Suit Jacket or Argyll

[biblemonkey]

What is the real difference between a suit jacket you can wear with a kilt and a regular old suit jacket? Are they shorter at the waist or something? I am used to more casual or semi-dress occasions and have never (yet) had call to buy an argyll or the like. What are the specific differences? The same question with a regular suit vest and a "waistcoat" for kilts.

[Tobus]

What is the real difference between a suit jacket you can wear with a kilt and a regular old suit jacket? Are they shorter at the waist or something?

I'm sure the experts will jump in with all the fine details, but the short answer is yes. A kilt jacket is much shorter than a suit jacket, and is usually tailored differently so that it has more of a 'cut' to it above the waist with a bit of flare toward the bottom.

They will also have different cuffs, buttons, pockets, etc. Depending on the jacket, you may be able to convert a standard jacket (best done with a tweed jacket) to a kilt jacket, but not every one will look right.

[beloitpiper]

Whereas a sport coat or "suit jacket" will go down to the hips, a kilt jacket will usually go down as far as the sleeves do.

Sport coat:


Kilt jacket:


Also, a vest is solid and a waistcoat has buttons in front.
Vest:


Waistcoat:

[azwildcat96]

Notice the cut-away in the front for the sporran too.

[ForresterModern]

If you look at photos of proper kilt jackets worn with kilts and regular suit coats and sport coats worn with pant it can be difficult to tell the difference, but the waist position of a kilt is much higher than a pair of pants (trousers for your old country folks). Best to look at the relationship of the level of the bottom of the coat to the end of the jacket cuff and you will notice that kilt jackets are almost always at or above the cuff of the kilt jacket arm while suit and sport coats intended for wear with pants are almost always several inches longer than the cuff.

Kilt jackets are cut short to show off the kilt, but also to show off the sporran and belt, waistcoat, etc... that reside high in the front of a kilted man. Sport coats worn with kilts look entirely too long and cover far too much of the kilt, and the front button line and cutaway usually cover up the sporran rather than highlight it.

With a kilt outfit usually everything is designed and cut to show off more of the kilt and hose---below the waist----where with a sportcoat the pants are a minor player, the hose essentially invisible, and the shirt and tie the centers of focus.