American tartans

[creagdhubh]

The problem being, BB, is that YOU think that the American Heritage tartan is morbid. YOU think that it looks like the sound of taps. That's OK. Don't buy it or wear it. Don't diss it either, though, because maybe (just maybe) there is someone out there that just loves that tartan, it's all he wears and he thinks that it's a happy tartan that he considers in his heart the same as many clansmen consider their clan tartans. Don't diss someone elses tartan. It's not done, old chap!

Hear, hear!

[Benning Boy]

I don't know, I suppose its the easy way out. Red, white and blue in general might represent America, Great Britain or France -- Russia, too? The way I've arranged the red and white above is distinctly American, unlike any of the other American tartans, district, bicentennial, or whatever. There should be no confusing it with with a tartan representing any other red, white and blue nation.

I don't think the use of red, white and blue in an American tartan is any less imaginative than using Thistle Purple in every danged thing to do with Scotland, saffron in Irish tartans, or schwarz, rot und geld in the German Heritage tartan. All these designs are more imaginative than many of the clan tartans, where a colored stripe or two was laid over Black Watch without much thought.

Anyway, I'd be delighted to see a tartan using other colors that actually says to the world, "American!" Perhaps we could use precious red, yellow, black and white -- with maybe a little brown thrown in just to be PC.

[Benning Boy]

BCAC, this is a place where the overwhelming content is statements of opinion. You express yours with every post. I expressed mine. I've never been afraid to. I've learned when you express an opinion in public some may jump in and agree with you, yet just as many, often more, will give you holy hell. I don't like American Heritage, it pushes all my buttons in a bad way. Sure others may like it, some have said so, and more power to them. I set out looking for a tartan that represents America, that makes me, and I would hope many viewers, feel good, not depressed. It so happens, after all my searching, the only readily available American tartan is the morbid, funereal one. I'd drape a catafalque with it, but I'd never wear it. It would be nice if some already accepted tartan like American Bicentennial or American District were in production and a stock item, but apparently they aren't. I'd prefer a tartan in p/v because I wear kilts a lot, and find p/v's ease of care a plus. I gets hot here and p/v would be a little cooler than wool.

[tundramanq]

BB, The only semi-traditional I have is the American Heritage. It is special, but somber. The other 12 USAKs are casuals, most in tartans Rocky designed. As Rocky pointed out it is a bear to work with blue and red due to the purples popping up where they cross.
A white background would solve most of this issue, but for some reason it's hard to get guys to wear what is thought of as a full dress or ladies dance tartan. I like your design, but it suffers the afore mentioned purple shift of the red when crossing the blue background.
Work with Rocky, he has a great eye for what tartans will sell and if you come up with a great one he will probably have a run of PV made. I'm up for a lively all American tartan to complement the Heritage tartan.

[Bareknees1]

I've checked the horse of this thread for a pulse, and indeed, it is expired. Further beating seems superfluous. Vigorous distaste regarding a tartan design has been unequivocally established. Equally vigorous defense has been proffered, as well as supportive and constructive thoughts as to how best to satiate a desire to find an alternative. It is in that latter spirit that I might humbly suggest that direction to be taken, otherwise the risk is run that this thread devolves into an exercise of cleverness and one-upsmanship that derails a potential opportunity for great minds to develop a great idea(Like, say, a new tartan design). Respectful discourse never requires a post debate shower.

[TheOfficialBren]

I like the American Heritage tartan for exactly the reasons stated above. It brings to mind the Black Stewart tartan but is distinctly different, it isn't overwhelming like the Bicentennial tartan (no offence to lovers of that tartan) , and has the aesthetic pull that tartans like Black watch have.

To support what Rocky said about colours that appeal to men, I, for one, do gravitate toward darker, more reserved tartans rather than tartans that jump out and smack you in the face. Indeed, during the period of tartan proliferation weren't many of the standards that we see that date to that period kind of on the dark side (it was, after all, the Victorian period).

Take Chattan. Lovely tartan. Very busy, kind of loud. I like it and respect it because I have a direct connection to the Clan Chattan confederation. Would I wear it? Probably in weathered or reproduction colours but doubtful in the modern colours.

I agree with Tobus, too. Why must every American tartan scream red, white, and blue? Why must we have so many distinctly American tartans to begin with? It is Scottish National Dress, afterall, and America's tartan past is, speaking objectively, less "Scottish" in a national sense than "English." That is a fact. We are not Canada or another Commonwealth nation with a history of Highland regiments (our only Highland regiment only briefly wore kilts and abandoned them very early on, along with the any Scottish nomenclature, to the best of my knowledge).

California, by the way, does have a stunning tartan that reminds me of Cameron of Errecht (which was worn by the aforementioned regiment in the early 1860s).

Insulting another's tartan is, I'm afraid, poor form, good sir. It's just not done.

[IrishSean]

BenningBoy, Like you, I don't particularly like the various American tartans registered. In fact, scrolling through them, I preferred American Express to American Heritage, for aesthetic reasons only. I also like your design, with the thirteen red and white stripes, etc. But given my limited resources, a custom weave is not on my agenda for the near future.

i couldn't tell if you were being serious or sarcastic with the suggestion of red, yellow, black and white. If serious, you should know that the Maryland state flag is made up of those colors (usually referred to in a different order: red and white, black and yellow) and thus they are the school colors for the university of Maryland. They also appear, along with various shades of blue, in the Maryland district tartan. It certainly is not "morbid" or "funereal". I like it, and since our tastes seem similar, perhaps you will also.

In any case, I hope you find something that you like.

[Benning Boy]

Well, IrishSean, perhaps you will recall that Jesus loves the little children, red, yellow, black or white they're all precious in his sight. In America today skin color means a lot. Skin colors are our practically our national colors. I was just being facetious. Like you, I can't afford a custom weave, not of more than 100 meters, I'm already thinking about having one done, can't afford another. You can buy Scottish and Irish national tartans by the yard, why can't you buy an All American tartan without going to the expense of a custom weave. Somebody is just flat out missing the boat.

[Downunder Kilt]

Once again BB, it is very simple. The weavers only weave tartans as stock if they think they can sell it on a regular basis. They oblviously don't think there is sufficent demand for an "All American Taran". Just as they don't stock the Australian Tartan, I just saved a bit longer and went the custom weave. The thing with the Irish and Scottish National tartans is that a lot of hire shops stock them, thus the weavers see that as a regular outlet. Hope this helps. Cheers

[Benning Boy]

I hear what you're saying, Downunder, but selling is an active process not a passive one. An All American tartan could be sold if the sales folks would just get off their collective behinds and sell it. Salespeople aren't rewarded for twiddling their thumbs, they're rewarded for moving product. Any tartan weaver or purveyor that commits to moving an American tartan will profit.