Collections?

[MacWage]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who thinks the family tartan is hidjus. The MacDougall tartan has long made me wonder if the ancestors were colour-blind as well as beligerant. Orange and violet? Together? C'mon!

It works for Clemson University.

And I actually LIKE orange and purple together.

Well, The hstory of tartan and clan associations is actually relatively recent and complex.

Tartans themselves go WAY back (proven as far back as 4th Century in Scotland and probably much older- probably referenced by the Romans around Mons Grampian battle) and in the 17th and 18th century were seen as one of the main symbols of the Highlander culture (so much so, that it was banned outright following the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion (along with Pipes).
THAT SAID,
There are few proven CLAN tartans from before roughly 1800. Standardization of one tartan for a group seems to have arisen in the Highland Regiments and were then "adopted" by the clans that supported that unit (hotly debated). That easily explains why so many regiment-oriented tartans are BLACK WATCH/Government Tartan based (Campbell, Gordon, Forbes, etc).
The early 1800s date is significant, because the key date is the 1820 visit to Edinburgh by King George and the "Tartan Fest" orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott (and influenced by the Romantic Period's sensibilities and industrial revolution). Suddenly, there was a craving for each clan to have "THEIR" tartan and the weavers discovered an important thing called BRANDING. A tartan branded with a name, rather than a number sold better. Add to this the Sobeski (sp?) brothers (and their claim of false ancestory for authority and their tartan books) and and you have a mass filling and desire RIPE for the creation and adoption of CLAN tartans.
Chiefs were grasping for anything that made an "authentic" tartan, weavers were happy to oblige, and writers and writers created and atmoshere of romance. The MacIan paintings/illustrations are one of the most influencial and are still common references for tartans. MacIan worked with Wilson and Sons of Bannockburn,the main weaver of the day, to ID and illustrate "accurate" tartans and Wilsons named most of their stock, many off large orders (like MacPherson and Kidd) or for some other reason.

My take, don't get TOO bent out of shape on clan tartans, they really aren't THAT "old" (relatively, though they are about as old as the USA). BUT, remember that each tartan pattern DOES have an association. Some take that association VERY serious and have copyrights and other rights on the pattern (closed tartans), while other tartan wearers barely care.
The REASON most Americans, (esp. on this forum more so among "Scottish-Americans" than general kilt wearers), seem to say "wear what you want, but know what you wear." It is actually striking a balance between these 2 extremes for actual/practical usage. Reality is, nothing prevents you from wearing any tartan (except restricted ones), but nothing prevents you from wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey to a New York Yankees game. However, doing so may not be smart. Each pattern has associations that SHOULD be taken into account when "picking a tartan." Most STILL pick tartans to which they "feel" personal ties, rather by "blood," "friendship," or personal symbolism. Therefore, most here take the middle road of wear what you feel comfortable with, BUT know the tartan and some history of its association. If worn with respect, most people aren't offended and many "clansman" are honored by a "non-clansman" wearing their tartan and knowing their history.

NOT all agree with what I said, but that also is what makes this forum so interesting. We are not all the same.

[Jerry]

If you have questions about wearing a particular tartan, write to the clan association and tell them that you admire their tartan and ask if it is okay for you to wear it. Ask about their clan history, so you might know more about the tartan you are adopting. Most clans will tell you it doesn't matter, but will thank you for being interested, and for respecting their tartan enough to ask and to learn about it. You might even get an invitation to become a member.