[MacLowlife]

Here is why we comb through eBay: Some well meaning person has listed a regulation doublet and mistakenly called it a PC. Unfortunately, the lovely garment wouldn't fit around many people's knees, much less their chests, but anyway, here is a listing for a 34 inch Regulation Doublet of barely postwar vintage:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-Prince-C...item4150d04e65

[MacBean]

Perhaps not so small. Reading the measurements instead of the size, it seemed to be a size 38. I was the only bidder and owe you one. Many thanks for the tip.

[fluter]

Originally Posted by MacBean

Perhaps not so small. Reading the measurements instead of the size, it seemed to be a size 38. I was the only bidder and owe you one. Many thanks for the tip.

Ah, well done, the team! I hope the sleeves fit, too. I never quite know what to do with the "inseam" measurement of a sleeve.

[MacLowlife]

I suppose, to a careful sort, the "inseam" and "outseam" can be compared to derive some kind of How High is the Armhole index. I know that higher armholes generally indicate a certain style of tailoring and often a higher quality, but I can't even guess what differential would be considered high. And I am sure someone can tell us more about sleeve construction and its importance to fit, etc. When a jacket has a gauntlet cuff, it may be possible to lengthen the sleeves considerably and hide the patch job behind/beneath the cuffs. When truly desperate, one can add contrasting cuffs ( as seen on certain mess jackets) or matching ones in a different fabric, such as velvet.

This may be a good place to mention GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HATCHET. You know- the original Cherry Tree Chopping one. The handle has been replaced twice and the head once. Garment alterations might be said to have the same effect.

Meanwhile, Well Done, indeed.

[longhuntr74]

Mark...can't wait to see pics...I hope it fits. If it does, you definitely got a steal there!!!

[figheadair]

I have one very similar. Mine made by Andersons in 1942 . Check the inside pocket for a maker's lable.

[MacBean]

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US? Is a local Highland Games ceilidh an appropriate place? I have certainly seen doublet, hair sporran, and black bow tie in clan ceilidhs in Inverness, but not in town ceilidhs in remote parts of Skye.

[MacBean]

By the way, the regulation doublet fits me just fine. I was lucky to get it at that price. It is quite worn on the inside lapels, so that all the horizontal threads are gone in places, but the vertical threads look much stronger. This gave me pause until I realized it had belonged to a piper and that this was pure music! I like it better now!

[creagdhubh]

Originally Posted by MacBean

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US? Is a local Highland Games ceilidh an appropriate place? I have certainly seen doublet, hair sporran, and black bow tie in clan ceilidhs in Inverness, but not in town ceilidhs in remote parts of Skye.

Hi Mark,

I currently own a regulation doublet and matching 3-button waistcoat, in 16oz black barathea wool from Kinloch-Anderson. I typically wear a white, spread collar formal dress shirt with a regular pearl button strip down the front (came with the shirt and I can remove the strip and insert studs, yet I do not like the look of studs with Highland evening wear), french cuffs worn with sterling silver thistle cuff links with cairngorm stones, and a black silk self-tie bow-tie. Both the formal dress shirt and bow-tie are from Brooks Brothers.

I do wear the black waistcoat most of the time, however, I do own 3-button waistcoats in 4 different Macpherson tartans, cut on the bias, to match the Macpherson tartan kilt I am wearing. All 4 waistcoats are 16oz heavyweight strome tartan from Lochcarron to match the fabric weight, sett size, and colour of my kilts. I usually wear my bespoke horsehair sporran with a black leather strap, or a animal-mask sporran (badger, muskrat, pine marten, or otter) with a chain strap. For my hose, I typically wear fully-fashioned Argyll style hose to match the tartan in my kilt with wool flashes from Lochcarron to ensure perfect tonality with the colours of my tartan (which I tend to think matters entirely more with evening wear versus day attire). For footwear, I wear buckle brogues in black patent leather with sterling silver, thistle embossed buckles. I wear a regimental style sgian dhubh with thistle embossement and a cairngorm stone. I do wear a kilt pin, for formal attire it is typically a sterling silver thistle pin (elongated like the Claymore types) with a large cairngorm stone inserted into it.

I so not wear any type of plaid with evening wear, however, I may decide to do so at some point in the future. If I do, it will be in the style of a drummer's plaid, 16oz heavyweight strome from Lochcarron, with a appropriate sterling silver brooch. I do not wear any sort of Highland head wear with my evening attire, as I do not see it necessary at all. If I was a piper, then that would be a different story, and more than likely I would wear a plain, black Glengarry with my formal attire, whilst piping.

I enjoy Highland evening attire very much, both putting ensembles together, generating new ideas for different looks based upon history, members of my clan, and various photographs of unique interest. At the moment, as you may know, I am quite deep in the process of having a tartan doublet made from Kinloch-Anderson. Places to purchase such items via the web are Kinloch-Anderson, Brooks Brothers, Scotweb, Highland Clans, Ben Silver, Tartans Museum Gift Shop, Scottish Lion Import Shop, Henderson's, Hugh Macpherson's, etc...I am sure that other XMTS members have their preferred establishments and will mention them in their posts. I hope that I helped!

Cheers,

P.S.-The Chattan tartan from the Lochcarron mill is quite smart, and MacBean/Bean is a clan/family that is definitely counted amongst the ranks of the Clan Chattan Confederation, hence your reasoning for having an avatar of red whortleberry I gather? Good on ya mate!

Sir William Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie (27th Chief of Clann Mhuirich), my wife Stephanie (a Robertson of Struan by blood), Lady Hilary Burnham (Cluny's lady friend), and myself in my regulation doublet, taken in Monterey, California, October 2008.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Originally Posted by MacBean

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US?

You had best look into joining your local St. Andrew's society as this will undoubtedly provide you with ample opportunities to wear formal Highland attire. In the mean time, the SAS of Washington DC will be hosting a black tie dinner for the Lord Lyon on September 9th, and their annual Tartan Ball is on November 13th. Tickets to these events may be obtained from the Society, via it's website: www.saintandrewsociety.org