campbell dress

[Larry124]

I generally respond to tartan identity questions in one of three ways:

• This is the tartan of Clan or Family [insert].
• This is a fashion tartan named [insert].
• This is a tartan sold as [Clan or Family name] but it is not a tartan recognized or approved by that Clan or Family. Or that the tartan’s name is “controversial”. I apologize – my memory fails. I can’t recall which one but I do recall that there is one tartan approved (or acknowledged) on one Clan or Family web site and disapproved on another.

Dress Campbell seems to be common (mind-numbingly common?) in clothing other than kilts.

[Monkey@Arms]

Would'nt the argument here be more for the weaving houses or the STA than someone wearing the pattern? This is after all named and marketed by firms in Scotland. Should the rest of us refer to it as "the tartan that shall not be named" or the "False Nomenclature" pattern?

Indeed except for the custom made tartans, the wollen mills have a long history of naming tartans for marketing purposes. To quote from an article by Matt Newsome:

by the end of the eighteenth century Wilsons began to identify their tartans by names, as well. But this was not an attempt to claim that the tartan belonged to, or was in any way restricted to, the family whose name it now bore. It was simply another way of identifying the tartan. We do the same thing in modern American society. The helicopter is not called “Apache,” nor the Jeep called “Cherokee,” because we believe these Native American tribes actually developed or originally operated these vehicles. They are simply fancy (by which I mean “fanciful”) names.

Full article here: THE SOURCES OF THE TARTANS

For more reading about the (unofficial) Red Campbell Tartan check out this excerpt from the 3 volume history of Clan Campbell.

One point the author makes, that I think bears repeating, is that while there has never been a red Campbell tartan, "there is plenty of evidence the Campbells not infrequently wore red tartans."

Best regards,

Jake

[fluter]

Should the rest of us refer to it as "the tartan that shall not be named" or the "False Nomenclature" pattern?

No, that would be the "Hunting MacGregor."

[JelicoCat]

If one is honoring one's heritage then what the cheif says...goes...
If you like it wear it...but be aware...
etc...

Many a thread has been posted on this and similar subjects. I believe that if you show respect and know what the tartan is and what it means then you should be fine 99% of the time.