What I can and can't wear?

[Heath]

okay,
i know that obviously i can wear my own (Menzies & Ferguson) tartans. i also know that i can wear the Scottish National or Pride of Scotland tartans and also the Irish National. anyway, what are other tartans can i wear without being of that bloodline? i have heard that anyone can wear Black Watch and Royal Stuart. why would i be able to wear those 2 since i'm not a Stuart and not in the Military?

[ByDand]

Heath, The reality is you can wear just about any tartan that catches your eye. However before wearing the tartan you should at least learn about the Clan or group the tartan was made for so you can explain to those who ask the "What does the tartan mean" question. Just wear it with pride and respect and knowledge!

[highlander_Daz]

So long as you wear oit with Pride and learn a bit about the history of it Good luck

[Mattg]

I think that on a day to day basis it wouldn't much matter what tartan you wear.
Personally for formal occasions I would only wear a tartan that is from my family. That's just me

[Caradoc]

Heath, The reality is you can wear just about any tartan that catches your eye. However before wearing the tartan you should at least learn about the Clan or group the tartan was made for so you can explain to those who ask the "What does the tartan mean" question. Just wear it with pride and respect and knowledge!

S'truth.

I prefer the regional tartans, myself, like the "Weathered" Lochaber.

[GlassMan]

There are a lot of really nice "fashion" tartans available with no real ties to clans or districts. These are tartans designed by manufacturers for their looks. A personal favorite of mine is the Prince of Wales tartan. I think it looks very sharp.

[MacSimoin]

Heath,

Have a look at MATTHEW NEWSOME'S PATENTED ADVICE FOR THE FIRST TIME KILT WEARER. I think he does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of kilt wearing in this article and as an answer to your concerns Matt states:

Most people choose to wear a tartan that has some connection with their heritage. But the choice of which tartan to wear is entirely personal. There are no "requirements" to wear a tartan, no "authorizations" needed. You simply pick the tartan you want to wear, whatever your reason.

I agree.

[Kilted KT]

Can we get a sticky on that last post? All too importan info for the newly kilted...

[macwilkin]

okay,
i know that obviously i can wear my own (Menzies & Ferguson) tartans. i also know that i can wear the Scottish National or Pride of Scotland tartans and also the Irish National. anyway, what are other tartans can i wear without being of that bloodline? i have heard that anyone can wear Black Watch and Royal Stuart. why would i be able to wear those 2 since i'm not a Stuart and not in the Military?

Heath,

Technically, both the Government Sett (Black Watch) and Royal Stuart are military tartans, but mass production has made them readily available, so they are viewed as "universal" tartans.

I always recommend the option of a District Tartan to folks with little and or no Scottish heritage. The best place to start for these tartans for geographical areas is Matt Newsome's site:

www.district-tartans.com

Many US States, Canadian Provinces and other countries have their own tartans, plus all 32 Irish counties (not official, though), a number of towns, counties and districts -- the list grows bigger everyday. And many of the district tartans are older than many clan tartans, an/or have been adopted by clans, such as my tartan, the Cumming Hunting, which is also the Buchan District tartan.

Cheers,

Todd

[Nick]

Well, I've got a Hunting McLeod kilt sitting on top of an Ancient Macbeth flyplaid, so....