Tartan question

[joeybear]

I understand that clans/families have their own tartans. My wonder is if it's acceptable or unacceptable to wear a tartan because you like the pattern/color. My family name was Kildare and there is a tartan for the name, but it's somewhat rare and eventually I'll purchase a tank, but for now, I'm curious about other tartans. There are a few I really like, but don't want to create a kilting error.

[McMurdo]

There really is nothing to worry about, though there are different schools of thought here, most Clan Chiefs would be happy to have you wear their tartan. If you really are worried about it you could always write the clan chief and ask permission.

[billmcc]

My wonder is if it's acceptable or unacceptable to wear a tartan because you like the pattern/color.

Knowledgeable people will consider this to be acceptable. There are no laws about who can wear what tartans.

[BroosterB1]

There is a natural tendency to favor a tartan that you have a connection to, whether it is lineage, or history, or personnel experience. There are several tartans that I like, just because I like them. For example I wear a Gordon, because my Great Grand father was a Gordon. I wear a Clark/Cleric because I am a minister. I wear a Irish Saffron just because I like it, the same can be said for my Royal Stewart and my Buzz Kidder X kilt.

In another thread I am asking advice on two particular tartans, one that is Clan related (Lindsay) and another that is family related (Birse, a Sept of the Lindsay), of the two I have a slight preference to the Modern Lindsay, simply because I think it is a really beautiful tartan.

That being said, I also have on "order" a Scottish National Tartan in Autumn hues, because the material was a good deal, and the tartan itself is very good looking. When it arrives I will wear it with pride; made by a friend, a friend made on this forum.

The long and short of it is; wear what you like. If there is a sanguine connection and you like it so much the better. If it is an affiliation like an Armed Forces or professional (firefighters, law enforcement) association, here here. If the only connection you have is you simply like the tartan, well that's wonderful as well.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[Leprechaun 91]

I have to agree here with the above postings. Since familial tartans were not even in place until the 1700s it could be argued that your family wore whatever they could get at earlier dates. That being the case, there is no claim to a tartan that is not somehow owned (and yes there are a few) and their use controlled.

Burberry is an example of a tartan pattern that has strict controls on it manufacture. (They are of course a commercial enterprise not a family anyway.)You might be able to wear their kilt, but you will likely never find a supplier who will reproduce the tartan without permission from the company.

[The Barry]

Yes, there are few rules, and those rules don't apply to family tartans..

But, if you're worried about the respect factor, there exists a wide range of tartans that have no family affiliation. The most famous and widespread being of course the Black Watch. There are also district tartans for the counties of Ireland, state tartans for the US, national tartans for almost every country, and so on..

But if that still isn't universal enough, you can always get a nice kilt made in our very own Xmarks tartan. Yes, I'm not kidding.

Or, you can wait until Scotweb (an online retailer) launches their "kilt designer" feature, in which you can create your own tartan.

In my experience, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm a Douglas, and recently I saw a guy wearing a Douglas Modern kilt (my family tartan) and approached him. Turns out, he's not a Douglas at all, the kilt was acquired by some random happenstance, and he liked the sett. Was I mad? Disrespected? Hell no, there's a guy in a great looking kilt! By family lineage or not, he's my unbifurcated brother in pleats!

[Jock Scot]

You can wear NEARLY any tartan you wish. Whether you should, is entirely another matter.

[Chas]

You can wear NEARLY any tartan you wish. Whether you should, is entirely another matter.

I have got to agree with Jock Scot. In my opinion, there must be a connection with the tartan before a person wears it - I know that others will radically disagree. If there is a connection by birth or by blood, by fostering, by marriage or by adoption; by place of birth or by residence or by place of employment; by profession, or by employment, or by education, or by membership; by way of a memorial to fallen heros or to those we highly regard - all of these are valid reasons for wearing a particular tartan. These are not the only reasons and provided there is some link, regardless of how tenious it is, it must be seen as valid. This meager list must surely provide links with dozens if not hundreds of tartans.

For example - although I am a UK national, I grew up in Ontario in Canada and could wear the Canadian or the Ontario tartan if I so wished. My fondest memories, as a child, were annual holidays in Nova Scotia and I would allow myself to wear the Nova Scotia tartan because I have a connection. Although Cape Breton Island is part of the province, we never managed to cross the causeway, so I wouldn't wear the Cape Breton tartan.

On the other hand, anyone who wears a particular tartan because "It matches the blue of my eyes" or "I look better in red", is in my opinion acting very poorly.

Untill very recently, the website of The Court of Lord Lyon stated "If you don't bear the name, don't wear the tartan."

If this offends anyone, well, I apologise - but it IS my opinion.

Regards

Chas

[WARPIPER]

I wear kilts that I have a connection as well. Although, sometimes the only connection was a pipe band. I have seen on other threads that if you do wear a kilt at least know something about it.

[ForresterModern]

I wear tartans to which I have a particular relationship, be that by specific heritage (Forresters, MacDonalds, and Douglas's), or other connection. I also wear specific tartans known as district tartans which were designed to commemorate a specific part of the world, be that a region of Scotland (Isle of Skye and Black Isle in my case) or a state, provice, or country ( Maple Leaf tartan kilt in progress) to which I have a relationship. Then there is the only tartan I have to which I have no connection at all, other than I own and frequently watch the movie "Braveheart" (historically correct or not), I have the original Braveheart tartan work by Mel Gibson in the movie made up into a tank.

Technically while I guess some strictly restricted family/clan or corporate (patented) tartans may require specific permission to wear them, for the most part it is wear what you want, but try to at least have a reason. And wear them with dignity and respect.