Oakleigh tartan, and a response from Clan MacNaughton

[Alan H]

See, now I'm bloody well hooked. Get one kilt and now I need six of them. Arrgh.

ANY-way.... I find that I can afford kilts in poly-viscose but da reel thing in wool is beyond my means. Well, OK, not beyond my means but I just can't bring myself to drop the cash. Cheap, that's me. Ergo, I've been snooping the various tartan sites and finally focused on poly-viscose. there's quite a selection in p-v, come to find out. I really like the Oakleigh tartan. Well, OK, says I, but what is "Oakleigh"?

A search on the web reveals that there's a district in Melbourne-Australia named "Oakleigh", and there's an historic mansion in Mobile Alabama named Oakleigh. However, all the tartan sites suggest that Oakleigh is in fact a Scottish tartan, but I canna find naething aboot it. There are some English references to the name "Oakleigh", but nothing Scots besides a bread and breakfast inn somewhere. Any insights?

On another note, turns out that the MacNaughton muted tartan is available in p-v. Huzzah! McKnight is a sept of MacNaughtan, so I wrote to the worldwide director of Clan MacNaughtan to ask permission to wear the clan tartan, and I'm copying part of his response to me, below.

***" On wearing the tartan, we do not give permission to wear our tartan, no-one does. Anybody can wear any tartan they wish. It is just common sense that a person wears a tartan that they can identify with, of which you can."***

My response was that I thought I'd be polite and ask, but obviously no such thing is truly necessary....as Hamish and others here on X-marks have been saying for some time. So, methinks me next kilt will be a MacNaughtan, muted in poly-viscose. Things could be worse, eh?

[GMan]

Just six new kilts? As you are finding out Alan, kilts are how we live and they are truly great garments!

Glad you were polite while asking permission to wear a tartan, but it truly does come down to your feelings, so become kilted proudly!

[Kilted Dave]

Kilts are like road bikes, or cars, or cases of beer, I truly believe you cant have too many of any, but thats just how I feel.

[macwilkin]

My response was that I thought I'd be polite and ask, but obviously no such thing is truly necessary

Alan -- You were simply following protocol. Most Clan socities are more than happy for someone to choose to wear their tartan, and would most likely give the same response as the MacNaughtons did, but I believe you did the right thing by asking first. It may not be necessary, but it's good manners. I particulary like the last sentence in their response:

"It is just common sense that a person wears a tartan that they can identify with, of which you can."

Notice that they didn't say you had to be a MacNaughton by blood or name, but just that you identified with the tartan in some way. That's what many of us have been saying -- Jimmy's mantra -- know your tartan!

As far as the Oakleigh tartan, l looked on the Tartan index on the Tartans Authority's web site, and I could not find anything. Same with the Tartans of Scotland's index. Where did you find your reference? I'm wondering if it a "fashion" or "personal" tartan.

Cheers,

Todd

[Alan H]

For those that are curious...the oakleigh tartan, which appears to only be available in poly-viscose, which makes me wonder if it's really a "clan tartan" or not...

http://www.clan.com/tartan_detail.html?tartan=9189

http://scotwebstore.com/tartanfinder.html?search_clan='Oakleigh'

http://kiltstore.net/tartanfinder.ht...#tartan_finder

All of the above list the mill as Merton Mills, so it's all the same stuff. Note that you can get it in a medium weight and a lighter weight. Therefore it would be entirely possible to get a kilt and a matching tie, which would be rather nice.

Bear Kilts offers a product in this tartan...
http://www.bearkilts.com/clantartans.html#

I bet USA Kilts and the other USA-based kiltmakers can get the material and make something for you (me??) as well.

[Alan H]

Just six new kilts? As you are finding out Alan, kilts are how we live and they are truly great garments!

Glad you were polite while asking permission to wear a tartan, but it truly does come down to your feelings, so become kilted proudly!

Well, tomorrow is Kilt Day At Work number two. The director of Library tech support came over to me on Friday and stormed right up and said "Alan, you are SERIOUSLY on my s**t list! YOU wore a kilt to work and didn't come SEE ME."

Pretty funny. She has Mel Gibson posters up all over her office, conspicuously advertising that she has the hots for men in kilts.

Kilt day at church last sunday was a rousing success all around, with my good friend Judy, who's a professor of English Lit at Santa Clara University, positively in hog heaven over the whole thing.

Graham, I most probably jest when I say "six". Three will be plenty.

.............................I think.

[Alan H]

Notice that they didn't say you had to be a MacNaughton by blood or name, but just that you identified with the tartan in some way. That's what many of us have been saying -- Jimmy's mantra -- know your tartan!

Todd

BTW, Todd, when I wrote the e-mail I went into a little bit of detail regarding my McKnight ancestors, and explained a paragraph or so about what I'd learned regarding the Ulster McKnights/McNaughtons...
How James I knighted the clan chief of the MacNaughtons, and that his son took the name "MacKnight"...how a number of MacKnights and MacNaughtons moved to Ireland after the British put down the Irish rebellion of 1607 and so on. I explained the relationship between my ancestors, James McKnight and John McKnight and the Masons Lodge of Alexandria (George Washingtons Masonic Lodge), and their American Revolutionary War involvement. In other words, I made an effort to show that I'd learned something about the clan, it's history and it's traditions and it's role in the history of the USA.

Like Jimmy says; "know your tartan" which might mean "know your clan and it's history". This is not "work" it's FUN! Anyway, that was my approach and my impression was that it was appreciated by the Clan Chairman.

[macwilkin]

Alan,

I'm betting that the Oakleigh tartan is a "trade" or "fashion" tartan, and not a Clan or District one. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because many tartans today are being designed by corporations, institutions -- I saw something in the past two weeks about a National Health Service tartan, which is a wee bit esoteric -- no political posts, please! :mrgreen: -- and other organizations.

It also could be a variant of the surname "Oakley" which is Irish and English in origin.

In other words, I made an effort to show that I'd learned something about the clan, it's history and it's traditions and it's role in the history of the USA.

Grand, Alan...you've done grand! (Just saw your reply, so I had to get this into my post!)

Are you a Librarian, btw? Saw the reference to a librarian in your last post.

Cheers,

Todd

[Doc Hudson]

[quote="Alan H"]

relationship between my ancestors, James McKnight and John McKnight and the Masons Lodge of Alexandria (George Washingtons Masonic Lodge),

Alan,

Would you by chance be a craftsman?

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Alan... two things:

1). You WON'T find anything about the "Oakleigh" tartan from any of the registers, so don't bother waisting time looking, and

2). You CAN afford a handsewn (no machine stitching) kilt in a fine, soft wool. You can try the Highland Heritage store along with any number of Formal Rental shops in your area. It only takes a call to see what they have, and get them to sell you one in your size and a nice tartan for the same price as a... well... another kind of kilt.