Ocupational tartans?

[Blacksmith]

LOL interesting .... but if you have hairy legs the tears might come to yer eyes when it comes time to take it off...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Strictly speaking, the only true occupational tartan that I know of is the Clergy tartan.

While several Police Departments and Fire Departments have their own tartans, these represent those particular groups, not policemen or firemen in general.

Corporate tartans are the same way. When you wear a corporate tartan you are saying, "I work for this company," but you might be the CEO, a secretary, or a janitor. The tartan doesn't really represent your occupation accross the board.

Regimental tartans are the same way. They say, "I am a member of this regiment," which is more specific than simply, "I am a soldier." The modern US military tartans come closer to being "occupational" tartans, but they are still specific. Wearing the Leatherneck tartan, for instance, means "I am a member of the USMC" specifically. There is no tartan that simply says "I am a soldier."

So, as far as I know, the Clergy tartan is it as far as true general occupational tartans go.

M

[GlassMan]

Strictly speaking, the only true occupational tartan that I know of is the Clergy tartan.

While several Police Departments and Fire Departments have their own tartans, these represent those particular groups, not policemen or firemen in general.

Corporate tartans are the same way. When you wear a corporate tartan you are saying, "I work for this company," but you might be the CEO, a secretary, or a janitor. The tartan doesn't really represent your occupation accross the board.

Regimental tartans are the same way. They say, "I am a member of this regiment," which is more specific than simply, "I am a soldier." The modern US military tartans come closer to being "occupational" tartans, but they are still specific. Wearing the Leatherneck tartan, for instance, means "I am a member of the USMC" specifically. There is no tartan that simply says "I am a soldier."

So, as far as I know, the Clergy tartan is it as far as true general occupational tartans go.

M

What would it take to have a new universal tartan designed and registered for firefighters? I'd love to do that for my brother firefighters.

[Prester John]

One might say that it is one of the remaining "benefits of clergy."

[LoftGuy]

"One might say that it is one of the remaining "benefits of clergy."

And, IMHO, a very well deserved benefit, at that.

Bob

[M. A. C. Newsome]

What would it take to have a new universal tartan designed and registered for firefighters? I'd love to do that for my brother firefighters.

Well, anyone could design one, and then after that it would just take some effort to get it popularly recognized.

The trick is that since there is no overarching "firefighter's union" or other similar authority over firefighters world wide, there is no governing body to decree "yes, this is the official firefighters' tartan." So what you'd have to do is basically design a personal "fasion" tartan called "Firefighters" and then work to get it recognized on a broader scale -- what we call "wont and useage."

No over-arching governing body has ever authorized the Clergy tartan, but since it has been used for nearly 200 years, it is universally recognized as a tartan used by clergy. So we say it has become official through wont and useage.

So it may take some time to get a universal firefighters tartan accepted in the same way, but the first step would be to simply design one. Then you'd have to try and promote the heck out of it among your fellow firefighters.

Who knows, with a good marketing effort, it might just take off!

Aye,
Matt

[davedove]

One tartan that is "sort of" an occupational tartan is the MacSporran tartan. MacSporran is son of the purse used for those who handle the money. It could be used for bankers, accountants, etc. Of course, it is also a family name, but that's just incidental.