Allowed tartans

[Macman]

Actually, it wasn't that he didn't feel comfortable wearing his mother's tartan. He told me that he really wanted to wear her tartan, but was told once by the proprietor of another kilt shop that he was not allowed to wear it. He had to wear his father's tartan.

Matt, I have been told the same thing. Over the years I can think of a couple of local stores where the proprietors would have been quite adamant about this (that only Dad's tartan could be worn). At the time I took that as gospel! I'm glad he ended up with what he liked and felt good about it.
I guess I tend not to think of tartans as my mother's or father's, but as my own (but not in the exclusive sense). For example, if I had been born to a single mother named Oliphant, and that was my surname too, then that would be the clan tartan I would want to wear.

[Prester John]

You guys are funny.

Ever hear the saying "He who pays the piper calls the tune,"?

He who pays the tailor gets what he wants. It is your money, after all.

Now, I am completely supportive of Clan ID with tartans, but I cannot think of a higher compliment for a non-clan member than to wear the clan tartan!

If I'm spending my exceptionally scarce money on clothing, I'm gonna wear what I want to wear. Period.

Now go and do likewise. And if anyone gives you any trouble about it, just tell them Fr. John said it was okay.

[Ruanaidh]

So, Father, I have your blessing to buy a new kilt???

[Sir Robert]

I too have a connection to a sept of Gordon. However I love the fact that I can buy Clan Gordon kilts inexpensively. Get real $100 is better (for Gordon)than $500 for an obscure tartan.

I served alongside the Black Watch in Iraq so I have a connection to them too, I love the low prices.

[James]

In view of the length of this chain, and the many variant views, I have decided to start a new one, with what I know will be a contentious post, but here are some things which must be said.

James

[Scott Gilmore]

... Bad post, sorry. Removed.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

[Woodsheal]

Sounds like a personal problem.

Regards,
Scott Gilmore

What's the value of a statement like this? Why be insulting?

[majdan]

Then what happens when no one can agree on what the clan tartan is?

I have a tank in the Montgomery tartan, and it is listed as the "Clan" tartan on several websites (these colors are much darker than the tartan is in person)


Yet one tartan site says this is the clan tartan


and while on the official Clan Montgomery site they do not actually define their tartan, one can buy a similar tartan (the purple seems wider than in the first pic to me) from the clan (at a fairly reasonable price I might add).

But then I have found the same sett but with more defined colors (Red and green instead of pink and dark green)


So I guess my tank isn't really a Clan tartan. But then I find these other Montgomery's (same colors as mine, diferent sett).



And this doesn't even include Montgomery of_________, which I have found several.

But wait the Scottish Tartan Authority says Montgomery surname is supposed to wear Aberdeen district tartan!?!

That means that there are 3-4 setts (I can’t tell is the last two are the same or not) and at least 2 color variations of the same sett (three if you also count the Montgomery Modern I found which is blue instead of purple).

So am I insulting the clan by wearing a tartan that may not be the clan tartan, but has the clan name? Or maybe I qualify for the clan since their database of geneology contains lots of Wilsons and Robersons (I gotta have a connection somewhere - maybe I should take their DNA test). But wait, they don't seem to have a clan chief anymore, so are they still a clan. And they were a lowland clan in the first place, what are they doing with a tartan?

Then there is the last name thing. My mother is a Thompson, can I wear the Thompson tartan? Even though my Thompson ancestors were Welsh? And then which one (there are 6-8 different Thompson tartans), but Thompsons aren't their own clan, but a sept of MacTavish, so is it still insulting for anyone to wear any of their tartans? Thompson BTW are supposed to wear the Campbell, Galloway District or MacTavish tartans if you believe the Scottish Tartan Authority.

Adam

We do so have a current chief he is The Right Honourable Archibald George Montgomerie, 18th Earl of Eglinton and Winton.

[cessna152towser]

Personally I believe I have plenty of nice tartans to choose from, ancestor family names, fashion tartans, affinity groups etc., without needing to wear a tartan with which I have absolutely no connection though its no business of mine to criticise someone who chooses to do so. Most of my kilts are either single colour or camo. but I do also wear the following tartans:-
Cunningham (my surname);
Black Watch (a government sett and I am retired from a thirty year local government career)
Teviotdale (District tartan from the district where I live, which was traditionally Elliot territory and the tartan includes the blue and brown of Elliot)
Dark Island (fashion shadow tartan)
Spirit of Scotland (fashion tartan)
Royal Air Force (in honour of my late father who served in the RAF)
Royal Stewart (a cheap tourist tat kilt, just because I wanted to have one in my collection).
My next tartan kilt will probably be University of Glasgow where I studied for my law degree from 1969 to 1973.

[emolas]

I think that restrictions on what "colors" you can wear is a bit gang-like and juvenile. That being said, which one of you can get your hands on some Balmoral tartan? It's pretty sweet looking and the fact that it's forbidden makes it that much more enticing.