Evening Attire?

[OC Richard]

This was my outfit for the aforementioned Tartan Ball. I largely follow Jock’s advice, though I wear a fur, formal sporran as my day sporran is brown and not appropriate for evening dress.

383BBF48-37EA-426A-8492-F318EEEC8F6C.jpg

That sporran is an excellent example of the post-WWI smaller rounded seal-fur Evening sporran with silver top, which has been the generally expected sporran in Evening Dress since that time. The main exception being that the Victorian long hair sporran with silver top (usually in white hair) hasn't been completely supplanted, even now.

There's a reciprocal time thing about any sort of "traditional" dress, that a person wearing that dress could move backwards to any point in time, or a person at any point in the past could move forward to today, neither looking out of place.

The thing about your outfit that would probably be noticed in the c1900-c1970 period would be the solid/plain Day hose worn with an otherwise Evening outfit. Beginning around 1970 solid/plain white hose were introduced for Evening Dress by the Kilt Hire industry.

Nowadays solid/plain Day hose in any colour other than white are often seen in Evening Dress, the hose generally chosen to "tone with" the kilt, just as you have done.

[FossilHunter]

That sporran is an excellent example of the post-WWI smaller rounded seal-fur Evening sporran with silver top, which has been the generally expected sporran in Evening Dress since that time. The main exception being that the Victorian long hair sporran with silver top (usually in white hair) hasn't been completely supplanted, even now.

There's a reciprocal time thing about any sort of "traditional" dress, that a person wearing that dress could move backwards to any point in time, or a person at any point in the past could move forward to today, neither looking out of place.

The thing about your outfit that would probably be noticed in the c1900-c1970 period would be the solid/plain Day hose worn with an otherwise Evening outfit. Beginning around 1970 solid/plain white hose were introduced for Evening Dress by the Kilt Hire industry.

Nowadays solid/plain Day hose in any colour other than white are often seen in Evening Dress, the hose generally chosen to "tone with" the kilt, just as you have done.

I do love diced hose. I just can’t justify the cost for the little use I get out of a black tie rig. The Lewis hose also had the advantage of being available on short notice and I can use them for day wear or informal evening wear if I want, which is the majority of my kilt wearing.

If budget were not an issue I would like a true formal argyle with shawl lapels, a goat hair sporran, and argyle hose. Though that would almost certainly be too extravagant for the mixed formality of the local events.

It would be nice to have more formal events to go to locally.

[TNScotsman]

I'm enjoying the conversation here. I have to agree that there is a definite line between must-have and nice-to-have, and done tastefully both fall well within the respectful range for an outfit. I like to add a little something to make things nice, for my PC usually high-quality studs for my shirt and/or vintage cufflinks, maybe a ring, but nothing outlandish. I'm also a fan of diced hose but am too cheap to buy a pair!

I do quite deliberately stop between interests and tradition, to the extent that my knowledge allows. I really like to wear a nice watch, but as the more conservative tradition dictates don't wear a watch with black tie (I do usually have a pocket watch tucked into my waistcoat, but not with the chain on display). I've always been a knife guy, and while I enjoy a nice sgian dubh, don't go the Victorian route of wearing a dirk with a PC. I also don't judge people who do the opposite of those things, so long as the kilt is treated respectfully.

I have to admit that the red velvet PC jackets that can be found do have a certain temptation for Christmas, but I quite simply don't have the personality to pull off that loud of an outfit. Attire to a certain extent does need to match the wearer.

[Jock Scot]

................

I have to admit that the red velvet PC jackets that can be found do have a certain temptation for Christmas, ......

Oh goodness gracious me, surely you can’t be serious!

[Liam]

My version for an evening wedding reception several years ago.

[OC Richard]

Oh goodness gracious me, surely you can’t be serious!

Jock here's an image to have dance in your head as Christmas approaches.

What's seen cannot be unseen.

[Jock Scot]

Jock here's an image to have dance in your head as Christmas approaches.

What's seen cannot be unseen.

I certainly wish that I had not seen it!

[TNScotsman]

It's not the color so much as how you wear it. Like I said, I don't have the personality to pull off anything so loud.

Santa.jpg

[OC Richard]

I do love diced hose. I just can’t justify the cost for the little use I get out of a black tie rig.

It would be nice to have more formal events to go to locally.

Agreed 100%.

I did splurge on those hose that match my Drummond of Perth kilt, and just like you're saying I've not had many opportunities to wear them. There's a local Pipe Band who wear that tartan and the Pipe Major has expressed interest in buying those hose. He'll get more use from them than I would.

The diced hose I'm wearing with my Isle of Skye kilt are another matter, as I picked them up used from a member here. I'll keep those for any random formal event that might happen here.