Formal Jacket Types?

[MacLowlife]

Let me know if you find TWO desperate, rich socialites.

There have been some earlier threads on this topic, which is dear to my heart. You may want to look over in the Traditional Highland Dress forum and see what shows up. You may have a small advantage, being in Scotland and if you are a smaller size, you may find more options on the used market than the bigger guys.

It is only money and, if you don't actually use your doublet much, you can at least take it out and look at it. That principle seems to work for so many aspects of my middle aged life.

[JSFMACLJR]

In all matters, stick to black...I lived through that awful period from the late sixties through the early seventies when men's formal wear went from tasteful and understated to a rainbow of very unfortunate colors. If you don't believe me, find some Playboy magazines from the period and look at the fashion articles and adverts. I'm afraid that even dark blue (navy or midnight) would still be right out for me.

The kilt has enough color in it already....accessories should not compete with it.

Keep it simple.

Best

AA

Sorry I can't agree with you on this one. There certainly is no reason why Highland Scots, and those whose roots are Highland, need to dress like lowlanders. Colour is part of our haberdashery heritage.

I've never known where this notion of "accessories should not compete with (the kilt)" comes from! I believe, rather, that the accessories enhance the overall look.

Two totally different positions...and both are "correct"!

[Cygnus]

I much prefer the Kenmore (and even more the Balmoral pictured above) to the Montrose doublet; but the king of them all, in my opinion, is the regulation doublet. It's versatile enough to be used for black tie events as well as white tie, it is much more elegant than a PC jacket, and it can hold its own in a crowd of the other formal doublets.

What more could you ask for?

[davidlpope]

I much prefer the Kenmore (and even more the Balmoral pictured above) to the Montrose doublet; but the king of them all, in my opinion, is the regulation doublet. It's versatile enough to be used for black tie events as well as white tie, it is much more elegant than a PC jacket, and it can hold its own in a crowd of the other formal doublets.

What more could you ask for?

A regulation doublet in velvet...

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

A regulation doublet in velvet...

with silk moire cuffs...

[Cygnus]

...What more could you ask for?

A regulation doublet in velvet...

with silk moire cuffs...

I had to ask...

[OC Richard]

Being the history nut I am, what I wonder about is just where all these 20th century formal jacket styles came from.

When I got into this stuff, in the 1970s, Highland Dress catalogues offered:

Prince Charlie
Montrose
Regulation
Sherrifmuir
Kenmore

and it was common to see all of them being worn at formal functions around here.

But in my Highland Dress catalogues from the 1920s and 1930s only two styles are offered, the Coatee (what we call Prince Charlie) and the Doublet or "standard doublet" (what we call a Regulation Doublet).

The Coatee (Prince Charlie) is usually mentioned as being for younger men, and indeed it must have been a new style at that time, as I can't find any earlier images of it.

The Doublet (regulation or standard) is discussed as follows in a William Anderson catalogue from the 1930s:

The Doublet is less popular than it once was, but is suitable especially for older men. To get over the objection of the rather heavy skirts we have designed a modified doublet known as the Kenmore Doublet. (It) may be made with a stand collar or with an open collar...

So here, perhaps, is the beginning of the 20th century fad for evening jackets with stand collars.

Stand collars are rare in civilian Highland dress from the mid 19th century up until the appearance of the Kenmore Doublet in the 1930s. They only appear in The Highlanders of Scotland on a couple men, on doublets which are basically civilianised military doublets which are fully buttoned up the front and have full Inverness skirts.

The most common type of jacket in The Highlanders of Scotland was this style, which was widely worn up through the 1930s and which evidently evolved into the Regulation Doublet:



It would be very cool to have this style made up. Nobody seems to make this style anymore. (Several people over the years have said that this style is offered, but as yet no one has posted a photo of one made by a current maker.)

[chrisupyonder]

Thanks for that, very interesting, not seen that style before.

[Nick the DSM]

That Harris Tweed doublet looks spiffy, if I had the cash I'd totally buy one.

[tripleblessed]

I'll take the middle road here. Any outfit CAN be improved by an alternative choice, but of course not all alternative choices are an improvement. Often
an unexpected or non-standard color choice can be stunningly wonderful, yet sometimes I find myself thinking, "This poor fellow has no wife, no mother, no friends to alert him to how unfortunate that choice is?".