Tartan Vest

[Mr. MacDougall]

J. Higgins is an American company, so they're probably using the term vest in the American context, which is to say, waistcoat.

[JerseyLawyer]

Tartan undershirt...? Vest....?

Two great peoples seperated by a common language...

Ron

The difference between England and America is that in America we think 100 years is a long time, and in England, they think 100 miles is a long way. ;)

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

Just kidding.
Just kidding.

I was looking at J. Higgins for a tartan waistcoat, but this has become a British English/American English debate.

[Alan H]

Personally, I think that price is a pretty good deal for a custom made vest.

[Tattoo Bradley]

So, what were formerly waistcoats are now vests in the UK?

Why would you ask that? There has been no implication of such. J. Higgins is an American Co. not UK.

[Semiomniscient]

But it would work if you knew where your kilt fabric came from right?

[Alan H]

I have to add, though....if you ever even considered the possibility of sewing up a garment yourself, a vest would be a great place to start. They're not hard, at all, and there are commercial patterns available for them for only a few dollars (or Euros).

[Jock Scot]

Interestingly enough, I was talking to Duncan Chisholm of "Chisholms Kiltmakers of Inverness" a very very traditional and well respected kilt maker and he used the term "vest" when I would have used the term "waistcoat".An international tailoring term,I wonder?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I think waistcoat should be preferred over vest as the later really does refer to the garment worn next to the skin under a gentleman's shirt. It also sounds waaay cooler. That said, there is no reason the tartans have to match (although that is my preference), or the sett be the same size for both the waistcoat and kilt. The one thing you should do is have the waistcoat cut on the bias to avoid the "bib overall kilt" look.

My kilt maker in Edinburgh used to have small setts of light weight wool tartan on hand for making up matching waistcoats. (I suspect he got his supply from the same mills that made up the tartan for the ties sold in most tartan shops.)

[Dukeof Kircaldy]

The real trick is to find matching tartan fabric. Unfortunately, my sewing is limited to buttons back on shirts these days. If even that.

So, a tailor sounds good, especially if the price is right. Unfortunately, Higgins doesn't accept Amex. And it doesn't seem right to go to Sam, the Hong Kong tailor for this.