I am not going to bother with the ceangail, which doesn't really offend me. If nobody wants it, they will not buy it. If they do want it, they can either buy it or copy it. Like so many items of clothing, it is not to my taste, but let's face it: If we do not embrace a few iffy choices in our youth, what will we regret in our old age? Nik Nik shirts do not go with the kilt, either, but that didn't stop me from thinking they were pretty cool in 1975...

BUT I am posting in reply to MacBug's questions about the jabot and other alternative formal wear. The first place I would send you is the costume department of any James Bond movie, specifically the villain department. They almost ALWAYS wear some unusual form of formal wear. Of course, some of the things Roger Moore got up in were a little far afield as well. The next place I would send you is the Ralph Lauren website. Mr Lauren sells a lot of traditional formal wear, but he seems to favor the slightly unusual and the slightly offbeat as well. Red tailcoats anyone? Tartan just about anything? I have a shirt sold under his name that is made up like a wing collar tuxedo shirt (pleated bosom, French cuffs, etc) - in a fashion tartan resembling the Dress Gordon. Now nobody can call THAT traditional. Now and then, Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto will draw up and sell some confection in black intended to be worn to formal events.

And finally, I commend The (original Patrick MacNee) Avengers to you for some cool retro formal concepts.

I offer all of this to show that formal wear is usually conventional, but not always, and the person who chooses to stray from the conventional path will probably be either mocked or admired (or blown up) based on factors beyond his choice of neckwear. My guess is that he will swim or drown based on his confidence and savoir-faire.


But it never hurts to have a muscular henchman in tow.