Tartan question

[Chas]

Hello again,

I have just remembered a very tenious link to a tartan from my days in the Royal Air Force. It was 1972 or 73, one of my team was a Senior Aircraftsman Ahoe (very, very old East Anglian name - can be traced back to pre Roman invasion).

Very long and dramatic story cut short -
Ahoe has serious accident and loses vast ammount of blood;
his life is hanging by a thread and he is not expected to live;
he has very rare blood type;
tannoy message calling for blood donors of his type;
only one man comes forward - Cpl. Campbell (you can see where this is going);
a week later Ahoe is discharged to his barracks to recover - Cpl. Campbell in the meantime has been posted to RAF Hong Kong and the two never meet;
as soon as physically able Ahoe buys a Campbell tartan tie which he wears every day when he is in 'civvies';
the last time I saw him he had bought a Campbell tartan waistcoat and was talking of buying a kilt;
when questioned, the answer was always the same There's Campbell blood flowing in my veins!

Had the accident happened outside the RAF station, he would have been taken to a civilian hospital and would never have known the donor. As it happened, a broad Norfolk speaking lad, who had hardly ever left the County, became in his own mind Scottish, because of an accident at work.

Regards

Chas

[Phogfan86]

As for me, I'd never wear a tartan because it looks good with my beady little eyes, but I do have a couple of tartans that I feel a real connection to when I see them, for some reason.

I also know that I probably won't be in the market for a predominantly red tartan, familial or not, anytime soon because I already have a Macduff red modern that's enough red for anyone. I just ordered a Douglas because I have septs of Douglas in my background, and the tartan is blue and green, which I don't have.

Don't know that I'd ever buy a tartan that I have no familial connection to. So far, all my kilts are either family or universal. But I'll never say never. And if I do, I'll wear it with the utmost respect and pride.

[Tim Little]

As with several others here, I prefer to wear a tartan with which I have *some* personal connection. However, I don't have problem with someone wearing a tartan simply because he likes the sett (pattern/colors), though I agree it behooves one to know *something* about the tartan you're wearing.

There are some notable exceptions (such as the Balmoral tartan) that one really musn't wear... but you would be hard pressed to find a vendor to supply such a thing in the first place.

This is a subject that has been discussed ad naseum here on X Marks, and you'll find opinions that cross the entire spectrum from "You must have a family connection," to "Wear whatever the heck you want." But goodness knows that there enough "universal" and/or "fashion" tartans out there that you could probably find something that even if you aren't, say, a Douglas or a Mackenzie would have a sufficiently similar design to suit your personal predilections without offending anyone.

[Monkey@Arms]

This is a subject that has been discussed ad nauseum here on X Marks, and you'll find opinions that cross the entire spectrum from "You must have a family connection," to "Wear whatever the heck you want."

You can say that again. This thread went for 23 pages. Joeybear, there really are no "rules", but there are conventions that mean more to some people than others. Only you can decide what is right for you.

Best regards,

Jake

P.S. For those who have not read it, Matt Newsome wrote a thoughtful essay about the different motivations of kilt wearers, and how this may impact on their views on topics such as this one. http://albanach.org/why.htm Something to consider.

[ronstew]

As with several others here, I prefer to wear a tartan with which I have *some* personal connection. However, I don't have problem with someone wearing a tartan simply because he likes the sett (pattern/colors), though I agree it behooves one to know *something* about the tartan you're wearing.

There are some notable exceptions (such as the Balmoral tartan) that one really musn't wear... but you would be hard pressed to find a vendor to supply such a thing in the first place.

This is a subject that has been discussed ad naseum here on X Marks, and you'll find opinions that cross the entire spectrum from "You must have a family connection," to "Wear whatever the heck you want." But goodness knows that there enough "universal" and/or "fashion" tartans out there that you could probably find something that even if you aren't, say, a Douglas or a Mackenzie would have a sufficiently similar design to suit your personal predilections without offending anyone.

I agree with Tim, word for word.

[joeybear]

Monkey, thank you for that link...and the 23 pages (of which I read about 15). I'm pretty sure I get it. My own opinion to follow, since other members gave opinions. For some, there is a heritage/respect question. Without some connection, don't wear a specific tartan. I think if all people felt that way, there would be very few kilt shoppes online that sold more than universal tartans. I don't want to think there are "tartan snobs", but it seems there are.

My wife's brother-in-law is a Bruce, from Edinburgh, and told me he'd be proud if someone wore his families tartan and is the source of my first kilt.

I do like the advice of wearing what is liked, but know something about the tartan/clan/family. I also think that wearing whatever a person likes is a good recommendation. I compare it to someone wearing a college/team article of clothing for a school they did not attend. From what I've read, I conclude that in the end, it's up to the wearer and no one else's opinion truly matters.

I do value all opinions and advice.

[Carolina Kiltman]

While I tend to agree with both Chas and JockScot, I would add this if you plan to wear a tartan with which you have no connexion: Learn as much as you can about the origins of the tartan, the clan (or district). You will be asked by many "what tartan is that? and it is only proper that you have not only the answer to the question itself, but can supply additional info once the discussion starts.

[joeybear]

While I tend to agree with both Chas and JockScot, I would add this if you plan to wear a tartan with which you have no connexion: Learn as much as you can about the origins of the tartan, the clan (or district). You will be asked by many "what tartan is that? and it is only proper that you have not only the answer to the question itself, but can supply additional info once the discussion starts.

I agree 100%! If I hadn't known about the Bruce tartan, I wouldn't have been able to answer the 100s of questions I've been asked about it