Allowed tartans

[Tattoo Bradley]

I would and strike conversation with ANYONE in my tartan (Henderson.)

[bubba]

The whole idea of Clan tartans began with Sir Walter Scott and the King of England. The real tradition was wear whatever appealed to a person, what he could afford and the local weavers were making, the more colors the higher the cost. The Black Watch, otherwise known as the Govt Sett, also is a Grant and Campbell tartan as well as being the basis for many others. Frankly, there is no single true tradition on any of it. Personally, I follow the older idea of wearing what I like that I can afford.

[Hamish]

It truly matters not what tartan you wear, with the exception of 'Balmoral' which is reserved solely for our British Royal Family's personal use. With the proviso that you treat and wear that tartan with respect; that you take the trouble to learn its origins and, if it has one, its meaning - the reasons for the colours used in it. It might also be a considerate step to take if you were to write to the Clan Chief and explain that you wish to wear his/her tartan, giving your reasons - such a request is most unlikely to be refused.

I proudly wear my Clan tartan, Gunn, in two variations - Ancient and Weathered, but I am equally at ease wearing any of the other four Clan tartans, or thirteen regional/national tartans in my Kilt Kollection.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Ya outta get yourself a Henderson tartan Ham

[davedove]

Like a lot of people here, I like to have some affiliation with a particular tartan, but that's just so I feel a "connection" to it.

Even if you don't have a connection to a tartan, maybe you would want to honor someone who does. Maybe you had a friend who passed on and you wear his family tartan in his honor. Maybe your father (or, like me, your grandfathers) was in the Navy and you wear that tartan to honor him. Maybe you admire a particular clan and wear their tartan to honor them.

Know and respect whatever tartan you wear.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Those here who have intimated that te association of tartans to the names of clans and families is a recent thing are correct. The first named tartans did not come about until the late eighteenth century, and even then all indications are that these names were just meant as handy ways to identify a particular pattern and not meant to denote any affiliation.

(To put it in a modern context, we don't think only Cherokee people can drive Jeep Cherokees, do we?)

As recently as one hundred years ago, I have read commentary from Gaelic Highlanders who had never heard of a "clan tartan" and wore whatever tartan they pleased.

On the other hand, it is an undeniable fact that in the modern tradition of Highland Dress, people most certainly do associate tartans with clans, families, places, etc. There are absolutely no rules or laws governing this. It's only a popular custom that has grown up in the minds of romantic Scotophiles.

So my general advice to people is to wear whatever tartan you wish -- but most people choose to wear a tartan that they feel some personal connection to. This connection could be as straightforward as the tartan for your last name. Or it could be the tartan for your mother's name, or a grandmother's name. Or the district tartan of the state or town you were born in. Or the district tartan for the place your name originated in. Or the tartan of a clan of a very dear friend. Or... or... or...

The point is that when people see you wearing a tartan, they are going to ask you about it, and it really helps to have a nice story to tell. But there are no tartan police (though many people may act like it!). You'll never get in trouble for wearing the "wrong" tartan.

An example of where it helps to know your stuff about tartans is your comment about the Black Watch. You wrote that the Black Watch should be reserved for people who served in the Black Watch, or had other military service. While the Black Watch tartan certainly will have special meaning for Black Watch soliders, veterans, and their descendants, it is also the tartan used by the Clan Campbell, the Clan Grant, the Clan Munroe, as a district tartan for the Sutherland region, and also under the name "government sett" is has been the basis for countless other military and clan tartans.

This tartan is one of the ones commonly listed for "general use" by those with no tartan of their own, along with Hunting Stewart, Jacobite, Flower of Scotland and others. It is one of the most common tartans in the rental industry. You can buy pajamas and underwear in this tartan, for goodness' sake!

To illustrate how ridiculous some people can be about this, I have a friend who has a Black Watch kilt. He is a member of Clan Grant (his last name is Grant), and as I said, this tartan is used as a clan tartan by the Grants. Also, his father was a Black Watch soldier. So the tartan has double signifigance to him.

He was wearing his kilt at a recent Highland Games, and a person ran up to him (not kilted) and demanded to know why he was wearing "his" clan tartan. My friend began to explain to this man that this was the Black Watch tartan, and his father had served...

No! the gentleman yelled. That's the Murray tartan! This man was from clan Murray and wanted to know what gave my friend the right to wear his tartan! (Notice that he didn't even ask if my friend happened to be a Murray -- he just assumed).

So my friend once more tried to explain that this was not the Murray tartan, and it was in fact the Black Watch tartan, and he was wearing it because...

But no, the man continued to harass him, so my friend just politely excused himself and walked away. In the end, it was the harasser that was embarassing himself, in his feeble attempt at policing what other people wore.

Even if this crazy gentlemen were correct and my friend was wearing the Murray tartan, how was he to know that he was not descended from Clan Murray, no matter how distant? You just never know.

And for that matter, even if you have a staightforward name like MacDonald, that still is no guarantee that you are actually descended from the Clan MacDonald. All it means is that you are descended from a man named Donald, and he could have been Donald of Clan Campbell for all you know!

So take it all with a grain of salt, and try not to get too uptight about it. If all else fails wear solid colors!

[Hugh]

"Those here .............

So take it all with a grain of salt, and try not to get too uptight about it. If all else fails wear solid colors!"

Well said MAC. I think that puts end to the discussion.

[MacWage]

Well said MAC. I think that puts end to the discussion.

I Second that motion!

[RockyR]

Those here who ...

So take it all with a grain of salt, and try not to get too uptight about it. If all else fails wear solid colors!

Here, Here.

[pdcorlis]

The whole idea of Clan tartans began with Sir Walter Scott and the King of England.

I consider myself pretty wet behind the ears compared to many of the folks on this board so let me heartily suggest you do what I have begun. Try reading a bit of Scottish history - I've yet to run across any source that disagrees with this statement.