Advice on Tartans

[figheadair]

Another Irish kilt pattern to consider is plain saffron.

Sorry to be pedantic but that's an oxymoron. Saffron is a colouration but as a plain cloth it cannot be a pattern. 😉

[FossilHunter]

Sorry to be pedantic but that's an oxymoron. Saffron is a colouration but as a plain cloth it cannot be a pattern. 😉

My kinsman here is, of course, correct.

[The Wizard of BC]

It is a fact that any Tartan will look different when pleated different ways. Some may be more pleasing than some others to the uy who will be wearing it.

It is always advisable, that if you are going to spaend your hard earned money on a kilt that will have meaning to you, that yoy ask your kilt maker to pin up samplesof different pleating options for your review.

Then pick the one you like best. Not the one your frind likes best as they are not the one who will wrap it around their butt.

Buchanan ancient pleated to Sett.



The exact same fabric pleated different ways.









It only takes a few moments to pin up and photograph pleating samples. Any kiltmaker worth their salt will offer to do this so you can mak a choice for your kilt.

[The TALL TN Scot]

I'm new to the game myself, but if you go to USA Kilt's website and enter your name in the tartan search, it might bring up anything that your family wore back in the day.

I have a 5 yard wool ordered through them for the traditionalist in me and a Casual for regular wear, and from all I've learned, that type can be dressed up or down much easier than the Casual (PV) kilt. The Casual will be very difficult to dress up, especially for a wedding.

If all else fails, call or email them and they will help you every step of the way. You will not regret working with USA Kilts and you cannot ask too many questions (I've tried), as their intention is for you to make the most informed decision possible since this is a big purchase.

Good luck!

[The Wizard of BC]

QUOTE=The TALL TN Scot;1354977]I'm new to the game myself, but if you go to USA Kilt's website and enter your name in the tartan search, it might bring up anything that your family wore back in the day.

I have a 5 yard wool ordered through them for the traditionalist in me and a Casual for regular wear, and from all I've learned, that type can be dressed up or down much easier than the Casual (PV) kilt. The Casual will be very difficult to dress up, especially for a wedding.

If all else fails, call or email them and they will help you every step of the way. You will not regret working with USA Kilts and you cannot ask too many questions (I've tried), as their intention is for you to make the most informed decision possible since this is a big purchase.

Good luck![/QUOTE]


I believe that there may be some misconceptions in this.

A person may be 100% Scottish and not be part of a Highland Clan. Their ancestors may not have claimed a Clan affiliation, may not have thought about Tartan much at all, and may not have worn kilts.
This concept that Tartans are ancient or rooted in history is a product of the Romance period.
Tartan was and still is a regional thing. Just like the Clan areas. A valley may be part of a Clan area but not everyone who lives in that valley has the same name and someone with the name could very easily live somewhere else. And perhaps not be related at all.
So name is just one thing to think about. Where, specifically, your people come from is actually much more important than name alone.
Tartans were historically seen as a regional identity thing and most Tartans did not gain the name association we use today until very recently.
Today there are approx, 12,000 Tartans. One no more or less 'authentic' than any other. (Well except for the Hello Kitty Tartan perhaps)

The terms 5 yard kilt, and Casual kilt are about how the kilt is made. Not the type or weight of fabric they are made from.
A 5 yard kilt can be made from full 16oz wool. What makes it what it is, is that 5 yards of fabric are used instead of 8. The pleats are just wider.
A Casual kilt refers to one that does not have the full floating interfacing and stabilizer that are the hallmark of the traditional kilt. (A casual kilt can, and unfortunately often is, made from 16oz wool and sold as a full traditional simply because many buyers don't know the difference).

True P/V as used by myself and Rocky is a wonderful fabric and can be a very suitable and cost effective alternative to a wool kilt for even the most formal events. If made with those events in mind.

All of the kilts in my rental fleet are made from true Marton Mills Polyester/Rayon blend fabric. The nickname P/V is quite often used to mean almost any synthetic fabric, but true P/V is a magnificent fabric. Machine washable, very wrinkle resistant, the pleat creases can be pressed to be almost permanent and it is Teflon coated to resist stains from spills.

In fact, the original kilt worn in the 1 kilt 10 looks thread was a Marton Mills P/V kilt.



I would challenge anyone to say that this has a look any less than a full, 100% 16oz, wool kilt.

[KiltedSergeant]

Matt,

I would suggest reaching out to Rocky at USA kilts and seeing if that particular tartan might be available from another manufacturer, or by special order. They can and do order fabric from more than one mill, so it’s worth looking into.

If it were my wedding, and I was buying a kilt to wear, I would make every effort to buy a wool kilt of 5-9 yards.

I have had several tartans woven by Dalgliesh (click HERE) They will (they used to, and I believe still do) weave small runs just enough for a kilt. It is more expensive than off-the-shelf, but not as expensive as you might think. You should at least look into it. Also, their tartan cloth is first rate!

Good luck, and congratulations!

[KiltedSergeant]

Tokareva,

I seldom understand your critiques of specific tartans, and this is no exception. When wearing highlandwear, men have access to color, and the colors have clan and/or symbolic regional associations. Thus, a kilt in blue and yellow is not an “Easter kilt” just as a kilt in black and rust colors would not be a “Halloween kilt”. I happen to like the effect produced by that tartan’s pleating to stripe, and many of the most famous and most magnificent tartans contain both red and green.

Well, I agree with you completely, but now I can't help going to the closet and inspecting my kilts just to see what holiday they'll each go with!

[Jumpmonkey]

I'll offer you some conflicting thoughts.

1) Were it for my own wedding, (alas my wife denied me this) I'd insist upon wool.
2) The P/V material that USA Kilts is really lovely, and I highly doubt you'd be caught out for wearing one of their Semi-Traditional Kilts.
3) I believe they offer a custom option, where they'll have someone weave up your tartan of choice, but it adds substantially to the cost (and time). Alas, I can't get the website to pull up right now to confirm this.

[OC Richard]

My advice might seem a bit odd, but it does come from somebody who has worn kilts for 40 years.

I would go with a wool kilt in real kilting cloth, at least 5 yards. My favourite kilts have around 7 yards, not as unbalanced as an 8-yard kilt, and more comfortable in my opinion.

I prefer 16-18 ounce fabric over 13 ounce fabric.

About tartan, all the tartans you mentioned are recent inventions. Have you considered something traditional? Not that I have anything against new tartans.

In general you might as well go with what looks best to you, regardless of what name it has. Due to my mixed Irish/Cornish/Scottish ancestry there are dozens of tartans I might well wear, but I wear Isle Of Skye simply because I like how it looks.

Were I in your shoes, and given the choices you gave, I'd probably go with this County Kerry, because I really like the look of it.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ds-help-62630/

[LKM]

First, the material type, weight, and length for your personal preference, there is little noticeable difference between a QUALITY PV, such as from Marton Mills, and wool. There are cheaply made kilts with a poor quality PV to avoid, often mass produced and sold for extremely low prices. If you like wool, go with wool, 5 yard or 8 yard is up to you. If you like PV, then I would recommend a semi-traditional from USA Kilts.

I think the tartans you mentioned, American Heritage, German Heritage, County Kerry, and various other Irish tartans would be great options. There are also State/State Seal tartans, fashion tartans, and the various other non-clan options out there. If it was me, I would probably go for either County Kerry of a regional tartan from where you were born (even if the tartan is listed as unofficial for the region).