"Freedom" tartan?

[MacMillans son]

Not a fan of this tartan as it is used in VERY cheap kilts from tourist shops and online traders. All the ones I have seen look just that cheap and often don't look good after a few wearings. So can't get this out of my mind.
If it was a good full 8yard tank...maybe but I would still think of the tourist tat!

I don't dislike it, but I couldn't put my finger on why I wouldn't own it until I read Schiehallions post. That is exactly why, its represents generic, mass marketed to me. Although in my part of the world it would be rare that I would see someone else wearing a kilt, leave alone a specific tartan, in my mind I would be thinking 'generic crap'. It's funny how the mind attaches emotions to things.

Personally, if I was going to wear a non-clan tartan, to which I had no connection, I would make it one that is at least somewhat less common in the tat trade. It seems for me it is it's connection to the 'cheap', rather than the 'common' that turns me off to it.

Case in point, I would own a Lochcarron 16oz Isle of Skye in a heartbeat! but would never wear a Black Watch (an honorable tartan that has been ruined in MY MIND by the mass marketers).

Good luck in your decision!

What ever you choose, wear it with pride!

[magkeep2]

Well, I DID NOT buy my, as you put it, cheap tourist type kilt at a online mass market store. I bought it from a very reliable vendor at the San Diego Scottish Highland Games. Too bad you are such a snob...

Since my son is in the Army and fighting for the freedom we have and wish to share with others, I think it is very fitting. It is VERY VERY close to the MacArthur Tartan which is the tartan that the United States Army has adapted to be their official tartan.

[macwilkin]

Well, I DID NOT buy my, as you put it, cheap tourist type kilt at a online mass market store. I bought it from a very reliable vendor at the San Diego Scottish Highland Games. Too bad you are such a snob...

Since my son is in the Army and fighting for the freedom we have and wish to share with others, I think it is very fitting. It is VERY VERY close to the MacArthur Tartan which is the tartan that the United States Army has adapted to be their official tartan.

Just a point of clarification, but the US Army tartan has not been officially adopted. There was some discussion of it on the forum a while back, but we haven't had any updates since then. I can't say I've ever read of being based on the MacArthur tartan, but it certainly does bear some resemblance to it.

Davedove, do you have any more information on the USA tartan been officially adopted?

T.

[magkeep2]

Well, I was in the Scottish Military Tent at the San Diego Games and that is where I got my information from, and and Army retired officer at that.

[macwilkin]

Well, I was in the Scottish Military Tent at the San Diego Games and that is where I got my information from, and and Army retired officer at that.

Unfortunately, that really doesn't confirm that has been officially adopted. Our own davedove is a civilian DOD employee who mentioned some sort of official recognition by the Army of the tartan, but nothing has come down the pipe since then. Until I see it in the AR's, I'd be wary of such second-hand claims, retired officer or no. None of the US Armed Forces have been officially adopted, although they certainly all have been de facto by current and retired ex-service personnel, who wear them with pride.

Of course, I'll be happy to check with some of the Military Science professors where I teach Military History to see if they've heard anything. They are active-duty and are well-versed about the AR's.

T.

[Scott West]

CDNSushi: I like it - tasteful, subdued tartan. However, VE-RY similar to B&S' 'Highland Heritage'. I have to disagree with some of the Rabble in assertions that 'Freedom' closely mimicks IoS. Just for context: I have a B&S Highland Heritage casual and a IoS tank from Kathy Lare. Despite the overcheck of purple in all three examples, neither the picture of the 'Freedom', or a side-by-side comparison of the B&S' Highland Heritage against the IoS show remarkable similiarities. IMHO, each tartan is distinctive. Go for it and enjoy!

[magkeep2]

Well, I find it very interesting that a couple for the US Military branches have had their own designed and a couple of others had adopted appropriate ones according to the MANY people in the booth. Boy, do I ever wish now that I had pickup some contact information from these men.

I am going to stop this line of conversation as it appears that no matter what anyone says, you all think you know everything. Things change on a daily basis...
Here is a link that you may or may not want to look at.
http://giftshop.scottishtartans.org/us_military.htm
or
from the U S Military Academy (Army)
http://www.usma.edu/USCC/dca/clubs/C...Info/pipd.html
OR
from you own Davedove:
davedove ith:


US Army Tartan Being Made Official
I just received an email from Alexis Malcolm about the US Army tartan. Here is an excerpt:

Art has just returned from 18 months of duty at West
Point & while there he lobbied the Director of Music
to get the US Army Tartan accepted by the Army as
their official Tartan. He had a call yesterday from
the Director to tell him that it had come down from
the Pentagon that the Army is now in the process of
doing just that & its status will be official shortly.

[magkeep2]

Thank you Scot West for some sort of support. WOW, this place gets heated up in a hurry.
I do like it and I wear it and it is of excellent quality. I have had it for about 3 years now and wear it often to Scottish Games and more often to Boy Scout Events.

[CDNSushi]

Indeed. Gentlemen, and I use the term here loosely, I'd advise that trash-talk about a tartan for which someone has clearly expressed a deep liking, and calling it "cheap tourist tat" is ill-befitting of the sort of posts that are usually found here. Neither does it present any sort of welcome environment to a new poster on this forum.

To say that something isn't your cup of tea is one thing... As is saying that you don't care for the name of the tartan... There's nothing wrong with that type of honesty. But I would never insult someone's clan tartan or its colors in such a manner. You could easily say the same thing about many universal tartans that get abused in daily life: Royal Stewart and Black Watch certainly have been misused as well... But that does not stop many proud Stewart clansmen or Black Watch regiments from wearing it proudly.

I got the answer I was looking for back in January, and the recent rash of new comments have added little, with the exception of mag and scott's kind comments in support of the tartan -- which I do appreciate.

As this is a ::dead:: combined with the fact that I've gotten what I wanted from the rabble, I will kindly request the mods to close this thread down before it proceeds any further downhill.

Sincere thanks however to all who have made their opinions and feelings known on this question. Cheers!

[CDNSushi]

Oh, and as a further (probably final) update to this... Because of our significantly deteriorated financial position, I've had to give up any notions of pursuing any this, or any other new kilts, tartans, or related items for the foreseeable future. Any "jones" I might have just has to pass....

C'est la vie...