MORE Rules?!!!

[dfmacliam]

A lot of people have misconceptions about the "rules"... sometime or another we run across people who feel they know the rules, and its their word that should make us listen... be it the tartan we choose or the length of our kilt, or if the pleats should be worn in the font or not..
I feel there is enough information, here at XMarks, that a person can confidently dress out and meet the many authoritative seals of approval...LOL if they chose to.. regardless what the self styled kilt police might say..

and in the words of that famous movie pirate... they are more like guidelines than rules..

[MacLowlife]

Thanks, Sydnie7, I read all 160 posts and, if nothing else, it kept me from writing more of my own...I have to admit, it mostly provided support for two or maybe three contradictory positions:

1) Wear your surname, or find a name you can claim.*
B) Wear what you like.
III) Wear what you can afford- this justifies an otherwise "borrowed" association on grounds of thrift.

*Surname does not always equal clan or sept, by the way.


A local Episcopal school, which I did not attend, but do support ( my dear sister went there years ago) uses the Dress Gordon as their tartan ( their mascot is the Highlander). My own conscience is clear about my Dress Gordon kilt on two of the three grounds above. However, placing their sticker on my bumper would be seen by many as pretentious as hell.

These days, two of my three names ( or slightly misspelled versions of them) have their own tartans registered with the STA. On the other hand, I am fairly certain I have no kinship to the people who registered those tartans- at least not since, um 1745 or so. My reverence for the distilling Grants, the soup making Campbells, even the doughnut makers Duncan ( my ancestors spelled it Dunkin, too) is far vaster than any tie I might feel with a gent up in NC who leaves out the a in MacLowlife, even if he pronounces it the same. His grandpa probably changed it from McLoser at Ellis Island, for all I know.

What I admire most is the diligence with which people pursue their own particular viewpoint on this complicated subject.

[ForresterModern]

I think you will likely find two general schools of thought----the "traditional" Scottish clan-centered and historically correct one, and the one the rest of us tend to adhere to for the reasons Matt described so eloquently above. The trads generally only have one or two kilts, usually in the same or simple variants of the same tartan, and have allegiance and historical ties to that clan, usually their surname (father's family name). The "non-trads", which includes most of us on the west side of the pond, may still have strong ties to their traditional clan (Sandy and Mac are good examples) but most have much looser ties to an individual clan and prefer to honor a more variegate relationship to the old country, family and traditions in wearing tartans to which they have historical family ties, regional affiliation, or other non-clan tartan, or non-tartan for that matter.

I am not saying that either is perfectly correct, but personally see both sides of the discussion, while adhering to the non-traditional attitude myself.

Wear the tartan you choose for the reasons you choose, whichever camp you set your tent up in, but wear it with pride, honor, and respect to the heritage involved, and you should be fine. And be prepared to be told many different "rules", research your decisions, realizing that there are no real kilt police out there to track you down.

Now i have saddle sores from sitting on that fence for so long while typing this, it is time for me to get off---the fence, that is.

[Ian.MacAllan]

Regarding the Tyneside Scottish site . . . Then it says a Prince Charlie is "always" worn with a bow tie, but immediately following says a lace jabot looks great, too. Well, if a lace jabot is acceptable, then it is not "always" worn with a bow tie, is it? . . .

I think this Tyneside site is a particularly clear example of the extreme difficulty of being simultaneously authoritarian and authoritative, especially in an area so riddled with fantasy as the subject of Highland customs and attire. We are all much indebted to Matt for plugging away at effectively separating fact from fiction, despite how frustrating it must sometimes be.

.

[McClef]

Perhaps it said that to please Sean Connery?

[TecScot]

From my own chosen clan affiliation I've heard this from some quarters nae penneys. I've heard this from both sides of the Atlantic.

My surname is in fact Swiss. The underlining truth that is pure genealogy is I only three generations 4our from Celtic lands. The primary land is Scotland. The penneys look to exclude and puff themselves up. I'm at a loss as to why. There is one truth that guides me. Thank goodness we're all mongrels. Without that fact we'd all be morons.

Enjoy your chosen affiliations, your chosen tartan and know there are wiser and more inclusive people who stand with you.

[Andy]

Don't worry about it, man. I wear my mother's side tartan and they can't stop me! Heck, Sean Connery wears his mother's tartan.

....so do I. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever...

[Strings]

On this side of the pond, I don't really worry too much about it: I have several kilts snagged off Evilbay: i liked the designs, so i wear them.

Now, if I was going to go to Scotland, I would find a "safe" tartan (non clan). But that would be more to avoid the appearance of being presumptuous...

[Ancienne Alliance]

Sigh.

And the bit about clan tartan. Goodness gracious!

In reality, it is true that one really only belongs to one clan -- that is, according to the clan system of old where one swore loyalty to one's chief. You couldn't divide your loyalties.

However, I would argue that for most people today "belonging to a clan" has more to do with honoring one's ancestry and less to do with one's willingness to take up arms and report to the summons of one's chieftain. I know lots of folks who are members of more than one clan society, representing different lines in their ancestry. They do so out of an interest in their geneaology, as a means of making connections, gathering more data, and celebrating their heritage with others who hold that heritage in common. If you have the time and energy for it, why not belong to more than one group?

But in any case, the way one really displays one's loyalty to a clan is by displaying the crest badge of said clan. The crest represents the cheif and the strap and buckle signifies that your loyalty to the chief. Not the tartan. Tartans are worn symbolically but the meaning there is largely of importance only to the wearer.

That nonsense about those who don't really bear the clan name, but only a "sept name" being allowed only to wear the hunting tartan is just that -- nonsense.

For me, my life is complicated enough without having to worry about someone else's made up rules telling me how to dress. :-)~

Please listen to this gentleman.

Matt knows what he's talking about.


Best,

Robert

[Phil]

Clans nowadays are mainly common interest groups with occasional get-togethers and usually a bit of genealogy. I have to say also that they are more of a trans-atlantic phenomenon than something that most mainstream Scots get involved with. They do not, however, hold any exclusive rights to a particular tartan so you should not prevent yourself from choosing one if it is to your taste.
Also simply because you may have a Scottish-sounding name is no guarantee that you actually belong to the clan of that name. Whatever your name, your clan affiliation would have come from having ancestors who lived in a particular place and owed allegiance to the clan chief there. You may well, therefore, be called MacDonald but if your ancestors lived in Inverary (and this is hypothetical remember) then you would most likely be a member of Clan Campbell. Or they could even have been slaves with a Scottish master (sadly this was often the case) who took on their owner's name which if it happened to be Campbell, wouldn't then make them members of Clan Campbell.
So please take a lot of these clan and tartan rules with a generous pinch of salt and make your own mind up which one to wear.