be in line with the rest and is fully visible. What I think looks wrong is when the bottom button is either fully or partially obscured by the other side of the waistcoat, for example the chief in picture 7 or, dare I say it, the Duke in picture 3.

Mine does not look right with the bottom button undone.

[Mel1721L]

4th attempt to add a post offering my appreciation for the trouble you took!

[Nathan]

Our own Jock Scot once shared an anecdote about wearing the bottom button open and being sternly corrected at a High Street shop in Inverness so your idea that it isn't necessarily the Highland convention is not without support or merit. In practice, however, I think it's a coin toss. Many famous for regularly wearing Highland attire leave it open and many leave it closed. Some like Lochiel and Rothsay seem to do either as the mood or outfit suits them.

MacRobert's approach makes some sense. On a three button waistcoat, it would seem a waste to leave one open and hide the third silver button. On a flat bottom waistcoat, there is no advantage to opening it, but on a longer, pointed waistcoat either to facilitate sitting, or for other practical reasons, I see leaving it open as a viable option.

So, with that in mind, I'm not so sure, Kinloch Anderson got it wrong per se. I think they made a deliberate fashion choice. Remember, they have been leading Highland fashion trends for a century, not necessarily just following them. They designed many of the kilt jackets we see today (coatee, Kenmore/Balmoral doublet), although admittedly their creations were an evolution from previous designs.

[BCAC]

What a threadjack! Excellent photos by the way, Clagacus! In my opinion, if there is a button and a corresponding buttonhole, then it will be done up. One exception to this is my Braemar (Argyll) jacket which I never do up. It just is uncomfortable done up and looks much better unfastened. So (in this case) if "it's not done, old chap", then they will have something to talk about!

[Calgacus]

It's my own fault, I threadjacked my own thread!:fewl:

[creagdhubh]

Our own Jock Scot once shared an anecdote about wearing the bottom button open and being sternly corrected at a High Street shop in Inverness so your idea that it isn't necessarily the Highland convention is not without support or merit. In practice, however, I think it's a coin toss. Many famous for regularly wearing Highland attire leave it open and many leave it closed. Some like Lochiel and Rothsay seem to do either as the mood or outfit suits them.

This is generally my practice as well. On my five button tweed waistcoats I'll sometimes leave the bottom button unbuttoned, and at other times, I may button it. As far the two button (two buttons is my preference; I don't care for one button, and I don't like the look of a three button front - it makes the lapels look too short) front closure on my tweed kilt jackets are concerned, I never button them.