as a piper myself, i own a charcoal craile [sp?] jacket and vest i got off the rack when i was last in scotland. and truth be told i almost never wear the jacket when competing. i usually stick with the vest or just a dress shirt. it has nothing to do with style, but heat. by the time i am ready to get on the boards a jacket is just too hot to keep on and pipe comfortably (for me). and with my nerves, the last thing i need is another distraction of "i'm hot" or "the sleeve is riding up" as that tends to help me lose the tune resulting in a breakdown or playing not as well as i can. of course, i don't know what grade level you play at or how your nerves are in a competition, so these things may not be an issue for you.