Rent a Prince Charlie with High Vest

[scoutniagara]

It looks good to me, but I wonder about the belt/buckle with the vest. At those rental prices, you could buy your own in weeks. ;)

[The Wizard of BC]

This style of outfit is very new and as far as I know limited to two or three hire outfits in the UK.

The waistcoat that they appear to use is the 5 button one that would normally go with the Argyle Jacket. Note that in the ad they call their jacket (Bonnie Prince Charlie/Argyle Jacket).

Also note that the silver buttons are square and not the normal diamond shape. So it would appear that at least one company is saving money by making fewer waistcoats and using them for both the PC an Argyle hire trade. Smart.

Here in N. America the PC Jacket is usually reserved for formal wear (think tuxedo). We have not started to use it for casual wear.

Also note that they are not using a regular tie but a Ruche. This is more like the neckcloth of a century ago. Here it is reserved for casual/costume wear or by those attempting to look "Artsy". I'm not saying don't wear it, just be aware of what the perception of N. Americans is.

We here also do not wear the waistbelt and waistplate with a vest. These are very decorative and to us seem gaudy.

I like the look. If done with taste, and carried well, this could be a very nice outfit. Very costume like but some can get away with it.

However, until there begin to be more companies offering the PC Jacket/5 button waistcoat combination so that you can order them made at the same time, from the same bolt of fabric, you are stuck with a very expensive rental and shipping both ways.