Convensions & rules

[knotty]

Greetings all.
Im hopin to get a kilt very soon, as a McLean that day is long over due.
Ill likely get a tartan & utility type kilt.

A few question.

1. It is very hard to get my tartan without a serious cash outlay.
Is it ok to wear a tartan that isnt your own?

2. Where does one put their wallet & keys when kilted?


sanx
Craig

[R.S.L. Kiltwearer]

Greetings all.
Im hopin to get a kilt very soon, as a McLean that day is long over due.
Ill likely get a tartan & utility type kilt.

A few question.

1. It is very hard to get my tartan without a serious cash outlay.
Is it ok to wear a tartan that isnt your own?

2. Where does one put their wallet & keys when kilted?


sanx
Craig

opinion

IMO you can wear any tartan that is not a restricted tartan www.tartansauthority.com will tell you if it is or not. again just my opinion

you can also check out UAS kilts there is a link at the top of this page to them and he listes universal tartans that anyone can wear.

as for your wallet & keys that is what the Sporran is for.

and welcome to the forum

[mookien]

Craig: The answer to the first part of 1. depends on what you mean by "a serious cash outlay". You can certainly find an inexpensive ($100 - $150) MacLean PV kilt from XMTS advertisers. Check some of them out.

You can wear any tartan you like, except for a handful of "licensed" tartans for which there are probably many others you would prefer anyway. So, I wouldn't give them a second thought.

You put your "stuff" in the sporran - the little pouch that hangs in front of your kilt and is held on by a belt around your waist. You can get one of those for as little as $30 - $40, and probably even less, but remember, as in most things, you get what you pay for.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

[madmacs]

1. It is very hard to get my tartan without a serious cash outlay.
Is it ok to wear a tartan that isnt your own?

I think USA KILTS recently announced that they were getting maclean of duart in PV, and if i recall correctly they already have maclean hunting.

Prices are cheaper than wool, and they do both casual and traditional styles

[Andy Proffitt]

Welcome cousin. Both the MacLean of Duart and MacLean hunting are fairly easy to get, the hunting got a boost in popularity among a wider audience when Sean Connery wore it to the opening of the Scottish Parliament. If you don't want to spring for the full 8yd tank, there is a pretty good chance someone makes it is a casual or PV model, check USAKilts.

You can wear pretty much any tartan you want, I would caution that if it isn't MacLean (why would you choose another?!?!) you learn a little something about the clan you are wearing.

[AKScott]

In my mind, I have the universe of tartans divided into three categories.

Restricted - you need a written note from someone in authority to buy the cloth from a mill.

Respectful - If you don't belong to Clan MacOnion it isn't especially respectful to be wearing their tartan, though you might. I count active military and distrtict/ regional setts in this category as well. Anyone can buy, for instance, USMC tartan, and only a precious few Marines will recognize it. When you inevitably meet one who does, how good is your story?

Universal - anyone can wear it. Black Watch and Hunting Stewart leap to mind.

The MacLean of Duart modern red is quite fetching, I doubt you'll need to travel far from your roots to find an awesome garment.

http://www.lochcarron.com/tartanstro..._of_duart.html

Define "serious cash outlay." You might look to the websites of the supporting vendors here, both Rocky at USA kilts and Matt at Scottish Tartans Museum can make historically accurate kilts using less than the current fashion of eight yards of cloth. But yeah, my eight yard knife pleated tank was almost $600.

[knotty]

Thanx to all.
I ordered my kilts yesterday (acrylic Black Watch & poly cotton Black) & a sporran.
Ill post pix when they arrive.
Craig

[Dale Seago]

Thanx to all.
I ordered my kilts yesterday (acrylic Black Watch & poly cotton Black) & a sporran.
Ill post pix when they arrive.
Craig

Acrylic?

Sounds like Stillwater, in which case if you ordered yesterday you should have it tomorrow. Just hope it was the Standard rather than the Economy model -- the former is a bit "more like a real kilt" and looks pretty darn good; I have a couple myself.

Respectful - If you don't belong to Clan MacOnion it isn't especially respectful to be wearing their tartan, though you might. I count active military and distrtict/ regional setts in this category as well. Anyone can buy, for instance, USMC tartan, and only a precious few Marines will recognize it. When you inevitably meet one who does, how good is your story?

Those three categories work for me too. I have and wear kilts in two service tartans, Leatherneck and US Army; but I've been there and done that with both, enlisted in the former and commissioned in the latter. However, I don't see why someone couldn't wear one of the military (or regional/district) setts as a "fan" or "supporter". . .though here in the SF Bay Area being a fan/supporter of anything pertaining to the military could get you a lot of civilian flak as well. . .

[AKScott]

Those three categories work for me too. I have and wear kilts in two service tartans, Leatherneck and US Army; but I've been there and done that with both, enlisted in the former and commissioned in the latter. However, I don't see why someone couldn't wear one of the military (or regional/district) setts as a "fan" or "supporter". . .though here in the SF Bay Area being a fan/supporter of anything pertaining to the military could get you a lot of civilian flak as well. . .

I only have five days active in one of the military branches and don't personally feel I ought to wear that tartan, though I do rather like it. I don't personally feel I served long enough to have earned it. FWIW I was medicaled out of the Navy back when Reagan was in the White House.

OTOH I don't live in North Carolina anymore, though I did for eleven years and have the tax returns to prove it. I like that tartan too and might buy one.

Where "the line" is between five days and eleven years I guess is a personal choice. I especially cringe when I read about folks wanting to buy the USMC tartan because their grandfather served. I guess technically if the CMC wanted to make the USMC tartan a restricted tartan he could just do it, and he hasn't so I guess it's OK; but not me thanks. Earned never given and all.

I guess the foregoing is partly a reflection of how I would feel if I found someone in my clan tartan and it were to turn out in conversation the owner bought it because it was "pretty" without any other claim to it.

Anyway, just my 2 cents. My clan tartan is not restricted so anyone can buy it, but I would rather you didn't if you don't belong.

[knotty]

... I especially cringe when I read about folks wanting to buy the USMC tartan because their grandfather served...
... but I would rather you didn't if you don't belong.

My feelings also. There are plenty of others out there. Between states/provinces, national, heraldry then the universals, if I have the money I might never have to play pants again lol.