To button or not...?

**Dale Seago** · 2nd March 11, 12:26 PM

Going back to the MacLeay highlander pics I've seen, I don't recall any of them (where a determination CAN be made) where the bottom waistcoat button is left undone. So the practice with Highland wear in Scotland appears to go back at least to the 1800s.

**Nighthawk** · 2nd March 11, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by lukeyrobertson

Didn't anybody like my limerick on buttons? Did anybody smile? Seems the forum can use a little frivolity from time to time. After counting Father Bill's "one's" I realized that "once" is not enough so used it twice! BTW, I keep the bottom button on the waistcoat unbuttoned. Feels like there's more room to move and doesn't get in the way of the sporran...

It did in fact make me smile. I love limericks!

**Downunder Kilt** · 2nd March 11, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by Dale Seago

Going back to the MacLeay highlander pics I've seen, I don't recall any of them (where a determination CAN be made) where the bottom waistcoat button is left undone. So the practice with Highland wear in Scotland appears to go back at least to the 1800s.

Having just looked at them again, just the one gentleman on the right

**Dale Seago** · 3rd March 11, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by Downunder Kilt

Having just looked at them again, just the one gentleman on the right

Good catch! And with the other lad's waistcoat being done up at the bottom, it would seem that at that time either was acceptable -- unless there was some now-lost "rule" regarding tartan vs. solid-color waistcoats.