Tartan - What to use, what to use…

[CarolinaTate]

My surname is English but there is a Scottish equivalent (whose tartan is quite dashing). However, my grandfather took his stepfather's surname. My nearest actual Scottish ancestry is four generations back to a family I've never met.


I know I shouldn't stress as much as a lot of us Yanks do about this but I'm curious what tartan(s) you folks would feel comfortable wearing.

[Pleater]

If you feel an affinity, go for it, I'd say.

I have some ancient Armstrong tartan which I felt drawn to - it was some time after the purchase I recalled that my father had an engineer ancestor on the Wilson side who worked for Armstrong Sidderley - the car maker - and designed part of the engine, I think it was.

My dad was always thrilled to come across one of the cars, particularly the Sapphire model and I believe that it was his engineering connections which put him into factory work at Rolls Royce when he was first called up in WWII and then into RAF ground crew, so there is a strong allegiance to the name.
If you know what tartan it is and why you are wearing it, that should be good enough reason to do so.

Anne the Pleater

[Kiltedjohn]

I wanted to choose a tartan with which I had some connection. I looked through the tartans of the various surnames in my family tree, choosing a Forbes tartan for two reasons: 1) I like the colours and pattern; 2) the Forbeses were regarded more highly within our family than some of the others (I mention no names, but could tell many stories!). But I don't see any reason to restrict yourself - wear what you please.

[OC Richard]

For me the poll doesn't work as a "choose one" poll but as a ranking poll from most preferred to least preferred.

And I would rank the options in the order given

1) name tartan

2) closest name tartan

3) district or universal tartan

4) anything you fancy.

In my own case #2 and #3 give several tartans, with "district" interpreted as district tartans to which I have a connexion:

Stewart
Arran
West Virginia
California
Cavan

then of course #4 gives a vast number.

I often wear Isle Of Skye though I have no connexion that I know of to that island.

BTW the above suggests that "district and universal" might be divided into:

-district tartans to which you have a connexion

-universal tartans and district tartans to which you have no known connexion.

[Macman]

I filled out the poll based on what I actually wear, which are my family name and a couple of regional tartans.

[Steve Ashton]

There is no selection in the poll for my situation so perhaps my story may help.

I'm not Scottish. The closest that I can get is one of my paternal grandfathers listed on a US census in 1874 that his father was born in Scotland. At that point the paper trail breaks and we cannot get back further than that.

I was not raised with Scottish culture and had never attended a Scottish event or Highland Games. Like many I felt that Tartan and kilts were tied to family names or Clan affiliation so did not feel that I could wear a kilt.

But I have always liked the look of the kilt.

I started wearing kilts in solid colors and camo. Most in the Utility style. Because of the belief that Tartan was some how 'reserved' or you should be able to show some connection.

As I got a little more into the topic I learned that while Tartans have names, the names we use today are fairly recent. While Tartan as a design is really old the naming of Tartans is certainly not ancient, and certainly far more district or regional in origin that most N. Americans want to believe.
I also learned that most Scots are not part of the Clan system or feel that they have a Clan affiliation. Most Scots do not wear kilts or feel they have a Tartan. I learned that the vast majority of Scot view the kilt as special event wear such as weddings, graduations and football games so rent a kilt for those special events.

So as a kilt wearer and kiltmaker I looked to the universal or non-Clan affiliated Tartans. Of the 12,000 designs in the Register I learned that the vast majority of them are new or not Scottish designs.

So today I wear -
The X Marks Tartan which is the official Tartan of this forum and listed as the world's first internet Tartan.
The USMC Dress Blue Tartan which as a Marine is the closest thing to Clan that I have.
The Black Watch Tartan in the weathered colorway simply because I like the look of it.
The Victoria, City of Gardens Tartan which I designed and gave as a gift to my adopted city.
The Isle of Sky Tartan because it is so beautiful and goes with everything.

In my kilt shop there was a sign -

Pick a Tartan that tells the world -
who you are, where you come from, and how you got to where you are today.
There are Clan-named Tartans, Regional/district Tartans, State and Provincial Tartan,
Company and corporate Tartans, club and organization Tartans and even personal Tartans.
Pick the one that has meaning to you.