why are these the 13 most popular tartans?

[ThistleDown]

Actually, this seller states right up front that the kilts on offer are NOT made in Scotland, and that they are of poly-viscose. A lot more than most on-line dealers will admit. I don't read that they claim these thirteen as the most popular tartans, either, just that these are the thirteen they stock.

[Downunder Kilt]

If I may ask my good friend Richard's question another way, how did the weavers/providers of P/V and acrylic tartan chose which tartans to sell. Some are not that traditional.

I would imagine just like any other business, general demand or special orders. After all they are in business to make money, just like any other.

[Tam Piperson]

If I may ask my good friend Richard's question another way, how did the weavers/providers of P/V and acrylic tartan chose which tartans to sell. Some are not that traditional.

Well, being non-traditional; there may not be that much of a demand for them. Perhaps they got a bargain on the cloth and had a bunch of off the rack kilts made up from it to sell to as inexpensive entry-level kilts for the novices to wet their toes with, so to speak, since not many first-time kilt wearers these days rush right down to the nearest kilt-maker to be measure for a custom-tailored, 8 yard, 16 oz., woven in Scotland 100% wool kilt for $500 or more (I think I paid $245 for my first kilt back in the late 1980's which seems like a bargain today).

As for being made in Pakistan or elsewhere; I'm sure much of the "Navaho" pottery and "Native American" blankets that are sold to tourists in the gift shops at the Grand Canyon are probably made in Taiwan as well.

[Tartan Tess]

I was surprised that there wasn't what I would consider popular dancer's tartan in Steve's list. I don't know the names but the "Tourquoise Lennox and Erskine Red" ; Menzies etc.
Sorry I know that isn't their proper names, but if you watch the dancing at the games you know that they are very popular colors in those dress tartans .

[The Wizard of BC]

The answer to your question Tess is that the list I posted in from just one weaving company, Lochcarron. Lochcarron does not do a lot of dance tartans.

Most of the kiltmakers who make dance kilts get their fabric from House of Edgar. I'm pretty sure that you are correct that the dance Tartans outsell all others. I've been in kilt shops where the only Tartans on the selves are dance Tartans.

What I find interesting is that if you look at the popular Tartans from each weaving mill the non-clan Tartans often outsell the Clan based ones.

[creagdhubh]

I think these are simply the choice of the retail chain which sells these kilts.
Some are well known Scottish tartans but there are others like the Heritage of Scotland tartan which you will see worn by Heritage of Scotland shop staff on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
Also the Grey Hamilton tartan. This is not the Hamilton sett in shades of grey, rather it is a fashion check (one of the retailers of which is Hamilton Products). I have been unable to find this Grey Hamilton or Hamilton Grey in the Scottish Tartans Register.
I note also that the kilts are produced by Victor Scott Kiltmaker. A quick look for their website suggests it is currently down. The name Victor Scott did ring a bell though as the address for Victor Scott Kiltmaker is the same as one of Edinburgh's more touristy kilt shops. Last time I was in there the assistant who served me was wearing a purple based tartan similar to but slightly different from Heritage of Scotland and when I asked him what was his tartan he said it was the Victor Scott tartan. I guess these 13 tartans are the ones you will mostly find in the various economically priced shops on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.

***

[RockyR]

I think we're all over-thinking it a bit. If you TELL people that "these are the most popular tartans" and you're a retailer, most people won't question you b/c they see you as an authority on the matter ("he MUST know what he's talking about... he sells them").

In reality, I would say that 6 of those 13 wouldn't list in the top 50 of our most popular, but OUR most popular would have a bunch that OTHERS may not carry.

The other thought is that they just carry 13 Pakistani PV tartan kilts, so they HAVE listed the top 13.

[Tam Piperson]

Going by the frequency of surname occurance, the top 20 Scottish tartans should be:

1 Smith
2 Brown
3 Wilson
4 Stewart
5 Thomson
6 Campbell
7 Robertson
8 Anderson
9 Scott
10 MacDonald
11 Murray
12 Taylor
13 Clark
14 Young
15 Ross
16 Watson
17 Morrison
18 Mitchell
19 Fraser
20 Kerr

[gwynng]

Also the Grey Hamilton tartan. This is not the Hamilton sett in shades of grey, rather it is a fashion check (one of the retailers of which is Hamilton Products). I have been unable to find this Grey Hamilton or Hamilton Grey in the Scottish Tartans Register.

I have seen a lot of kilts marketed as "Hamilton Grey" and as I was working on my first kilt in a grey/black tartan, kind of assumed it was the aforementioned. When I did a search in one of the online tartan finders, and then a subsequent Google image search, decided that Grey Douglas was more likely. The tartan I was working with is a little lighter in tone than the Lochcarron, but the same sett I think. So it begs the question is Hamilton Grey a renaming/copying Grey Douglas or vice versa...or does it matter? Either way I like having a kilt in a totally neutral color scheme. Pretty easy to wear.

[Tam Piperson]

I have seen a lot of kilts marketed as "Hamilton Grey" and as I was working on my first kilt in a grey/black tartan, kind of assumed it was the aforementioned. When I did a search in one of the online tartan finders, and then a subsequent Google image search, decided that Grey Douglas was more likely. The tartan I was working with is a little lighter in tone than the Lochcarron, but the same sett I think. So it begs the question is Hamilton Grey a renaming/copying Grey Douglas or vice versa...or does it matter? Either way I like having a kilt in a totally neutral color scheme. Pretty easy to wear.

The Duke of Hamilton (and Brandon) is the chief of the Douglas clan.