What's the "Official" Word About Tartans?

[Alan H]

OK, first off, Hamish wins the prize for the best tartan joke of the month....

OK, so I'm not in the slightest bit Scots or Irish by heritage. My ancestry is English and Danish on my mothers side and French on my fathers. But it only stands to reason that I ought to be able to wear a tartan kilt if I want to. I figure it goes like this...

Anyof the non-family plaids or tartans that amerikilt or sport kilt or USA kilts, for example, offer up should be fine, right?

My Dad was US Navy, and there's a bunch of Navy heritage in my family, though I'm not a vet myself. I'd wear the US Navy tartan.

The California State tartan, based on the Muir family sett...sure, you bet, and I like it, too.

All Ireland Green and All Ireland Blue (I really like the blue)it seems like I ought to be able to wear that. Black Watch...anyone can wear that. The all Scotland tartan is great, that seems like fair game, too.

It seems to me that there are enough great looking tartans out there that I don't need to wear a clan tartan that I really don't have a connection to, eh?

Just my two cents.

BTW, there are a bunch of English "Halls" on my maternal grandmothers side of the family, and I wonder what the connection is to the Scottish Halls. Hmm.

[Mike n NC]

After a little research and knowing just enough to be dangerous, this is some of what I have found out.
My primary family connection is Mc(Mac)Queen yet this ties into MacPhearson, which I would be allowed to wear, and both were sworn to Chattan, again allowed to wear.
Some of the other leads I have followed have led into both Irish and Welsh family tartans. These (especially the Ulster side) lead back into the scottish clans. Whew!
Assuming that I were the type that needed a clan association before wearing a particular tartan (which I'm not) this just about opens up the entire range of scottish family and clan tartans to me.
Personally, I wear what I like not what someone thinks I shoud wear. 21 years the Navy dressed me, now I dress myself.

Wear what you like, like what you wear!

Mike

[Daneel]

I visited my local kilt maker in Belfast to have a look at a few possible tartans. As I looked throught my choices the kilt maker said to me " don't worry about the heritage just get the one you like, knowbody over here will know the difference" I smiled back and said I wish that was true for I was in church the previous Sunday and I was approached by a lady who warmly greeted me in the name of the MacLarens and what excited to see her Clan tartan being worn. See was wearing the clan badge. I was very gald to be able to tell her that I wore it with pride as my family are septs of the clan and also as a Scout I wore in honour of De Bois MacLaren who bought Gilwell for Scouting. So the reason I hang back on buying a new kilt is I will only wear a tartan which I can identify with. Speaking of which I came across the GILLIE tartan and was keen to get it as it was made up of good colours but the thing that made it for me was the fact the the name Gillie means Servant of Christ. I would have been proud of that. Sadly the tartan is not in production and would have to be woven especially and that took the cost in to the stratosphere.

[Graham]

Nice to see you here again Daneel, sorry to hear about the Gillies tartan being difficult to get.

Have you bought any new kilts lately? I remember you having a lovely saffron kilt.

[longforgan]

I am not claiming that being a Scot from Scotland gives me any more credibility than anyone else, but never the less, for what it is worth my opinion is that folks should wear whatever tartan they like regardless of family connections or whatever. Furthermore, for those folks of any nationality or color, I say wear the tartan if you like it. Folks who just love to wear the kilt should be free to choose their color preference. Besides, since most of us seem to have more than one kilt, it would be dull, to have only family-connected tartans would it not? What is important I feel is that you should know which tartan you are wearing at all times so at least if a stranger asks you, you can make conversation about it. (doesn't it keep it more interesting?)
An American from Texas wandered into a kiltmaker on Edinburgh's Princess Street to inquire if there was a tartan for him. He gave his family name to the kiltmaker as Firestone. "Ah yes sir, I am sure that we have a family tartan for you sir!" said the kiltmaker and presently produced a nice-looking swatch. "and what is this tartan?" said the Texan somewhat surprised.
"That sir, is the MacIntire tartan" said the kiltmaker. "You mean that I can wear the MacIntire tartan, is that true?" "Ah yes sir, Firestone has been MacIntires for years!" replied the kiltmaker.
-Alan

[bubba]

hehehe Alan, good one

[macwilkin]

The way I heard the joke was that it was a man named Dunlop who came into buy a kilt, and the clerk on duty sold him a Macintyre tartan kilt. When the manager asked the clerk why he sold a Macintyre kilt to a Dunlop, the clerk replied:

"Well, sir, the Dunlops have been makin' tyres for years!" :mrgreen:

Cheers,

T.

[Colin]

Nice to see you here again Daneel, sorry to hear about the Gillies tartan being difficult to get.

Have you bought any new kilts lately? I remember you having a lovely saffron kilt.

There you go Graham, why not get a saffron kilt for St. Paddy's day, rather than a plain green. It surem makes a sharp looking kilt.

[macwilkin]

The Saffron kilt is quite striking with dark green hose and a green tunic, a la the Irish Regiments of the British, Canadian and South African Armies.

Colin, you're putting ideas in my heid now...:mrgreen:

Cheers,

T.

[longforgan]

Yeah, I guess a lot of my jokes are old and over time probably every kilt joke ever, has been told on this site before I ever joined it! I don't know about anybody else but I can hear a joke over and over and still get a laugh! It's good to "dust-off" an old joke now and then and re-tell it, on the off-chance that someone out there has never heard it before! Ha-ha,- Alan