small regulation find

[MacBean]

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US? Is a local Highland Games ceilidh an appropriate place? I have certainly seen doublet, hair sporran, and black bow tie in clan ceilidhs in Inverness, but not in town ceilidhs in remote parts of Skye.

[MacBean]

By the way, the regulation doublet fits me just fine. I was lucky to get it at that price. It is quite worn on the inside lapels, so that all the horizontal threads are gone in places, but the vertical threads look much stronger. This gave me pause until I realized it had belonged to a piper and that this was pure music! I like it better now!

[creagdhubh]

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US? Is a local Highland Games ceilidh an appropriate place? I have certainly seen doublet, hair sporran, and black bow tie in clan ceilidhs in Inverness, but not in town ceilidhs in remote parts of Skye.

Hi Mark,

I currently own a regulation doublet and matching 3-button waistcoat, in 16oz black barathea wool from Kinloch-Anderson. I typically wear a white, spread collar formal dress shirt with a regular pearl button strip down the front (came with the shirt and I can remove the strip and insert studs, yet I do not like the look of studs with Highland evening wear), french cuffs worn with sterling silver thistle cuff links with cairngorm stones, and a black silk self-tie bow-tie. Both the formal dress shirt and bow-tie are from Brooks Brothers.

I do wear the black waistcoat most of the time, however, I do own 3-button waistcoats in 4 different Macpherson tartans, cut on the bias, to match the Macpherson tartan kilt I am wearing. All 4 waistcoats are 16oz heavyweight strome tartan from Lochcarron to match the fabric weight, sett size, and colour of my kilts. I usually wear my bespoke horsehair sporran with a black leather strap, or a animal-mask sporran (badger, muskrat, pine marten, or otter) with a chain strap. For my hose, I typically wear fully-fashioned Argyll style hose to match the tartan in my kilt with wool flashes from Lochcarron to ensure perfect tonality with the colours of my tartan (which I tend to think matters entirely more with evening wear versus day attire). For footwear, I wear buckle brogues in black patent leather with sterling silver, thistle embossed buckles. I wear a regimental style sgian dhubh with thistle embossement and a cairngorm stone. I do wear a kilt pin, for formal attire it is typically a sterling silver thistle pin (elongated like the Claymore types) with a large cairngorm stone inserted into it.

I so not wear any type of plaid with evening wear, however, I may decide to do so at some point in the future. If I do, it will be in the style of a drummer's plaid, 16oz heavyweight strome from Lochcarron, with a appropriate sterling silver brooch. I do not wear any sort of Highland head wear with my evening attire, as I do not see it necessary at all. If I was a piper, then that would be a different story, and more than likely I would wear a plain, black Glengarry with my formal attire, whilst piping.

I enjoy Highland evening attire very much, both putting ensembles together, generating new ideas for different looks based upon history, members of my clan, and various photographs of unique interest. At the moment, as you may know, I am quite deep in the process of having a tartan doublet made from Kinloch-Anderson. Places to purchase such items via the web are Kinloch-Anderson, Brooks Brothers, Scotweb, Highland Clans, Ben Silver, Tartans Museum Gift Shop, Scottish Lion Import Shop, Henderson's, Hugh Macpherson's, etc...I am sure that other XMTS members have their preferred establishments and will mention them in their posts. I hope that I helped!

Cheers,

P.S.-The Chattan tartan from the Lochcarron mill is quite smart, and MacBean/Bean is a clan/family that is definitely counted amongst the ranks of the Clan Chattan Confederation, hence your reasoning for having an avatar of red whortleberry I gather? Good on ya mate!

Sir William Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie (27th Chief of Clann Mhuirich), my wife Stephanie (a Robertson of Struan by blood), Lady Hilary Burnham (Cluny's lady friend), and myself in my regulation doublet, taken in Monterey, California, October 2008.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

MacBean tartan is red, a complicated variant of Mackintosh I suppose. I have a new MacBean modern kilt in the works, and now have the vintage regulation doublet with silver-colored buttons from eBay, and am wondering what to buy to go with it, and when to wear it? I am rather fond of the light blue in MacBean (my father's eyes were the most beautiful blue), so thought of a colored vest. Where to get the vest? What color and kind of tie? What shirt and studs? I have ideas from searching the forum, but hoped for suggestions and also where to get the new pieces.

Lastly, when is it appropriate to wear such a formal outfit in the US?

You had best look into joining your local St. Andrew's society as this will undoubtedly provide you with ample opportunities to wear formal Highland attire. In the mean time, the SAS of Washington DC will be hosting a black tie dinner for the Lord Lyon on September 9th, and their annual Tartan Ball is on November 13th. Tickets to these events may be obtained from the Society, via it's website: www.saintandrewsociety.org

[MacBean]

You had best look into joining your local St. Andrew's society as this will undoubtedly provide you with ample opportunities to wear formal Highland attire. In the mean time, the SAS of Washington DC will be hosting a black tie dinner for the Lord Lyon on September 9th, and their annual Tartan Ball is on November 13th. Tickets to these events may be obtained from the Society, via it's website: www.saintandrewsociety.org

Most kind of you to make these recommendations. The Philadelphia St.Andrews Society doesn't seem as open as the Washington one, so I may take you up on the suggestion, Scott. If I do, perhpas we can discuss what to do with my old leopard skin vest? I think the Lord Lyon will also be at the Ligonier Highland Games the week after DC, and I had promised to attend those to help with the MacBean booth. He was at the Clan Chattan Celebration last August, so I at least know him by sight.

Kyle, thank you for resuccitating my thread, and giving me most helpful answers. I will follow your suggestions for sure. Nice of you to notice my avatar. I am a trained botanical explorer, and have a special affinity to the plant kingdom (along with Bugbear).

[creagdhubh]

Most kind of you to make these recommendations. The Philadelphia St.Andrews Society doesn't seem as open as the Washington one, so I may take you up on the suggestion, Scott. If I do, perhpas we can discuss what to do with my old leopard skin vest? I think the Lord Lyon will also be at the Ligonier Highland Games the week after DC, and I had promised to attend those to help with the MacBean booth. He was at the Clan Chattan Celebration last August, so I at least know him by sight.

Kyle, thank you for resuccitating my thread, and giving me most helpful answers. I will follow your suggestions for sure. Nice of you to notice my avatar. I am a trained botanical explorer, and have a special affinity to the plant kingdom (along with Bugbear).

You are welcome my friend! Good luck to you and post photos of you wearing your new regulation doublet sometime soon!

Slainte,

[creagdhubh]

You had best look into joining your local St. Andrew's society as this will undoubtedly provide you with ample opportunities to wear formal Highland attire. In the mean time, the SAS of Washington DC will be hosting a black tie dinner for the Lord Lyon on September 9th, and their annual Tartan Ball is on November 13th. Tickets to these events may be obtained from the Society, via it's website: www.saintandrewsociety.org

Excellent idea Scott. They have wonderful photos of such events located on their website, which I have viewed many times in the past-they can give one an idea of what people are wearing at such formal events.

Good on ya Scott!