A US Tartan

[Brian K]

Frankly, there are also quite a few different tartans designed to represent the USA. Enough of them that I have trouble understanding why someone wants to design another one?

One thing to remember, however, is that there is no official tartan that represents the U.S.A. There are several fashion tartans designed to appeal to the U.S. tartan buyer, but they don't please everyone. If we had an official tartan it's what most people would choose, whether they were fond of it or not, because it would represent the nation and it would be the U.S. tartan. The same holds true, I believe, for those Scots who will only wear their clan or district tartan, or some other tartan such as a regimental tartan to which they feel a sense of identity, regardless of whether they like the looks of it or not. There are definitely times when a sense of belonging matters more than your fashion sense.

Regards,

Brian

[chasem]

I think it's important to note that the US laws regarding the use/wearing of the US flag are strictly limited to the flag, not to things that resemble the flag...

It wouldn't really apply to this kilt as described.

If the kilt were to be made out of a couple actual USA Flags, however...

[M. A. C. Newsome]

In addition to the popular "US Bicentennial" tartan, which was renamed "US St. Andrews" after the Bicentennial and continues to be popular, there is also the "American tartan" designed by John Cuming in 1975.


People have mentioned USA Kilts' "American Heritage" tartan, which Rocky designed in 2006.


I may as well put up a good image of the US Bicentennial for completeness -- this was designed in 1975 by Jamie Scarlett and J. C. Thompson.


Seems like if someone wants a patriotic "American" tartan, there are three great ones to choose from right here, all of which have a different character.

[AFS1970]

Yes I was speaking to the idea of a Kilt made to look like a flag and no9t to any of the various patriotic tartans. I like the American Heritage but if I were going to wear one of these it would probably be the American St. Andrews, simply for the bicentennial connection, my family is from Massachusetts and I was not that old in 1976, so I remember spending quite a bit of time learning about and visiting many of the historic sites int he area. I also heard a story as a kid that the tartan was designed as a gift to the American people from the Scottish people, although that may be urban myth.

As for the flag code not applying to anything that is not actually a flag, it has been applied that way before, although rarely. Section (i) covers other forms like embroidered or printed flags, although it is specific to advertising. and the full section (j) covers wearing replica pins in a respectful manner. Definitely the spirit (and I believe the letter) of the code would say that a blue apron/sporran with stars and a 13 striped red & white kilt would be wrong.

More to the point since there are 3 tartans pictured in this thread and at least 17 more found by another poster, there is probably no need for another general American tartan.