Can I wear my wife's family too?

[Burly Brute]

For centuries it has been the tradition in Scotland for a gentleman who does not belong to any clan to be adopted into his wife's clan. If, on the other hand, he belongs to another clan (in the same way a soldier belongs to his regiment or a sailor belongs to his ship) then it is the custom that the wife leaves her clan and enters that of her husband.

As the clan system applies to the kilt, the custom has evolved whereby a gentleman only wears the tartan associated with his surname as this is an outward manifestation of the intangible bond of loyalty that exists between a clansman and his chief. Now, if you have no ties to another clan, then custom would dictate that you formally become a member of your wife's clan, and then wear that clan tartan as your own, handing it down to your children as your family's "clan tartan".

I fully appreciate that some on this forum revel in wearing the tartan of every single Scottish ancestor to which they can lay claim. Such is not the case in Scotland, where a gentleman wears a tartan kilt, not a tartan patchwork of kilts, and only wears the tartan associated with his surname.

Aye, and this be the case in my circumstance.


I guess at the end of the day my main motive is a bit more selfish than those would assume on this forum...I just want more kilts!!!!!