Timeline of Evening Dress Jackets

[FossilHunter]

Both thet velvet doublet and the horse hair sporran date to 1911. Just thought it might be a good addition to the thread

Would you consider that an early form of the modern balmoral doublet?

[McMurdo]

Would you consider that an early form of the modern balmoral doublet?

I suppose it could be described as such it certainly appears to be a similar cut to what is available now.

[OC Richard]

Shedding light on an earlier period, 1909, are the pages from a Forsyth calalogue showed on the House Of Labhran site.

(Since very few of my vintage catalogues have dates, these having to be inferred, I wonder how the 1909 attribution was arrived at.)

It shows a period before the Coatee (or Prince Charlie Coatee) was introduced, before the small pocket-shaped sealskin Evening Dress sporrans appeared.

We have two gents wearing the Doublet. This one shows the older more highly accessorised style. The overall look has changed little from the 1860s.



This Doublet-wearing fellow is sporting the new, pared-down, sleeker look which would define 20th century Evening Dress.



And here we have the Evening Argyll jacket, in velveteen and trimmed.

BTW there is nothing piper-specific about this costume; Argyll Evening Dress jackets are often seen in the mid-19th century.



Here's a photo of a gent wearing a not dissimilar outfit



Interesting to see the Day Dress/Outdoor Dress of the period. Here we do see the new small sporran, which tends to confirm the idea that Day sporrans underwent the change first, followed by Evening sporrans some time later. This sporran looks like a conscious revival of the 18th century sporran with hinged brass top, and made of deerskin.



Here is a virtually identical jacket and vest (vest, not waistcoat!) down to the cuff style.

[figheadair]

Given the date and civilian context, what's interesting about both these Campbell kilts is that they are box-pleated.

[Tobus]

Interesting to see the Day Dress/Outdoor Dress of the period. Here we do see the new small sporran, which tends to confirm the idea that Day sporrans underwent the change first, followed by Evening sporrans some time later. This sporran looks like a conscious revival of the 18th century sporran with hinged brass top, and made of deerskin.

I really like that example! It's interesting that they call it "undress". I assume the term "daywear" or "casual" weren't in the common lexicon at the time. This was an interesting transition period where, apparently, patterned hose were still de rigueur for all levels of Highland dress along with spats, even for a tweed shooting outfit. But as you said, the daywear sporran had transitioned away from hair sporrans to a simpler style (I notice it is still on a chain rather than a leather strap). Am I correct in saying that this transition period was from about 1900 to 1912-ish? As I recall, we don't see spats and patterned hose for daywear after WWI.

The tweed jacket piqued my interest. I like the simple cuff style, but it was the tweed pattern that caught my eye. It bears a very striking resemblance to my vintage Lanacburn tweed jacket (though the construction details are a bit different). It's a very bold pattern by today's standards, but it looks great in that catalog example. I wish we would see more of these "loud" tweed patterns in modern kilt jackets. It's a classic look.

I also like the cut of the waistcoat he's wearing. The high closure and fairly flat bottom work very well.

[FossilHunter]

I really like that example! It's interesting that they call it "undress". I assume the term "daywear" or "casual" weren't in the common lexicon at the time. This was an interesting transition period where, apparently, patterned hose were still de rigueur for all levels of Highland dress along with spats, even for a tweed shooting outfit. But as you said, the daywear sporran had transitioned away from hair sporrans to a simpler style (I notice it is still on a chain rather than a leather strap). Am I correct in saying that this transition period was from about 1900 to 1912-ish? As I recall, we don't see spats and patterned hose for daywear after WWI.

The tweed jacket piqued my interest. I like the simple cuff style, but it was the tweed pattern that caught my eye. It bears a very striking resemblance to my vintage Lanacburn tweed jacket (though the construction details are a bit different). It's a very bold pattern by today's standards, but it looks great in that catalog example. I wish we would see more of these "loud" tweed patterns in modern kilt jackets. It's a classic look.

I also like the cut of the waistcoat he's wearing. The high closure and fairly flat bottom work very well.

It’s an uncanny resemblance down to the sporran. Are you sure you didn’t rob the poor man’s wardrobe? ;)

You could have at least taken the shotgun as well.

[Tobus]

It’s an uncanny resemblance down to the sporran. Are you sure you didn’t rob the poor man’s wardrobe? ;)

You could have at least taken the shotgun as well.

It's funny; I had never seen that image until it was posted today. The similarity to my jacket and sporran were enough of a coincidence, but having a photo from several years ago where I was in a similar pose that could be cropped down for a side-by-side comparison was icing on the cake.

I do have a 1902 model Damascus barrel break-open shotgun (single barrel, though, not double), Argyle hose that match my Ancient Colquhoun kilt, and grey spats. I could trim my beard to a little point at the chin and wax my mustache out like his. It wouldn't be a perfect match on every nit-picky detail, but I could reenact this painting pretty closely, cigarette and all. Close enough for a couple of chuckles, anyway. I may just have to do that!

[Bruce Scott]

Here is a virtually identical jacket and vest (vest, not waistcoat!) down to the cuff style.

That is unexpected!