Quote Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown View Post
Fifty years ago or so most companies offered a nearly bewildering array of highland attire. I've a Frasier Ross catalog on my desk and it shows five different styles of evening wear jacket-- today you are lucky to find a shop offering much more than a Prince Charlie coatee.
So true! When I first got into Highland Dress in the 1970's that first catalogue had a number of different Evening Dress jackets, the Prince Charlie being only one of several. I recall attending formal events in the late 70's and early 80's and seeing all of those being worn. And, these jackets were worn with plaids, dirks, tartan hose, and buckled brogues in the main. My own look was a claret velvet Montrose doublet (which I don't seem to have a photo of).

Nowadays everyone is in Prince Charlies with white hose. Ugghhhh...

I wonder it the Kilt Hire industry has had anything to do with this? Certainly the Prince Charlie has become a mass-produced item in Scotland and since you can get Prince Charlies off-the-peg fairly cheaply (and ex-hire ones even more cheaply) it's easy to see why most men go with them.