What Panache said. If you are like most guys and don't attend black or white tie events several times a year, you will get a lot more use out of an argyll than a Prince Charlie.

Americans are not charged VAT. (Can't you just see the a second American Revolution spontaneously arising if our government tried to impose a 17% sales tax? There is not representation in the world worth paying that much taxation for that I know of.)

Customs duties are usually avoided if the UK seller ships by Royal Mail, and NOT by Fed Ex or DHL, especially the latter. Most merchants will comply with a request to do so. There are several threads on this that you can easily find by searching.

The down side of ordering from the UK is the cost of shipping. If you are not in a hurry, it is much less expensive.

If you order from the UK, remember that their clothes sizes tend to run at least one size smaller than do ours in the US. This is crucial in jackets and weaistcoats (vests). My chest measures 46 inches at the nipples. Recently I purchased a 50" argyll jacket and matching 48'' waistcoat at a very good price, planning to have them taken in by my local seamstress when they arrived. I was surprised to find that both fit perfectly. Granted, both were made of heavy wool, and the waistcoat may have put an inch or so on. (My waist is 42''.....why is it that we feel free to tell each other things here that we wouldn't tell our next door neighbors?)

Good luck!