montsa!! v monstrosity

**Tomo** · 3rd July 19, 01:01 AM

OK - so this is from a throughly scurrilous rag, but if you are in the market for a kilt do you think this is more montsa!! or a monstrosity:

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/fab...tartan-design/

**Cameron of Texas** · 3rd July 19, 04:08 AM

I like the sett and I would wear that kilt. Though, it doesn't seem as iconic or mysterious as what it represents.

**Tobus** · 3rd July 19, 04:18 AM

It's not a bad looking tartan, although it's a bit on the boring side. A lot of the new fashion tartans seem to be like this nowadays, just sort of hum-drum.

I just have to roll my eyes, though, at the fact that virtually every new tartan description has to go into all these details of the significance of the colour scheme. Ripples in the water? Come on...

**Jock Scot** · 3rd July 19, 08:32 AM

I drive past Loch Ness very often and have done so during a fairly long life and thus far I have seen the water contained within in many shades of grey, black sometimes, brown too, but never blue. Blue sky is in pretty short supply as well!

**Farmer Jones** · 4th July 19, 08:37 AM

Not a monstrosity, nor does it shout monster at me.

**Katia** · 4th July 19, 04:07 PM

First I guess I'd need a definition of "montsa." (Yes, I know there's Urban Dictionary; no, I'm not going to go surf it.)

I like the tartan, and I'd definitely wear it, but like everyone else, it doesn't say "Loch Ness Monster" to me. Perhaps "lovely day for a picnic on the loch," though.

Originally Posted by Tobus

It's not a bad looking tartan, although it's a bit on the boring side. A lot of the new fashion tartans seem to be like this nowadays, just sort of hum-drum.

I just have to roll my eyes, though, at the fact that virtually every new tartan description has to go into all these details of the significance of the colour scheme. Ripples in the water? Come on...

Well, I don't imagine it's easy to arbitrarily decide on colors, and it sounds better than "I just liked these colors together." (also, I suppose, an explanation for everyone who will say, "Why on earth did they pick those colors??")

**dawgbyte** · 10th August 19, 10:40 AM

[QUOTE=Tomo;1376188]OK - so this is from a throughly scurrilous rag, but if you are in the market for a kilt do you think this is more montsa!! or a monstrosity:

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/fab...tartan-design/

It's a bit too pastel "pretty" for my taste; plus, I'm not seeing anything to do with the beastie it represents (unless it's Puff the Magic Dragon).

**OC Richard** · 11th August 19, 03:08 AM

Originally Posted by dawgbyte

It's a bit too pastel "pretty" for my taste...

We just have to keep in mind that with tartans "green" in the thread-count just means green; the sort of green used is at the discretion of the weaver. Ditto "blue" and all other colours.

So this tartan can appear with the pastel blues and greens seen in that image. Or, at the weaver's discretion, the green could be changed to a deep forest green and the blue to a dark Navy blue and it's still the same tartan.

I gave examples of this tartan rendered with various shades of blue and green- they are all the identical tartan (the same image, in fact) with the colours shifted darker and/or duller.

Sorry I don't know if I'm putting this into words clearly.

**Jock Scot** · 11th August 19, 03:23 AM

I understood it. It needed saying and needs to be said often.

**OC Richard** · 11th August 19, 03:42 AM

There has been a thing happening with tartan designers recently where that traditional practice hasn't been followed.

The first time I remember encountering it was with the tartan Flower Of Scotland.

It's basically Gunn in Ancient Colours with one narrow stripe moved. But AFAIK the Ancient colouring (pastel) was specified and required of the Flower Of Scotland tartan- in other words there could be no "Flower Of Scotland Modern".

The same thing happened with the California tartan. It's Muir in Ancient Colours with minor changes. AFAIK California has to be in Ancient colours.

Then there's Isle Of Skye! A lovely tartan. Genius, in my opinion. It has three different greens. Change any or all of those greens and the tartan doesn't work as it's designed to.

Tartans required specific shades of a colour is becoming more common especially with many of the American tartans and corporate tartans. IrnBru requires those specific shades of orange and blue. Ten different US Universities might wear red, each University's precise colour of red considered crucial and is maintained on all uniforms, apparel, insignia, signage, etc. Tartans designed for these Universities would be required to be each one's exact shade of red.