A US Tartan

[piperdbh]

I like it. I'd like it even better if the front apron were woven to be just blue with the white stars, and not include any red.

[Madadh]

This is my uncle piping near the high water mark of Pickets charge on Gettysburg battlefield.




He is wearing the American tartan.

[Good Egg]

I like it. I'd like it even better if the front apron were woven to be just blue with the white stars, and not include any red.

That would be a lot easier to do technically. 6 yards of red and white stripes and a blue star spangled apron on one end.

Perhaps not as interesting.

Perhaps a blue sporran with the stars on it?

[chasem]

Also note that, if this project went to completion, the number of horizontal stripes would likely change w/ the height of the wearer...

I wear a kilt with a 26.5" length. If I had the full 13 stripes, someone who wears a 22.25" length kilt would likely be missing two stripes.

Unless you weave the fabric different for each kilt... but that's going to start taking the price up quick.

[AFS1970]

Errr...not sure what to make of this, but it certainly puts a new wrinkle in the phrase "wrapping yourself in the flag."

I like it. I'd like it even better if the front apron were woven to be just blue with the white stars, and not include any red.

...6 yards of red and white stripes and a blue star spangled apron on one end...

OK, I will be the stick in the mud here. So much of what gets discussed here is in the realm of "there are no rules", however this is one of the few times when there are more than rules, there are laws.

I found the sections that would appear to cover a flag Kilt. (d) is the most important. (g) would seem to cover Kilt pins or the patches and embroidery used by some manufacturers. (h) would additionally address sporrans and even if the above didn't cover it, (j) would seem to rule out highland games.

Oddly enough, if one were to be too short for all 13 stripes, that would negate the whole thing, as while likely tasteless, it would no longer be illegal as it would not really be the flag anymore.

UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10

§176. Respect for flag

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform...

[O'Callaghan]

OK, I will be the stick in the mud here. So much of what gets discussed here is in the realm of "there are no rules", however this is one of the few times when there are more than rules, there are laws.

I found the sections that would appear to cover a flag Kilt. (d) is the most important. (g) would seem to cover Kilt pins or the patches and embroidery used by some manufacturers. (h) would additionally address sporrans and even if the above didn't cover it, (j) would seem to rule out highland games.

Oddly enough, if one were to be too short for all 13 stripes, that would negate the whole thing, as while likely tasteless, it would no longer be illegal as it would not really be the flag anymore.

UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10

§176. Respect for flag

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform...

None of these tartams are the flag, or even part of the flag. Moreover, many national flags are red, white and blue, e.g. Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, etc. In fact, I understand that the first US flag was made from material originally intended for making British flags, and that is why you have the colours that you have.

[Brian K]

None of these tartams are the flag, or even part of the flag. Moreover, many national flags are red, white and blue, e.g. Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, etc. In fact, I understand that the first US flag was made from material originally intended for making British flags, and that is why you have the colours that you have.

I don't think AFS, a reasonable fellow in my experience, is referring to any and all red white and blue tartans, just the ideas that suggest that a kilt in said colors might be interesting if there were definite elements resembling the canton and stripes of the U.S. flag. That was the reason I was sceptical in my first post. The more it looks like an actual flag wrapped around a person the more it seems in bad taste to me.

Regards,

Brian

[O'Callaghan]

I don't think AFS, a reasonable fellow in my experience, is referring to any and all red white and blue tartans, just the ideas that suggest that a kilt in said colors might be interesting if there were definite elements resembling the canton and stripes of the U.S. flag. That was the reason I was sceptical in my first post. The more it looks like an actual flag wrapped around a person the more it seems in bad taste to me.

Regards,

Brian

That's a good point. Reading it again I agree that would be what he meant.

There was a thread on the recently unveiled 'English kilt', which did resemble the English flag. There's no law against that in the UK, although I think it's an aesthetic disaster, LOL! I am forced to admit that the Scottish saltire kilt design is very much nicer.

The St. George tartan, AFAIK the only one representing England, is red, white and blue, like all the various USA tartans, although those are the colours of the British flag, not the English flag, which has only red and white in it.

OTOH, who would want to wear a gingham tablecloth around their waist, LOL! You'd have exactly the same problem trying to represent Poland, I suppose.

Fortunately for me, there are plenty of tartans designed to represent my Irish heritage.

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?

[EagleJCS]

None of these tartams are the flag, or even part of the flag. Moreover, many national flags are red, white and blue, e.g. Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, etc. In fact, I understand that the first US flag was made from material originally intended for making British flags, and that is why you have the colours that you have.

The OP's proposed tartan certainly resembles the US flag - or at least the stripes (part of the flag) - in the pleated section, and I believe that's why AFS quoted the pertinent US Code.

I agree with you that none of the existing tartans resemble the US flag, no matter how they're pleated.


I also agree with Brian K that the American Bicentennial tartan is a tad on the bright side. I think the blue should be closer to Navy blue than true blue, and the red should be closer to a ruby red (just one man's opinion).

There are 20 'American' tartans, per the Scottish Tartan Authority (just type 'American' into the Tartan Ferret name search). A couple look pretty good, but I'd want to see more than just the little swatch shown on the screen.

Getting Congress to agree that we even need a national tartan would be the really hard part of the whole exercise.

[piperdbh]

If the red and white stripes were vertical instead of horizontal, that might make it a bit less like wrapping a flag around one's middle.