What's Your Favorite Universal Tartan?

[PiperChick]

I don't even have the order placed for my first kilt yet (waiting on swatches of Douglas Grey before placing my order with Rocky), and find myself drooling over several universal tartans for a second kilt. I feel an addiction coming on - a really expensive one! I sort of have a tartan to call my own by birth, but not quite. Creighton/ Crichton doesn't have their own, and they wear the Edinburgh. I can't say it appeals to me, based on photos I've seen, so I'm kilt-dreaming over the MANY gorgeous universal tartans out there. St Andrews, Spirit of Scotland , Scotland Forever and Isle of Skye have been favorites that I've seen so far (I also liked Highland Graphite, but I'm already going with a grey).

So what's your favorite universal tartan? Do you have a kilt made up in it? What made you choose it in general, and what made you choose it instead of a clan tartan? Is there tartan etiquette for a universal? Pictures please!

[Father Bill]

You'll probably find that the discussion will take a slight detour into "What does 'universal' mean."

I have always felt strongly that your tartan is your tartan, so I'm not much into the idea of picking any tartan based on aesthetics. It's a nametag, and I won't wear somebody else's nametag, nor a lapel pin for an organization to which I don't belong, even if I like their lapel pin.

Live and be well!

Bill+

[Nile]

I have always felt strongly that your tartan is your tartan, ... It's a nametag, ...

I agree with Father Bill to some degree but, modern kilt wearing in the USA does not necessarily reflect the strictures of traditional (or what ever) Scottish dress.

Consider your broader heritage. Perhaps you could look beyond your sir name to identify other Scottish (or Irish) ancestors, maternally and paternally, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. You can honor your family, your heritage, or your past but, that doesn't have to start with your mom and dad. We are all at the end of an ancestral line that has many branches above it.

The other thing that you could consider is designing your own tartan, one with significance of design and/or color. Of course this would be costly when ordering a tartan but, it is an option.

Aesthetics is important but, it should not be the only criteria. Keep in mind that the kilt is not a stand alone entity, it is a part of your outfit (all be it the most important part) and you can dress it up or down and generally enhance its' aesthetic by what you wear with it.

Nile

[OC Richard]

You'll probably find that the discussion will take a slight detour into "What does 'universal' mean."

I have always felt strongly that your tartan is your tartan, so I'm not much into the idea of picking any tartan based on aesthetics. It's a nametag, and I won't wear somebody else's nametag...

We will have to respectfully disagree on this. Originally tartan choice was purely based on aesthetics: weavers wove whatever colours and patterns they thought were attractive, and people wore them because they looked nice, and for no other reason.

Much later people came along and began assigning names to a number of old tartans, created before the concept of assigning names to tartans existed. To follow your nametag analogy, it would be like showing up at a party and being given a nametag which had a sequence of letters on it randomly generated by a computer (all the other guests likewise wearing randomly generated nametags). The sequence of letters on your nametag is a name, but is it YOUR name? If you now start using it, I suppose it is. But, really, it isn't your name any more than it is anyone else's, because the nametag you're wearing could have been given to anyone at the party. Likewise clan names were more or less randomly slapped onto tartans and these tartans could just as legitimately be called any other name whatever.

Then you have all the "old clan tartans" which the design of which has nothing to do with the clans, or of weavers, or anything Scottish or traditional, but were created by the Allen brothers. They invented a design; they called it X; can somebody named X legitimately call it "my tartan"? Not in my opinion. The Allen brothers could just as easily called it anything else; they seemed to come up with their designs and assign names to them quite randomly, and in my opinion all of them are merely that: Allen Brothers tartans.

Anyhow yes it comes down to what is meant by "universal" and usually this refers to non-clan tartans. Auld Scotland, Spirit of Scotland, and Isle of Skye have obvious geographical references in their titles. True universality would be to return to numbered tartans (many of our tartans started out that way anyhow) or tartans known by colours only. I suggested the latter, somebody designing a series of tartans such as a Blue & Gold tartan which could be worn by anyone, but especially targeted to those living in a state or supporting a sports team having those colours.

[artificer]

Earl of St. Andrews and Holyrood are probably two of my favorites.

ith:

[Tomak]

I'm glad you opened this thread. My first (U.S. Army) should arrive from Rocky tomorrow, but I'm already looking ahead to my next one as well. I'm familiar with Isle of Skye, since a good friend wears one, but I will have to look up the other you mention.

[New World Czech]

Isle of Skye & Holyrood are two of my favorites. If you like more red in you tartan Rocky's Celtic Nations tartan is very nice.

[moggi1964]

I like my Scottish National Modern. I also like the earthy tones in the Holyrood though I don't own one.

[Couper]

I, too, like Rocky's Celtic Nations tartan. I was in his store late last Fall and that one caught my eye on the rack. A bit later I walked out of the store with one around my waist.

[ronin6290]

I really like the Isle of Skye and the Holyrood myself.