Newbe Question alert: Okay to wear other tartan?

[Kid Cossack]

Oatmeal Savage:

The only sorry oatmeal I've ever seen was at a Navy base in North Carolina. I don't think you've said or done anything to be sorry over. You had a question about tartan wearing, and you asked it. As you may have gathered from the responses, there's more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, and there's more than one way to look at which tartans one can/ought wear.

I am sort of of mixed minds regarding "appropriate tartan" wear. To the extent that wearing a clan tartan means allegiance to the clan, I'm not entitled to wear any of 'em. (I am an American, and the only oath of allegiance I have taken is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foriegn and domestic.) On the other hand, I've got kith and kin from several Scots clans, and I've a couple of the tartans. I've also got kilts in tartans that I just like---for instance the Farquharson casual USAK. First off, it's a pretty tartan, and second of all, one of my favorite Victorian mechanical devices is the Farquharson single shot rifle.

Then again, I'm also a former Marine, and I'd look askance indeed at someone in the Leatherneck tartan who wasn't a Marine.

And speaking of the Marine Corps, they told us at boot camp that the only stupid question was the question you didn't ask.

Ever forward, with pleats flying in the wind!

[macwilkin]

Moved thread to heraldry and tartans section. Please post all tartan-related questions here.

Regards,

TJW