Wrong Tartan

[BBNC]

I ordered some Lewis hose from Scottish Lion and didn't hear anything from them for nearly 3 weeks, after which I sent an inquiry. I was then informed the hose had been B/O, and it would take another week or two weeks before they could be shipped. I detest vendors who don't keep customers in the loop concerning their order.

[Riverkilt]

Them ain't vendors...them be middlemen...at the mercy of the mills. One more reason to deal directly with a kiltmaker or a mill/manufacturer. Saves money to avoid the middleman too. Just sayin'

My kiltmaker knows the mills and the tartans inside out - as do all quality kiltmakers. They can give you the scoop up front.

[TheOfficialBren]

I will second Riverkilt. I have and will continue to only buy directly from kiltmakers who have a good relationship with the mills.

[OC Richard]

Perhaps if you post a picture of the tartan(s) side by side, we can give you a bit more feedback of where the mistake lies.

Yes that would make everything clear.

Even getting the same mill and same precise name (weathered, ancient, muted, etc) doesn't necessarily mean getting the same tartan. In the HOE pattern books at our local Highland Outfitter shop a certain tartan in a certain weight is called "modern" though the colours are clearly what HOE ordinarily calls "muted". In other words, in their "modern colours" range of one particular weight one of the tartans in fact uses "muted" colours. Someone ordering "X modern" would be surprised at what they received. (In their other weights the same "modern" tartan does use "modern" colours.)

[JohntheBiker]

Buying a sample of a tartan before ordering a kilt is good insurance. One way to ensure that you are getting what you want. A vendor doesn't have much of a leg to stand on if the two don't match.

[English Bloke]

My Bruce Hunting Modern is what I would regard as "ancient" colours. When I initially asked at the point of ordering, I was assured by the vendors that it would be woven in Modern colours. On receipt of the Kilt and before I voiced any concern, further investigation showed the colours used by the mill were almost identical to the electric swatch for the tartan that the Scottish Tartans Authority website had displayed at the time. They used to display a swatch, which would enlarge on clicking, and also a mock-up of a sofa and a kilt in your chosen fabric (I see when drafting this post that they don't anymore). So I concluded that with them being the "Authority" I had no room to grumble. In fact I was impressed that the mill had matched the STA colours so accurately.

I am not knocking the Kilt in any way, it's fabulous but it isn't quite what I had in mind when I pulled the trigger.


For comparison.
Left: Lochcarron Strome Bruce Modern (Vestiarium) Ref No. 1848 Right: DC Dalgliesh Bruce Hunting Modern. Ref No. 1816
Note also the sett size is smaller. I appreciate that these are NOT the same tartan but the Hunting sett is the Bruce Clan sett (Ref No. 1821) reversed. Both these setts have black guard lines on the white and yellow which the Vestiarium sett (pictured here) does not. Irrespective, the green and red yarn colours shouldn't, in theory, be any different. No denying they are though so it's just a different mill's interpretation of the same thing. I don't personally have a problem with that.

If on the other hand the Tartan you're supplied is not as stated in your order, ie. a different sett (tartan pattern) entirely, then you have a cause to take issue and the company that supplied the errant garment should put it right...

I agree we need a picture of your kilt.

If you went out and bought a Jaguar and the company you bought it from delivered a Ford Mondeo you'd be a bit miffed... Oh hang on... The X Type was a Mondeo...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

English Bloke,

Despite what you were told, the kilt on the right is the Bruce Hunting ancient colors. You say it was woven by D. C. Dalgiesh; I'm certainly familiar enough with their color palette to be able to tell you that was woven in their ancient colors, not their modern colors. I'm afraid whoever told you that was the modern colors was just trying to cover their own mistake!

A good point to remember is that the tartan images on the STA web site (and others like it, such as the National Register) are computer generated graphics meant to show the pattern and colors (in general) of the tartan, and NOT accurate representations of how the tartan may look when woven in any of the various color schemes (modern, ancient, weathered, muted, etc) from the different woolen mills.

The colors shown on the STA site may have indeed been more representative of the ancient colors, but when you ordered your kilt in the modern colors, I daresay modern colors is what you should have received.

[English Bloke]

Yes Matt. I understand that the images on the STA website are computer generated. I imagine the vendor probably err... forgot to mention the Modern bit to the mill and consequently got what they got. Our discussions, and the assurance that modern colours would result where right at the start of the transaction and as I said, I didn't follow it up after delivery as I was happy... nay very happy with the finished garment. Certainly not dissatisfied enough to return it for replacement so the vendor was never queried about any discrepancy .

Thank you though for confirming that it is in fact ancient colours and not a version of modern, based on an interpretation of a computer graphic. Your expertise in these matters is, as ever, appreciated.

Edit to add: They are both lovely kilts mind!

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Glad you are happy with the kilt and all's well that ends well. You are right, more than likely the vendor simply sent the mill a copy of the image from the STA's site without mentioning a particular color scheme and the mill did their best to produce the colors in the image.

I just didn't want you going around calling it modern colors by mistake! Perfectly ok to call it Bruce Hunting ancient as that is just what it is. :-)

[English Bloke]

Ahhh... I see. Ancient it shall be from here on in. Once again, cheers.