Salutations all around

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Jack, and welcome to X Marks from the bottom end of Africa.
It’s great that you have already decided to go for two tartans, and it makes no difference that neither of them is Scottish.
I trust you have checked with the bride and groom what tartan they would prefer you to wear, but if they are happy with what you plan to wear, that is fine.
You say you are from the Pacific north-west, but you don’t say which state. No matter: there are state tartans aplenty, and I am sure you would love to wear one that tells the world which is your home state.
Regards,
Mike

[Kiltedjohn]

Welcome from a Scotsman living in middle England.

[MinusHD]

Welcome from North Texas! There are a handful of us bikers here, too.

[dougle]

[MacEanruig]

Welcome to the group.

[Tomak]

Hello and welcome from Southern California.

[ASinclair]

Hello Jack!

[DyerStraits]

Hi.

My name is Jack, I live in the PNW of the USA, and I've recently started kilt shopping to add to my current collection of [goose egg]0 kilts. A good friend has invited (transl: "shanghaied") me to officiate at his wedding, and it is to be a kilts-required affair.

Accordingly, I've started inquiring around and believe that my first enabler will be Rocky at USA, who has been both gracious and informative thus far. As a "jump in with both feet and my face" kind of guy, I'm scheming for a formal set-up for the wedding, to be followed at some point by a kilt in U.S. Army tartan with a day sporran.

All pointers on procurement, set-up, and wear are explicitly welcomed, of course.

Basics about me: early 50s and not too all-fired grown up yet; married (3rd time = charm, we do hope); three kids betwixt; like to ride a motorcycle once in a while and there will be pants for that always. Fishing, on the other hand...

Oh, and not even the weest dram o' Scots blood in me, unless you count the dilution caused by Uigeadail. With all due respect to the real Highland traditions, my first kilt will be rendered in Lewis of Wales tartan.

Startlingly enough, however, my Jewish wife has a family tartan. We looked it up. It's... not great. Looks like Christmas wrapping paper. Think I'll stick with LoW.

That's enough of my rattling on. Thanks for having me. I'll sneak back under my rock and peer out until I've something worthwhile to contribute.

Cheers,

Jack

A warm welcome, Jack! And please, have no geneological or ethnological concerns about being "eligible" to wear the kilt because, as I have repeatedly mentioned elsewhere, the Kilt is THE Multicultual Evolution of the Primordial Loincloth of All Humanity. The Welsh are a very special people, so by all means wear a Welsh Cilt for the wedding if you like, or otherwise honor your (undoubtedly beautiful) wife with a Jewish Tartan Kilt (it's a rather tough row to hoe, but there are few better, or more literarily, beautiful) ways to appreciate the Celtic-Jewish connection than James Joyce's "Ulysses" and its quintessential anti-hero (and quintessential Transplanted Jew), Steven Bloom.

[Taffy Jack]

A warm welcome, Jack! And please, have no geneological or ethnological concerns about being "eligible" to wear the kilt because, as I have repeatedly mentioned elsewhere, the Kilt is THE Multicultual Evolution of the Primordial Loincloth of All Humanity. The Welsh are a very special people, so by all means wear a Welsh Cilt for the wedding if you like, or otherwise honor your (undoubtedly beautiful) wife with a Jewish Tartan Kilt (it's a rather tough row to hoe, but there are few better, or more literarily, beautiful) ways to appreciate the Celtic-Jewish connection than James Joyce's "Ulysses" and its quintessential anti-hero (and quintessential Transplanted Jew), Steven Bloom.

Thank you, sir!

I'm a little leery of becoming so besotted with someone else's tradition that I take on "recent convert" piousness and go around lecturing people on how to dress and behave. I guess I'd just prefer not to run roughshod over a tradition that, after all, I'm appropriating without license.

I'm at least peripherally aware that, like language, native dress is an evolving tradition -- and that others will riff on renowned clothing traditions. Living in the greater Seattle area (transl.: we believe our area is just slightly greater than Seattle proper), I've a number of friends already who rock the decidedly non-traditional Utilikilts for work and play.

For myself, I believe I'd prefer a traditional kilt, partly because of my dear Mom's affinity for pipe music but probably because they just look better to me. Assembling the various items into functional outfits looks like it could become a pleasurable pastime, and since I have no office dress code to respect, why the heck not? However, I may have to semi-retire the name of our writing group, which is "Pants Before Noon."

As for Pretty Wife, her tartan is Maxwell (from her maternal grandmama), a tartan of which she is not aesthetically fond. I looked around for Maxwell refs this morning, and was pleased both to learn the word "armigerous" and to find out that the clan name apparently comes from Maccus Well, "Maccus" having been an influential Norse chieftain. Turns out she's probably about as Norse/Celt as I am, which explains the blue eyes.

Plus, she's got claim to three tartans (Maxwell, Jewish, and Lewis if she pleases), while I can only excuse myself for a pair (Lewis of Wales and U.S. Army).

This is an interesting world. I'm pleased to be exploring it, and delighted to have X-Marks as a resource and community. Thank you all for having me.

[tulloch]

Welcome from the highlands of central Massachusetts.