"Rules" for wearing family tartan

**Bludongle** · 27th March 10, 01:55 PM

"I made it through the wilderness.... Somehow I made it through..."

Day two of reading through this most interesting of threads.

Two comments and then my point.

1) over and over in my head I kept on hearing my grandmothers voice mumbling behind my aunts at family reunions... "You girls sure do insist on swallowing camels." and giggling.

2) That being said, out of all the forums I have been a member of, this place, by far, has some of the most civilized arguments I have seen.

Now to the entrée.

I have been a member of XMTS for half a decade (my gawd, say it isn't so!) and have been rather reticent about being participatory. Although the Good Lord knows I ain't shy, there are a few reasons for my wall-flowering but it comes down to mostly two.

Kilt wearing is something that I enjoyed in a two fold way. I have enjoyed the distictive look and I secretly take a little pride at the chance to embrace the connection that it gives me to my (assumed) Scottish heritage. The kilt, IMHO, is one of the coolest and most expressive pieces of male clothing that has come down from western antiquity. It is distinctive in almost every way and immediately sets itself apart from any other item of masculine attire with class and style. Knowing that my great grandmother on my mothers side is MacCraken I held a certain pride knowing something so cool (and something I looked so damn good in) might possibly be part of my heritage. Note that I say "might".

My name is John Smith. This is my second reason for my uncertainty to bring anything to the table.

I am, for all intents and purposes, a true Heinze 57. Ask any one of my relatives what our ancestry is and you will get everything from Cherokee to Russian Jew. Most are willing to admit/include the various African inclusion or Caribbean Islander. However, no one can give a lick of proof or a name past their own parents and maybe a random grandparent. I know that my fathers mother was adopted or handed over to another family as a teen. I do not have any clue as to my great grandfathers name other that he was also a Smith. So if asked my heritage I would say "distinctly American Melt with Russian Jew, English, French, Scot, with a touch of Greek from my mother and English, Swede, Spanish, Cherokee, other from my father". or simply "Mutt".

The lack of true claim which leads to a lack of confidence in confiding my love for all things kilted has left me mute.

But no more.

I appreciate this thread for its candid and open discussion concerning the why's and wherefores of a kilted heart and where it has lead most. I now feel that if I was to find out tomorrow that most of my family was genetically bred to look like Europeans from Oriental stock and we are all from the Himalaya's I would still embrace and enjoy my love for all things kilted and the Scottish heritage it springs from. That being said....

Hi, my name is John and I wear a kilt.

Isle of Sky light weight off the rack bought at the Letchworth NY Highland Games 1996.

**robthehiker** · 27th March 10, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Bludongle

The lack of true claim which leads to a lack of confidence in confiding my love for all things kilted has left me mute.

But no more.

I appreciate this thread for its candid and open discussion concerning the why's and wherefores of a kilted heart and where it has lead most. I now feel that if I was to find out tomorrow that most of my family was genetically bred to look like Europeans from Oriental stock and we are all from the Himalaya's I would still embrace and enjoy my love for all things kilted and the Scottish heritage it springs from. That being said....

Hi, my name is John and I wear a kilt.

Thanks for reminding me what I like best about this site.

**robthehiker** · 27th March 10, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by The Scotsman

Let's all hug

Hug a guy in a skirt?? No way!!

**Bugbear** · 28th March 10, 09:46 PM

Well looking back at 187 on page 19, then reading a few more posts:

Originally Posted by robthehiker

Hug a guy in a skirt?? No way!!

Ah, now, come on.

I stand by my right to have expressed the way I was feeling about some of the kilt discussions.

And with that,

**Brian K** · 28th March 10, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

I stand by my right to have expressed the way I was feeling about some of the kilt discussions.

And with that,

Hey, that's fine by me, but I'd take it more seriously if I didn't see you hiding under that chair so often

**Macman** · 29th March 10, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

I stand by my right to have expressed the way I was feeling about some of the kilt discussions.

And with that,

You do have the right, Ted. You always exress yourself respectfully.
Wear that tartan with pride. It has meaning for you, and that's all that matters. There will always be people you meet who will disagree with what you want to wear, especially if you're going to wear the kilt. It's good to get and listen to advice from the members here, and we all learn from that. In the end, though, we have to take what we've learned and, if I may quote, "Kilt On!"

**Bugbear** · 29th March 10, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Macman

You do have the right, Ted. You always exress yourself respectfully.
Wear that tartan with pride. It has meaning for you, and that's all that matters. There will always be people you meet who will disagree with what you want to wear, especially if you're going to wear the kilt. It's good to get and listen to advice from the members here, and we all learn from that. In the end, though, we have to take what we've learned and, if I may quote, "Kilt On!"

Well, thanks, Macman. I do have a swatch of my tartan that I sometimes wear.

I looked at the OP of this thread. Sometimes, maybe having to stretch the family ties back two hundred years might feel like a bit much, and a tartan for something other than a clan might have more personal meaning. Perhaps a state tartan?

**BoldHighlander** · 29th March 10, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

I looked at the OP of this thread. Sometimes, maybe having to stretch the family ties back two hundred years might feel like a bit much, and a tartan for something other than a clan might have more personal meaning. Perhaps a state tartan?

200 years is nothing mate.
For some members of my family for instance, the War Between the States seemed like it happened just yesterday. Stories about other ancestors who fought at the Alamo, in the Revolutionary War, & lived in Ulster (North Ireland) are told so often that present generations almost feel like they know these people personally. I'm sure its that way for others here too.
Even if you don't feel that yourself Ted, remember that you have the blood of your ancestors in your veins. And in the end it matters not what anyone else thinks or says, its what you feel in your heart my friend.
Wear your chosen tartan with pride!