Weathered and muted Tartans, Why?

[figheadair]

In very general terms - When a Tartan is designed, it is the pattern that is designed. So many yarns of blue followed by so many yarns of green. We use the letters B and G. We do not normally specify what color of blue or green.

Steve, you raise a point that is widely misunderstood. How often have I been told by someone that "they have three tartans; the dark one, the ancient one and a nice muted one"? In explaining the fact that they are the same tartan it's helpful to use the terms shade, tone or hue rather than colour to explain the apparent difference. Colour is the generic term: red, blue green etc., which is then qualified by: light, dark etc.

The weavers can change the colors again to simulate what the design may look like after being out in the sun and faded for 40 years. This is the "weathered" color version.

The generic colours never fade to this range. My understanding is that 'Weathered Colours' came about some time after Dalgliesh 'invented' their Reproduction Range. The term was copyright and so other manufacturers, Lochcarron may have been the first, chose a different name for series of similar (sort of) colours.

Unlike all the other colour ranges, Weathered colours actually change some of the colours, particularly the green which becomes a mid-brown. The departure from the original is so marked that it has been argued that the result is actually a different tartan.