Dress tartan = failed concept?

**Tartan Hiker** · 2nd February 10, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by Tobus

*edited to add: Apparently the system won't let me change the thread title that displays in the forum. Sorry.

If you want the title changed, PM the change to me and I'll fix it for you.

**tulloch** · 2nd February 10, 01:44 PM

The Vermont state tartan is very like a dress tartan and is gorgeous! I am on a several year wait for a Dress Ross Hunting kilt. It is a really nice tartan too. It really is just what you like. I like the Dress Ross Hunting.

**macwilkin** · 2nd February 10, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by tulloch

The Vermont state tartan is very like a dress tartan and is gorgeous! I am on a several year wait for a Dress Ross Hunting kilt. It is a really nice tartan too. It really is just what you like. I like the Dress Ross Hunting.

That's because there is a Vermont Dress tartan, and a regular tartan tae boot:

http://www.standrewssocietyofvermont.org/

:mrgreen:

T.

**tulloch** · 4th February 10, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by cajunscot

That's because there is a Vermont Dress tartan, and a regular tartan tae boot:

http://www.standrewssocietyofvermont.org/

:mrgreen:

T.

Ahhh, very nice. Thank you for that. The pipe band I saw this summer in a couple New England locations had the dress Vermont. Very snappy. Love the regular VT.

**Raphael** · 2nd February 10, 01:46 PM

I won't call Dress Tartan a 'fail' because they are great looking tartans.

**davidlpope** · 2nd February 10, 02:14 PM

Here's a good photo of the chief of Clan MacPherson wearing what may be considered a "dress" tartan (it has a light-colored background). My opinion is that this particular tartan falls into a distinct subset of tartans that are now referred to as "dress tartans" that seem to have started out as full-fledged, albeit bright, regular tartans (e.g. MacMillan, Barclay, Macleod of Lewis). These seem to be to be distinct from "dress" tartans that were created by added white to a pre-existing clan tartan.

Cordially,

David

**creagdhubh** · 8th February 10, 02:48 PM

My beloved chief! Cluny! That photo was taken at the Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie, Inverness-shire, Scotland at the 2006 annual gathering of the Clan Macpherson. I was there! The lad on the left in the unusual white PRC is Xerxes Herrington-long time member of the clan. Cool photo!!!

**McMurdo** · 2nd February 10, 06:29 PM

I don't think of dress tartans as a fail, I own and wear a Dress MacDonald tartan and not just for formal affairs, I think as Jock says most people are quite satisfied with one kilt, perhaps therefore the dress tartans have not cault on like others.

**D.A. Guertin** · 2nd February 10, 06:32 PM

Now, see, I'm in the unusual position of not particularly liking 'dress' tartans in general, but liking fairly garish tartans. My tartan is MacLeod of Lewis, and I have a length of fabric in MacLeod black and white. Talk about bright! Buccleuch Check is another I really like, as well as the should-be-appalling Christina Young tartan and Ferguson the Astronomer. However, I also really like fairly sombre tartans, including Black Stewart, Thompson Grey Dress, and the Glenaffric Fragment. Maybe I'm just peculiar. ;-)

**davidlpope** · 2nd February 10, 08:10 PM

Came across this in a different thread. Not sure when it dates from- maybe the 50's? Of note is that 2 of the 4 male dancers wear "dress tartans" with "white-added" and only one of the female dancers in the foreground wears a "white-added" dress tartan.

Cordially,

David