Why no belt with PC / Vest?

[Ayin McFye]

I have learned and read that you should NOT wear a belt with a PC and Vest, but I have yet to hear why.

I've heard that a belt with an Argyle jacket is ok, but with a PC is not ok.

Could someone explain why some accessories are seen as ok, and others are not?

I am talking traditional attire. As we have covered in many other threads, once you understand the "guidelines" you can choose to ignore them or not at your own risk.

I just want to know why a belt and a PC/Vest is seen as taboo.

Thanks!

[Panache]

Ayin,

Here are the two big reasons

(1) A belt makes an unsightly bulge under a waistcoat / vest spoiling its lines

(2) The large waist plate of a kilt belt will stick partially out from under a kilt cut waistcoat or vest making the waistcoat / vest look too short and ill fitting

Cheers

Jamie

[M. A. C. Newsome]

The Prince Charlie is almost always worn with a 3 button waistcoat, which should not be worn with a belt, for the reasons Jamie enumerates above.

I've also seen Prince Charlies worn with a cummerbund, which also looks nice, and which also would prohibit the wearing of a belt, for the same reasons.

Basically, if you are wearing anything that's going to cover your waist (top of the kilt), like a vest or a cummerbund, leave the belt at home.

That being said, I see no reason why you couldn't wear the Prince Charlie jacket with a belt, sans waistcoat/cummerbund. It's just not normally worn that way.

[Bugbear]

I was confused in slightly the same way. I had memorized that you should never wear a PC without a waistcoat, so no belt with PC. I repeted that in a post, then I was told that one may wear a cummerbund with a PC , but no belt with cummerbund just like the waistcoat. It was Matt who told me that.

Then I was told that it is absoluteley fine to wear a PC without a waistcoat, and in it's place, a dress belt with waistplate. I asked around, and I didn't really get an answer from the traditionalists on that; sometimes you have to stirr things up to get a clear answer.

Then I was told that one should not wear a cummerbund with a PC... So it's back to the waistcoat with the PC.

Believe me I am all for understanding why things are done, beyond "because I said so" and "that's just the way it is," but you usually have to get the traditionalists talking to each other about it to find those answers.

[Tim Little]

By way of comparison, would you wear a cummerbund *and* waistcoat with a tux? Probably not....

[Bugbear]

I just don't think you can, in any visual way, compare a PC to a tuxedo. It is just worn at that level of formality, so using the conventions of a tuxedo really do not translate to the Prince Charlie.

I've given up trying to understand that; though I do think the PC is very good looking, and have nothing against it.

Sadly, my gut feeling says that other kinds of black jackets with a kilt would feel more at home when alone in a room packed with tuxedos.. I try to ignore that gut feeling.

[chasem]

By way of comparison, would you wear a cummerbund *and* waistcoat with a tux? Probably not....

The way I understand it, and I could be wrong, is one waist-item only. So one of a) belt, b) cummerbund, or c) waistcoat. Adding more than one, and certainly all three, would just look ridiculous.

[Tim Little]

The way I understand it, and I could be wrong, is one waist-item only. So one of a) belt, b) cummerbund, or c) waistcoat. Adding more than one, and certainly all three, would just look ridiculous.

Exactly.

Same principle applies to belt *or* suspenders/braces, but not both at once.

[Panache]

The way I understand it, and I could be wrong, is one waist-item only. So one of a) belt, b) cummerbund, or c) waistcoat. Adding more than one, and certainly all three, would just look ridiculous.

Bravo, you have it!

Only one item from the waist accessory column when ordering your formal outfit.

As I have a sporran with a fancy cantle that matches a waist plate I could see wearing it with my formal jacket (sans vest).


Cheers

Jamie

[Bugbear]

Oops! I understand what Tim Little is saying. I goofed because I had posted that I was told one should not wear a cummerbund with a PC, but I wasn't talking about wearing a cummerbund with a waistcoat. Just got confused in the wording... again.