I'm going to risk looking like an eegit here, in the hopes that someone more knowledgable than I will jump in and correct me. I had the same concern regarding showing respect for people's heritage and bought a "univeral" Black Watch Sport Kilt for my first. If I had known about USA Kilts, Bear Kilts and Still Water Kilts, they would hav been my first choices.

USA has some great choices, and many of them are not really registered tartans, so you can make up your own clan history to go with the kilt Bear has a great selection, inluding canadian provincial tartans, which I believe are universal (though I would hate to get my A$$ kicked by a bunch of Saskatchewinians who disapprove of a yank wearing "their" tartan, eh? Bear himself makes them by hand and they are worth the wait from everything I've read here. The same is true of USAK, they are hand made by Rocky and Kelly. I think they advertise that they have the best turnaround time for a custom made kilt. It has been stated that Stillwater kilts are made in Pakistan, I don't know. They have a very limited selecion of tartans, BUT are in stock. The standard (not Economy) look MUCH better than an SK, and are competitively priced. I don't expect the SW to last as long as my USA kilt. So I don't mind pubbing in it.

Having said all of that, I based my kilt buying decision on what I was able to glean from the internet regarding "universal tartans" some of which I excerpted (copied and pasted) below. In addition to Black Watch, and Stewart Hunting I beleive I read somewhere that Stewart Royal is also considered Universal, (kilt #2). On which I made a leap of faith, and based on popularity and availability, came to beleive that all Stewarts are universal (eegit statement). So #3 was a Stewart Grey USAK, and #4 a Stewart Black SWK. I have also been told reently that Gordon Dress is a universal, as is some Campbell tartan. Personally, I'm thinking of pledging fealty to the Stewarts because of my wardrobe, but I need to do some more research on the history of Lamont and Stewart before that. I know I shouldn't claim my probable Lamont heritage and wear a Campbell tartan.

Anyway, that's the road I travelled to being concientously kilted. Hope it helps.

Good luck and kilt on!
Les

from http://www.tartans.scotland.net/tartan_types

"Before theŽ45, six Independent Companies (of soldiery) were raised to police the Highlands of Scotland, so creating a Regiment called the Black Watch.

Before 1740, they used a dark tartan which came to be called the Black Watch. Its origin is still argued but when tartan was proscribed it became the Government tartan and is now a Universal one, that all may wear."

"There are quite a number of Universal Tartans. Hunting Stewart is one as are Black Watch, Caledonian, and Jacobite (assuming you have those sympathies). These are the older ones. There are now other modern ones such as Scottish National, Scottish National dress, National, Brave Heart Warrior (both dress and hunting), Flower of Scotland and Pride of Scotland."