The Kilt Jacket

The Kilt Jacket
©2009 Matthew A. C. Newsome, GTS, FSA Scot

This month’s topic – the kilt jacket! What type of jacket is best to wear with your kilt? There is no one answer, of course. The style of jacket to wear will depend upon the formality of the event you are attending. There are many styles of kilt jackets to be had, and this article will only deal with a few of them.

First, let us define a “kilt jacket” as simply a jacket cut high to be worn with the kilt. Inevitably someone will ask, “Can I just wear my sport coat with my kilt?” Generally speaking, most standard men’s sport jackets and blazers will be much too long to look decent with a kilt. The bottom of the jacket will hide much of the kilt and sporran. While there is an historical precedent for longer jackets worn with the kilt (there are Victorian era portraits showing long jackets with the kilt, including some by Kenneth MacLeay), most today will agree that a standard sportcoat worn with the kilt simply looks too long.

Next, the question should be asked, “what purpose is this jacket going to serve?” In other words, is this for function or for fashion? If you are simply looking for a good winter jacket to keep you warm, then by all means wear whatever style of jacket you might ordinarily wear with your trousers. On the other hand, if you are wearing this jacket for fashion purposes, then one must consider the occasion one is dressing for to decide which style jacket is best.

The most common type of kilt jacket seen today is the Argyle jacket. If someone simply uses the term “kilt jacket” with no other qualifications, this is generally the style that is implied. It is similar to a man’s sport coat in cut, but it is made in the proper length to wear with a kilt. It can be made from a variety of fabrics, with several different styles of cuffs to choose from.

The typical cuffs seen on an Argyle jacket are gauntlet cuffs; in fact these are sometimes simply referred to as “Argyle cuffs.” One can also get Braemar cuffs (wherein a patch of fabric is sew onto the sleeve, with three buttons in a row), or plain cuffs. The latter are often referred to as “Crail” cuffs. These names can admittedly get confusing. One manufacturer today is offering an Argyle style jacket in charcoal grey cloth, made with Braemar cuffs, as a “Crail” jacket. Ordering a “Crail” jacket from any other supplier would get you a jacket with plain cuffs. So it’s best to always double check from your supplier to make sure you know what you will be getting.

If your Argyle jacket is made from a tweed or a light colored worsted wool it is considered a daywear jacket. The same style jacket made from black or another dark color worsted wool would be proper for evening wear. Perhaps the most versatile jacket one can have in their Highland wardrobe is a black Argyle. It can be worn with a dress shirt and neck tie for less formal events, or dressed up with a tuxedo shirt and bow tie for black tie functions. It can be worn with or without a waistcoat (vest), allowing for many different looks with the same kilt and jacket.
If you find yourself attending a lot of black tie events, you may want to consider a Prince Charlie jacket. This is basically the Scottish equivalent of a tuxedo jacket. While it can be made in a variety of colors, the classic choice is black. It generally is made with Braemar cuffs – in fact this style of cuff is commonly referred to as a “Prince Charlie” cuff.

The Prince Charlie is normally worn with a three-button waistcoat, tuxedo shirt, and bow tie. You will occasionally see gentlemen wearing their Prince Charlie jackets with a neck tie, but this jacket really demands a bow tie. Again, black is the classic color of choice. I’ve seen the Prince Charlie worn with a black cummerbund in place of a waistcoat and I personally think this looks just fine, though the waistcoat is the norm. I’ve also seen men wear a dress kilt belt with the Prince Charlie, though I favor this less than a cummerbund or vest. One common mistake to avoid is the wearing of the kilt belt and waistcoat together. The waistcoat should be long enough to cover the top of the kilt, where the belt would be worn.

For the most formal of events, there are several wonderful styles of dress doublet from which to choose. These include the Montrose doublet, the Kenmore doublet, and my personal favorite, the Sheriffmuir.

The Kenmore and Montrose are both closed doublets, the chief difference being that the Kenmore is single breasted and the Montrose double breasted. The Kenmore doublet also has tashes (also called Inverness flaps).

The Regulation Doublet and the Sheriffmuir are generally worn open. The Regulation doublet is very similar to a Prince Charlie, but is generally made with gauntlet cuffs and Inverness flaps. Like the Prince Charlie, it is worn with a three-button waistcoat.

The Sheriffmuir double is worn closed at the neck and worn open at the bottom. It’s a very elegant and rather old-fashioned style that is generally worn with a high waistcoat and a cravat or jabot. Most all of the more formal styles of doublet look best with a jabot or cravat, with the exception of the Regulation doublet, which is generally worn with a bow tie.

The formal doublets are generally not available from vendors as a stock item, and will be made-to-measure. For this reason they tend to be more expensive, but are very much worth the investment if one attends any formal functions on a regular basis.

Prince Charlies and Argyle jackets can generally be had at a lower cost in stock sizes and cloth options, but even if one is investing in a less formal kilt jacket, I would still advise considering non-stock cloth options to give your Highland wardrobe that individual look. I myself have a couple of day wear jackets in different tweeds chosen specifically to match my tartans, and the well-put-together look was well worth the effort!