Formal Etiquette

Morning Wear
Worn at : Church Weddings
Trooping of the Colour
Investitures
Some memorial services and funerals
A tartan kilt, fastened with a kilt pin and a black or navy wool barathea Argyll Jacket with 5 button waistcoat is the correct dress for formal daytime events.
For less formal occasions a charcoal grey wool tweed Argyll jacket with 5 button waistcoat may be worn. This would be suitable for a Highland Gathering, but is also sometimes chosen for weddings.
Weddings
For a church wedding the bridegroom usually wears a morning suit or lounge suit, and the fathers of bride and bridegroom, the best man and ushers should choose the same style and colour scheme for accessories. Nowadays there is more scope for expressing individuality. As well as the traditional black and grey the morning coat may be navy or green worn with co-ordinating striped trousers. We offer a large selection of patterned waistcoats and a wide choice of coordinating ties and handkerchiefs. The shirt should be white. If you opt for a wing collared shirt a cravat or ruche from our comprehensive range would be appropriate. The top hat should match the tailcoat, as should gloves if required.
Ascot Race meetings
Gentlemen should dress smartly, wearing suit or jacket and tie. Black lace up shoes, worn with matching silk or cotton black socks should always be worn with morning dress.
White Tie
Worn at very formal state occasions when invitation states “White Tie.”
  • Banquets
  • Balls
  • Ambassadorial events
This outfit consists of a black evening tailcoat with satin faced lapels and black evening trousers with a satin stripe down the outside leg sea. The waistcoat, wing collar shirt and bow tie should be white Marcella, with a white silk handkerchief. Students at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge customarily wear a variation of the above (Sub Fusc) for graduation. Under the gown a dark suit with white tie is worn Note: The bottom button of the waistcoat should always be fastened when wearing white tie.
Black Tie
Worn when invitation states “Black Tie”
  • Formal evening functions
  • Receptions and Balls
  • Proms
  • Cruises
This consists of a single-breasted or double-breasted dinner jacket with satin faced lapels and trousers with a satin stripe down the outside leg seam. The traditional shirt is white, plain collared with a pleated or Marcella front, but nowadays the more modern wing collared shirt with pleated front is preferred by many men. We have a wide range of patterns and colours in bow ties, handkerchiefs, waistcoats and cummerbunds. A waistcoat or a cummerbund (never both together) may be worn with the single-breasted jacket.
White Tuxedo
Traditionally this should be worn in tropical areas with black dress trousers, white dress shirt and black bow tie It is now accepted practice to wear this outfit when cruising or at a summer dance. The outfit is always worn with a dress shirt but a wide choice of colour is permissible for cummerbund, bow tie and handkerchief. Shoes for evening wear are always black, worn with black silk or cotton socks.
Morning Wear
Worn for
  • Weddings
  • Formal Events
  • Investitures
  • Highland Gatherings
A tartan kilt, fastened with a kilt pin and a black or navy wool barathea Argyll Jacket with 5 button waistcoat is the correct dress for formal daytime events. For less formal occasions a charcoal grey wool tweed Argyll jacket with 5 button waistcoat may be worn. This would be suitable for a Highland Gathering, but is also sometimes chosen for weddings.
Accessories worn with this outfit
  • A sporran, useful as a wallet and as a weight to prevent the kilt flying out of control.
  • Knee-high hose, with coloured flashes
  • Black laced brogues, tied around the ankle
  • A skean dhu, which is tucked into the top of the hose
  • Shirt, which should be white, and a tie
Evening Wear
Worn for
  • Formal Evening Functions
  • KneeBalls
  • Burns Night
  • Hogmanay
The Black or Navy Prince Charlie Jacket worn with tartan kilt and 3 button waistcoat is suitable for both white tie and black tie events. A white wing collar shirt would be worn with a black or white bow tie as appropriate.

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