Which one to wear?

[Thekiltedmohawk]

Not sure yet, but my favourite colours are purple, black and red.

Why, that's the nice color combos. There's a tartan for that without sacrificing one of your favorite colors!

Here it is! Montgomery Modern.

[DyerStraits]

Not sure yet, but my favourite colours are purple, black and red.

I'm very fond of my Honor Of Scotland tartan kilt, since purple is one of my favorite colors also. I also like to wear both purple/black and red/black together, and for the latter there's no better choice, in my opinion, than Stewart Black, although there are of course many other options, for example: https://www.scotlandshop.com/tartan-...tan-colour=Red

If you like red, Royal Stewart--Queen Elizabeth's personal (and Unrestricted tartan) is as red as it gets, extremely popular and thus extremely easy to find.

Regarding Restricted versus Unrestricted tartans, my understanding is that truly Restricted tartan cloth is only made available by permission from an authorised weaver and only if one is a direct lineal relative/descendent of the clan/family, etc. Other tartans seem to be "Semi-Restricted", with an indication that they "may be worn by anyone of the name." And then there's the issue of Septs. I wear the Unrestricted Lamont tartans because my paternal family surname is a sept of Lamont, and I could also wear the "Semi-Unrestricted" Dyer tartan because that is my maternal family surname.

The previous advisory about the self-appointed (and often surprisingly ill-informed) Kilt Cops is a good one. They will sneak up on you from out of nowhere!

So Many Tartans, So Little Time!

[OC Richard]

I now have two kilts, one being the Heritage tartan and the other, the Freedom tartan.

Seems to me that I see Scots wearing tartans like that more often than Americans.

When I see Scots at our local Games or Rugby or what have you they're wearing Scottish National, Scotland 2000, Scotland The Brave, Flower Of Scotland, and the like, more often than the old Clan tartans.

In the Pipe Band world there's been a huge shift in the tartans Scottish-based bands wear over the last 30 years or so, away from the old Clan and Regimental tartans to the new fashion, commemorative, national, and district tartans, and also to bespoke tartans.

Perhaps this is because of the greater awareness of/sensitivity to the proprieties of Clan and Regimental tartan-wearing in Scotland, to which Jock Scot refers.

For sure here in the USA people of Scottish ancestry with a known Clan connexion are often loyal to their tartan. I work with a guy named Stewart who has a few different Stewart kilts and couldn't imagine ever wearing anything else.

I'm in the situation of many Americans with a mixed and murky ancestry so I wear Isle Of Skye, simply because I like it and have visited the island.

[RectaPete]

Are there rules about who can wear Clan tartans, or is it now a free for all and wear what you like? I now have two kilts, one being the heritage tartan and the other, the Freedom tartan.

I love those two tartans. Heritage because it has my favourite colour purple in it, and Freedom because it resembles one of my clan tartans. I assume you got the budget options from buyakilt.com? From all accounts they're some of the best polyviscose kilts out there.

Anyone can wear a clan tartan, but I myself feel uncomfortable with wearing other clan tartans unless they're universal. With Christmas coming up I recommend getting something in Royal Stewart- very seasonal colours there!

[Debbie]

Well I finally settled on Royal Stewart, and my kilts are polyviscose. My second two kilts I bought from "The Scotland Kilt Co" Edinburgh, and I am very pleased with the kilts and the service. The one thing I have done to each kilt is, edge sew the rear fold of the pleats, and this preserves the pleats a lot better.

[Katia]

Seems to me that I see Scots wearing tartans like that more often than Americans.

When I see Scots at our local Games or Rugby or what have you they're wearing Scottish National, Scotland 2000, Scotland The Brave, Flower Of Scotland, and the like, more often than the old Clan tartans.

In the Pipe Band world there's been a huge shift in the tartans Scottish-based bands wear over the last 30 years or so, away from the old Clan and Regimental tartans to the new fashion, commemorative, national, and district tartans, and also to bespoke tartans.

Perhaps this is because of the greater awareness of/sensitivity to the proprieties of Clan and Regimental tartan-wearing in Scotland, to which Jock Scot refers.

Or maybe they hate their tartan and need an alternative. (I've often contemplated the horror of... what if I *were* Scottish, and I thought my tartan was ugly??? It's almost as bad as hating your name {though you can always choose not to use the tartan... names are another story}. I was relieved enough that I like my band's tartan! {The real question, especially for those who aren't Scottish themselves so wouldn't have the option of retaining their own family tartan: would you marry someone if their tartan was ugly? })

[freep]

I've a cousin who's quite conservative in all ways and I'd thought about getting him interested in all this Scottish jazz.
But.
He's a Buchannan. Ever seen the Buchannan tartan? Yellow background with black and red. . . no hope. He'd never go for it.

[Liam]

I've a cousin who's quite conservative in all ways and I'd thought about getting him interested in all this Scottish jazz.
But.
He's a Buchannan. Ever seen the Buchannan tartan? Yellow background with black and red. . . no hope. He'd never go for it.

Have a look at the Buchanan weathered tartan....

[freep]

Ah, I would but it's a lost cause. He's not seen my kilt yet but when I wore my balmoral around one day and dropped in on him he said, "What in the he** is that crap on your head?"
I don't think we're going to get him in kilt, tartan or anything else save what he's worn for the past sixty years.

For myself I did come across some Stewart Old Sett Weathered I really like. Spendy though.

[Tarheel]

The real question, especially for those who aren't Scottish themselves, so wouldn't have the option of retaining their own family tartan: would you marry someone if their tartan was ugly?

I've heard that Love is also "color" blind. I'm not sure about pattern selective blindness.