How common is the wear of a Plaid that is a different tartan than the Klt?

[vmac3205]

Do not mix plaids. I don't event mix tartans within the same clan, like MacKenzie modern and MacKenzie hunting. Just don't do it. It looks bad. If the military does it, it is for a specific reason.

[usonian]

Not mixing setts is one thing that just about everyone here seems to completely agree on. The question has come up regarding the Atholl Highlanders' plaids not matching their kilts (Same tartan, but noticeably different colors) but in their case it's because most of their plaids are made of tartan woven by Wilson's of Bannockburn in the mid-1800s!

[unixken]

I would think it depends on what type of plaid. A Fly Plaid (which is meant to simulate the excess fabric of a great kilt draped over the shoulder, and would thus be expected to be of the same tartan as the kilt itself)... or a Shepherd's Plaid/Laird's Plaid, which is generally folder over the shoulder and intended to be "at the ready" for more utilitarian uses such as to offer a lady to use as a wrap when it's cold, to place on the ground as a picnic blanket, and so on. These are free of the requirement to "appear" as extensions of the fabric of the kilt, and thus are often seen in a non-matching pattern. That is not to say that one would generally pick another clan tartan, etc. But perhaps a given clan's hunting tartan to go with the same clan's principle tartan, or a more generic simple check pattern, etc., such as the one shown here: http://www.scotweb.co.uk/products/shepherds-plaid-men/ What kind of plaid are you asking about?

[Bruce Scott]

Deleted- repeated information already posted.

[MacRobert's Reply]

Two different tartans may be worn together quite properly as long as they are tartans of the same clan (hunting, dress, ancient, modern, weathered etc.) but never tartans of different clans.

[Jock Scot]

Two different tartans may be worn together quite properly as long as they are tartans of the same clan (hunting, dress, ancient, modern, weathered etc.) but never tartans of different clans.

Exactly so.

[HootinHoller]

Two different tartans may be worn together quite properly as long as they are tartans of the same clan (hunting, dress, ancient, modern, weathered etc.) but never tartans of different clans.

So then it wouldn't be acceptable to wear say a Clan tartan fly plaid with a regional or organization tartan.

[unixken]

In a nut shell... A fly plaid, when used, always matches the kilt.

A Shepherd's/Laird's plaid, when used, can be a different tartan, but never mix tartans of different CLANS.

[Jock Scot]

So then it wouldn't be acceptable to wear say a Clan tartan fly plaid with a regional or organization tartan.

Well alright as you are not mixing Clan tartans, then in the case you are suggesting it could be done.

In my youth, I well remember a hot discussion doing the rounds within the Clan on this very subject.It was more of a local Scottish discussion, brought about by the visiting Clan members from all over the world. Reminds me of this website on occasion! Anyway, let me set the scene.

Clan MacLeod was then at the forefront of encouraging worldwide Clan membership and set up a "parliament' that gathered( and still does on the Isle of Skye) every four years. In those far off days those from abroad wore whatever wee bit of Scottish attire that they had, which led to some very odd combinations of Clan and non clan tartans and general attire. It still does on occasion! Anyway there was more than a fair bit of huffing and puffing from those, not all from Scotland I may add, that were of a more conservative way of thinking about these matters and quite a heated discussion ensued for many years.

You may not know, but Clan MacLeod has many tartans, more than 10 I think, so the combinations of tartans were many and various. So on went the discussion for years and as things do, things got more and more heated as more entrenched positions were taken. So much so that the international goodwill that was intended was wearing very thin. Sound familiar?

A very wise local gathered up a special outfit for the clan gathering and from what I remember, he wore a Clan Macleod of Lewis tartan kilt(Macleod of Harris wear it as their dress[formal] kilt), a MacLeod of Harris tartan jacket(cut on the bias), a Seaforth Highlanders Tartan(cut on the bias) waistcoat, some Stewart tartan for his hose and Lochaber tartan for his flashes. ALL of those tartans he was "entitled" to wear.The end result was a riot of colour-----------------and looked dreadfull! It got the message through to the warring factions though.

The point that was made, is that aesthetics are an important consideration when mixing tartans and more importantly, the point was made loud and clear that just because we can do something does not necessarily mean that we should.

From then on. All understood that mixing Clan tartans from outwith the family was a no-no, but within normal and sensible bounds Clan tartans and non clan tartans can be worn together, on occasion.

[figheadair]

Do not mix plaids. I don't event mix tartans within the same clan, like MacKenzie modern and MacKenzie hunting. Just don't do it. It looks bad. If the military does it, it is for a specific reason.

Really? I don't see what the problem is, nor do others such as Clanranald (already posted by Nathan) or Donanld Cameron of Lochiel

Two different tartans may be worn together quite properly as long as they are tartans of the same clan (hunting, dress, ancient, modern, weathered etc.) but never tartans of different clans.

This of course implies that tartan associations are set hard and fast, which they are not. I might choose to wear a MacDonald related kilt and a plaid in what is now called MacIntyre but in reality is an old 18th century sett that pre-dates its adoption by the clan. Is that wrong? Or how about wearing a Munro plaid, again, a tartan that is much older than its current clan connection. There are many more examples, all of which go to show that trying to apply 'rules' to tartan is like running on quicksand - likely to sink at the first step.