Can anyone wear any tartan?

[auld argonian]

...and do get ready for the perennial question:

"Is that your family tartan?"

(My current favorite answer is: "No...are those your family blue jeans?")

...because that's the only thing that most people know about tartan...and there you can correct them and say "not family...CLAN."

So if it isn't a tartan to which you have a family connection, you find yourself trying to explain things and, in my experience, it always seems to end up sounding like you're making a somewhat lame excuse. It's almost better to lie completely and baldfacedly and make up a clan if that's what it takes to quelch the question...but, of course, being the polite and honest gents and ladies that we are, an Xmarkser would never do anything like that....no matter how much we are tempted and the nosy no-it-all deserves it!

Look into things and see if you have a family connection somewhere...almost everybody on the planet seems to have at least one Scottish relative somewhere...if not, think about District Tartans...I, myself, crave both the Ulster and the Ayrshire District tartans and have family connections to both. If all else fails there are always the "universal" tartans and there are several really smashing ones. But as several posters have already said, if you know about what you're wearing, it's actually okay...rather a compliment to the clan, I think.

Best

AA

[Rex_Tremende]

...and do get ready for the perennial question:

"Is that your family tartan?"

(My current favorite answer is: "No...are those your family blue jeans?")

...because that's the only thing that most people know about tartan...and there you can correct them and say "not family...CLAN."

So if it isn't a tartan to which you have a family connection, you find yourself trying to explain things and, in my experience, it always seems to end up sounding like you're making a somewhat lame excuse. It's almost better to lie completely and baldfacedly and make up a clan if that's what it takes to quelch the question.

You have so captured that experience. I know it well.

Regards,
Rex.

[Ozman1944]

As we don't have any ties to the Monarchy in the U.S.A. their prohibitions are not enforcable here.
Personally, I wear the tartans I really like.....
"Clergy" is the only one I actually have "title" to; and the Welsh 'Harris' - which I can't afford anyway, so I wear 'Stewart' instead - they look similar; The rest are purely the ones I personally think are cool.

[macwilkin]

As we don't have any ties to the Monarchy in the U.S.A. their prohibitions are not enforcable here.

In response to that well-worn chestnut, I always say:

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

We may not have a monarchy, yes, but we should be respectful of traditions -- we would certainly demand no less from others.

Todd

[Jock Scot]

In response to that well-worn chestnut, I always say:

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should."

We may not have a monarchy, yes, but we should be respectful of traditions -- we would certainly demand no less from others.

Todd

I cannot speak for Her Majesty, but I rather suspect that the Balmoral tartan actually belongs to her, just as the Balmoral estate tweed belongs to her. Estate tweeds do belong to a person and as such have a copyright.I would think that it would be very unwise for anyone to weave,sell or wear a Balmoral tartan without the owner's consent.We are very proud and possessive of our Estate tweeds(tartan?) in Scotland and it is not unknown for court action to take place to protect some one's personal property.

[Tommy Hunt]

Personal opinion only of course but I don't think it's proper to wear a tartan that you have no connection too. It doesn't make sense to have all these clans we can join with tartans we can identify with only to say it doesn't matter who wears what. It makes the clan association (pride we feel wearing our family tartan etc) somewhat irrelevant. Sure there's no tartan police and that's as it should be but I think wearing another clan's tartan without any connection to it waters down the meaning of wearing clan tartans. I'm going to treat all tartans as I would the balmoral.

[macwilkin]

I cannot speak for Her Majesty, but I rather suspect that the Balmoral tartan actually belongs to her, just as the Balmoral estate tweed belongs to her. Estate tweeds do belong to a person and as such have a copyright.I would think that it would be very unwise for anyone to weave,sell or wear a Balmoral tartan without the owner's consent.We are very proud and possessive of our Estate tweeds(tartan?) in Scotland and it is not unknown for court action to take place to protect some one's personal property.

Aye, Jock...you'll get no arguement from me on this!

Todd

[Jock Scot]

Aye, Jock...you'll get no arguement from me on this!

Todd

An arguement from you, on this subject, Todd? I was absolutely sure there would not be!

[Galb]

Some people choose not to wear tartans they have no clan affiliation with. Others wear what they like. It's all a personal opinion and choice really. There are no official kilt police so do as you like. But it always helps to know exactly what tartan you are wearing so when asked about it you can give an informed response.

Me personally (at least so far) have stayed with wearing my clan's tartan and universal or fashion tartans. I have four kilts, one in the Galbraith tartan, one in the Scottish National, one in Black Watch, and one in Royal Stewart. The other three I wish to acquire are the Nightstalker, Black Stewart, and Pride of Scotland.

But I digress. Wear what you like or make up your own personal rules for you to follow. No one is going to tell you otherwise and if they do ask to see their official "Kilt Police Badge". ;)

[Larry124]

Depends on the occasion and venue.
Where some may know the tartan by name, will you be comfortable in conversation?
Where none will know tartan, you will still know it's name. Will you be comfortable in it?