"Rules" for wearing family tartan

**butch** · 26th March 10, 04:41 AM

WOW I went to sleep last night with sweet dreams being the nice guy that I am. And I wake up hearing I am a member of "DDOWTA" (see above post) here I thought I was just a regular guy enjoying life while wearing a kilt while hiking, walking, or just gallivanting about town. BUT NO I am a degenerate, debase anarchist throwing caution to the wind. So I have been found out I am really a member of that secret society that wants to overrun Scotland to do what the Roman could not, take all of your Scotch

**butch** · 26th March 10, 05:35 AM

Nice to see that the kilt is living since it can evolve Quick question If it has evolved for 100 years, has it stopped evolving. Did it reach a Darwinning state of perfection. Perhaps it is still evolving and has not reached perfection and the newer kilters are pushing it forward to new heights of natural selection, If newer kilters are not breathing new life into the kilt,it will wither and die. "Keep the kilt moving forward" BY

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 26th March 10, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by The Scotsman

I would say that the very beginings of the clan tartan tradition date to the early years of the 19th century, the 1810's and 1820's would have been the formative years; however the kilt as we know it had yet to evolve. By the end of the 19th century, it had fully evolved.

Prior to the 19th century, clan tartans didn't exist as such, and the kilt was still in a very rudimentary form.

So that brings us to the perfect solution.... wear one of my four yard box pleated kilts, which are modeled after the original tailored kilt of the late eighteenth century, and you don't have to worry about any "entitlement" to a tartan!

**Corden** · 26th March 10, 06:23 AM

And I thought my original question would have a quick yes/no answer and that'd be the end of that... :-)

**Micric** · 26th March 10, 06:29 AM

I have to admit, the items posted above are beautiful indeed.
Yet, a question remains;

Were any of the above carried /used by real highlanders, or merely by rich Victorian and Edwardians, playing the part?
It is a fact that in the late Vic. era and beyond, the way to win the "Best dressed highlander" competition was to be dripping in arms and accoutrements.

So, since this was the case, Is this indeed what we need to be looikng at to determine our traditions and what/who may wear what?

In all honesty, I think that even fairly well-heeled Highlander would look at the above accoutrements, as bonny as thy are, and look at his own monetary state of affairs and think;
"Och!...Bl---y Saxons!"

Best wishes,

Richard.

Corden,

Please don't lose heart.
The thought of throwing in the towell had crossed my mind, yet I must say we only have one kick at the can on this world, so we must do all we can whilst here.
I got to 56 before I ever wore a kilt,..and wish'd I'd had one Much sooner.
I was like you as well, from 'wrong' side of border and didn't feel really entitled.
As we have seen though if we choose a tartan with some meaning to ourselves, and wear it well, it's noone's business but our own.

I have a Mackenzie kilt, I received it from a good Mackenzie friend up in the Lochindhorb area. I hold them in high regard and that is why I will wear it.
I asked their personal permission to wear it and they told me they would be honoured if I did so.

So, even though we have gone through the fire and flood in this thread, and there are at the end of it more dead bodies than live ones, so to speak;
I Will wear my Mackenzie tartan with no pretext of actually Being a Mackenzie, But I will wear it always respectfully, thinking on my pal
and wearing it Well.

cheers,

Richard.

**JSFMACLJR** · 26th March 10, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Micric

I have to admit, the items posted above are beautiful indeed.
Yet, a question remains;

Were any of the above carried /used by real highlanders, or merely by rich Victorian and Edwardians, playing the part?
It is a fact that in the late Vic. era and beyond, the way to win the "Best dressed highlander" competition was to be dripping in arms and accoutrements..

There were "real Highlanders" during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. I think what you are trying to say is "were there any Highland gentlemen living in the Highlands in the Reigns of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, or did they all live in the south?"

**Micric** · 26th March 10, 07:56 AM

Sorry for being unclear in my question!

What I meant was were there any real highlanders,( apart from the odd clan chief,) who would be dripping in such exrtavagant accoutrements?
I know there Were highlanders "back then"!... but also believe that most had not the income to ingdulge in such luxuries.
I believe most of this high-end stuff would be seen on persons Dressing as highlanders, rather than the true salt-ofthe earth Highlander....(?)

Also,I thought most of these accoutrements were made in Edinburgh and Glasgow, rather than the Highlands.
Cheers,

Richard.