Tartan Etiquette

[Liam]

Hey Nathan,

Can I ask a question on what you've said. I'm a Rennie Sept of MacDonald. I know this because of my family tree. But I'm not a registered member of the clan here in Australia yet. As a MacDonald do you think it would be acceptable for me to wear the MacDonald tartan?

Cheers,

Graham.

As also a Rennie, you are part of MacDonnell of Keppoch, which is part of Clan Donald. I own and proudly wear kilts in the Rennie, the MacDonnell of Keppoch and MacDonald tartans.

[English Bloke]

I regard (and wear proudly) Bruce as my family tartan. There are also other tartans to which I "feel" I have a legitimate familial connection. I like to wear these when attending more formal functions.

When pottering about in Lancashire where convention is less acute and causing offence is less likely, I am happy to wear virtually any tartan, provided it fits well. Whichever tartan I wear, fashion, regional or Clan, I have thoroughly researched what it represents so that should the question of "what's that?" arise (and it does frequently), I have an informed answer. I can literally bore the pants off non-kilties who are unwise enough to step into this arena.

Were I to venture to the Highlands of Scotland from where the traditions stem and mingle with esteemed fellows such as Jock Scot, I would only wear my Bruce tartan. I believe I would be regarded as a bit of a clown and a poseur were I to do otherwise, although I suspect they might think that anyway, given my tenuous connections to Scotland and my selfish reasons for donning the kilt.

It is the causing offence factor that is another reason why I am less inclined to post photos of me wearing clan specific tartans on here, lest I cause offence to members where this aspect of the kilt tradition matters.

I would NEVER wear Balmoral (Royal) Tartan. I toyed once with the idea of Hodden Grey, but thought better of it. I'm glad now I did... It's an odd and inconsistent approach I grant you, but then I'm an odd and inconsistent Bloke.

[Jock Scot]

Actually EB if you stuck to one tartan when in Scotland I doubt any one would ask what tartan you were wearing. Like the other day at Asbourne I took note of your tartan , did not recognise it , and left it at that as a fleeting thought.In passing I also quietly noticed in amongst our wee group , Isle of Skye, Seaforth, Anderson and I think your pal was wearing Black Watch, plus your own, but no comment passed my lips. I and most Scots that I know would never bother to ask. For example though, had we met up the next day and you were wearing another tartan then I would quietly wonder three things. A: Is it another tartan from the same clan? Fine. Or B. Its another Clan's tartan? Not so fine. Or C. Is it an area, unit, fashion, etc., tartan? A bit extravegant but there we go. With each and every unspoken question I might, or might not come upwith the correct conclusion, but I will never know, as there is no way I would ever ask you and in normal circumstances , you would never know what I was thinking!

[Deirachel]

Clergy - Priest

The tartan referred to here is another of the tartans which has a muddy clan/profession history, but usage over time has made a more "universal". The Clergy tartans (blue and green) are also for the surname Clark (the modern convention is different shades of the same colors, but the thread count is the same).

See Matt's excellent article about it.

[English Bloke]

Thanks Jock. You are an understanding fellow.

Me a bit extravagant? You could say that...

The tartan in question incidentally was Dutch Friendship. It's not commonly available but I'm off on a jolly with some friends in Rotterdam soon and felt it appropriate.

My mate Dave was wearing a 16oz Isle of Skye. RSVPiper was also wearing a beautiful tweed IoS which is a particularly unusual Kilt in that it's not often y ... ... Jock? Jock! Wake up!

See what I mean?

[rondo]

I have one of Matt's excellent Kingussie Kilts in my clan tartan [Dunbar] but my favorite kilt is in US Navy Edzell tartan [USA Kilts]. I feel a much stronger connection to my military service than to my clan so I will probably get a full on tank in the Navy tartan. Perhaps in a Harris tweed.
Rondo

[SorenMacTavish]

Great topic. Now I pose a question to the rabble...what does one do when after having traced ancestry/genealogy and has found direct descent from more than 6 clans? Would it be bad form to wear any/all of them individually? Thanks in advance.

[Father Bill]

Not "bad form..." You're in the U.S. From comments here online, t's apparent to me that nobody there knows or cares. In the U.K. they'd possibly think you were weird & perhaps thoughtless. In Canada, folks either wouldn't know, or if they did, they'd just roll their eyes and snicker to themselves.

The question then, becomes not whether others care, but do you care about them?

Bad form? Etiquette? Consideration? Thoughtfulness? Your call; which of those is important to you?

For example, in my own case, I have clergy & hunting Sinclair. Tomorrow I'm being measured for a Sinclair modern. I'm a priest with Sinclair heritage, so I'm connected to all three. Nobody here asks much, but were I travelling to the U.K. I'd only take one lest people thought oddly of me.

Here's the thing: nobody would ever say anything but I for one care about what others think even more than what they say, after all, if they say something to me, I have a chance to explain it. When they say nothing, they leave with heaven knows what opinion of me, and yes, I do care what opinions folks have of me or if they're offended.

Do you care?

[TheOfficialBren]

Great topic. Now I pose a question to the rabble...what does one do when after having traced ancestry/genealogy and has found direct descent from more than 6 clans? Would it be bad form to wear any/all of them individually? Thanks in advance.

My paternal Gran was a Shaw. My maternal Gran was a Robertson. My father's paternal name is a Lowland (found along the Borders, near Kirkudbright) name with no strong clan connections. My maternal grandfather's surname was firmly English.

I would wear either Shaw or Robertson since my clan affiliations are through paternal and maternal lines.
My family has always kept up with traditions through maternal lines rather than paternal (being partly of Cherokee heritage this is very much in line with that). For example, the youngest daughter receives the family Bible upon coming of age (adulthood). Little things like that.
My father's family is largely disinterested in our Highland heritage. My mother's family is more interested in the history of the family. I am closer to my mother's family than my father's family. Thus, I would be more inclined to wear the Robertson tartan than the Shaw tartan (although I find both to be equally aesthetically pleasing).


I would not, however, wear a tartan to which I do not have a direct connection. If, for example, my 5th great grandmother was a MacDonald then I would feel a bit too removed wearing that tartan. It would feel like a bit of a stretch.

I won't dictate to others about what they may or may not wear. I don't pay their bills and I don't walk in their shoes. However, I also do not have the "collect them all" mentality that some chaps have regarding tartan.

I have no qualms about wearing a Universal tartan but, again, I have one Universal tartan (Holyrood) that I wear wholest awaiting a Robertson kilt in 16oz wool.

To each their own but there IS a tradition behind tartan and although my view on the matter is somewhat relaxed compared to, say JockScot, it is still along the lines of traditional thinking and out of respect for aforementioned tradiition.


Just my tuppence.

[Jock Scot]

Thanks Jock. You are an understanding fellow.

Me a bit extravagant? You could say that...

The tartan in question incidentally was Dutch Friendship. It's not commonly available but I'm off on a jolly with some friends in Rotterdam soon and felt it appropriate.

My mate Dave was wearing a 16oz Isle of Skye. RSVPiper was also wearing a beautiful tweed IoS which is a particularly unusual Kilt in that it's not often y ... ... Jock? Jock! Wake up!

See what I mean?

I did note the tweed Isle of Skye, bad form to say anything though. Perhaps after another twenty years of getting to know RSVP rather better, then I might offer a thought or question about it!