Thanks for the Blackwatch info J. Carbomb

[shillelaghbruises]

My opinion is that, for me, a kilt is neither a costume nor just an everday garment. To me, a kilt is a celebration of my heritage. I would love to be able to wear it whenever I want like a pair of pants, but it will always be something special to me, and if someone wore the Clan Donald tartan only because he liked it, I wouldn't be offended, but it does make the tartan lose its significance, especially if that person isn't Scottish or Irish. I do love to see other people getting into kilts, but they're much more than something you wear.

[Colin]

it does make the tartan lose its significance, especially if that person isn't Scottish or Irish

I would have to disagree. I appreciate your pride in your heritage. I too have a huge Scottish heritage (and a little Irish/Welsh), and can wear several tartans. However, my main family tartan is Mackenzie. According to Clan Rules because it is on my mother's side, I can't technically wear it. The Mackenzie tartan is also used as a military tartan, and therefore has been adopted by several non clan affiliated Scots, as well as those that have little or no Scottish heritage. As someone with this heritage I could not wear someone else's family tartan, but that's just me.I have a few to chose from.
If someone has little or no Scottish/Irish heritage......pick whichever tartan you like. The rules of tartan are so sketchy anyway.I have no problem with that, just so long as you're wearing a kilt.

[Robbie]

The Black Watch tartan is actually one of the Campbell tartans (also the same as Hunting Grant, but that's a different story).

[John in Texas]

The "Generic" tartans I was refering to are those that are just a tartan for the sake of being a tartan, and have NO association with any Clan, district or even country, someone just made them and there they are.

The other "universally accepted" tartans, such as Black Watch or Scottish National can be worn by whomever wishes to, but were created for a particular group/assn.

[Vince]

David E.

I have come across a more 'official' explanation for acceptable tartans.
http://www.scottish-tartans-society.co.uk/
The Scottish Tartans Society has some interesting information. Check out the Types of Tartans page under the History of Tartans link.

Personally, I don't have a drop of Celtic blood but I do like my kilts. I am retired Navy and was delighted to find that there was a Navy tartan. My next one will probably be the Polaris tartan - designed for the Polaris submarine fleet out of HolyLoch. I had the privilige of serving on the USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN-601).

To sum this up, even if you don't have a clan connection, there is a wide number of choices available to you. If you do some research (I actually found some books at my local library) you will find that the strict guidelines requiring family or clan ties have been greatly relaxed. Even so, the wearing of a family or clan tartan shows support for that family or clan but does not necessarily require membership. So I don't think that the Tartan Police will come pounding on your door. Wear your Douglas properly with pride and enjoy it.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

So I don't think that the Tartan Police will come pounding on your door.

Bwaaahaaahaaa!!!!

Geesh! If there was such a thing, 90% of our customers would be returning their kilts for bail money!

I personally wear a ton of family, clan and district tartans. To this point, nobody has dared to call me on any of them.

[John in Texas]

Vince,
as you are retired Navy, you should do yourself a favor and check out the US Navy tartan at Alexis Malcolm Kilts at http://www.alexismalcolmkilts.bigste...generic14.html

On this topic of tartans,over the weekend I saw the Isle of Skye tartan,,, damn sharp.

[phil h]

Welcome to the board Erudite, how did you find us?
Tell me, would many really know the Black Watch tartan?

I saw a guy in a kilt on the weekend, I thought it was BW, but turned out to be something very close, but not the same (he was Canadian, not sure what clan).

as a matter of fact a lot of tartans use the black watch as a starting point,e.g. campbell tartan.

[phil h]

OK, I'm confused

Other threads on this site and on Bravehearts give the impression that the general view regarding tartans is that you should feel free to wear whatever tartan(s) you take a liking to. I was told that people wouldn't mind, and may even be pleased that you liked their clan's tartan enough to want to wear it. However, this thread seems to totally contradict that.

I bought a kilt of the Modern Douglas tartan because I really liked the tartan (having taken advice on Bravehearts). I am not aware of any scottish ancestry and certainly have not proven any "entitlement" to wear that tartan (I assume it is a clan tartan). Have I committed a grave error?

I don't wish to offend anyone and there certainly seems some sentiment here that a clan tartan is "sacred" because of the meaning and heritage associated with it. John in Texas' story regarding the beret is a very good example of an item of clothing having special meaning. If someone has earnt the right to wear a certain item, then somebody else wearing that item who hasn't earnt it would understandably cause offence.

I guess the only thing I would say is that sensitivities could be mistaken for elitism and that may well put a lot of men off wearing kilts that otherwise would, and I think that would be a real shame.

I won't stop wearing my Modern Douglas kilt as I love it (and I don't yet own enough kilts to compensate for losing one), but I would be interested to hear your opinions as I don't want to make the same mistake again if, indeed, it was a mistake.

Cheers
David (feeling a bit of an outsider!)

don't worry bro, I'm English too, and I wear what ever I want. it's only in recent times that tartans have been associated with familys etc, maybe 200 or so. an since an Englishman (thomas rawlinson)invented the small kilt anyway.do what you want, you dont ahve to be German to wear jeans
(levi stauss).don't forget that the black watch although being a highland regiment was "british" well English, put together to keep the scots in line, the whole dress is based on English army, take the jacket, mess jacket when all said n done.
also many scots remained loyal to the English the campbells where one .as far as black watch offending the Irish, some Irish people consider themselves british anyway.

[shillelaghbruises]

.do what you want, you dont ahve to be German to wear jeans (levi stauss)... as far as black watch offending the Irish, some Irish people consider themselves british anyway.

Well, its not like jeans are the ethnic dress of Germany, so its not the same as the kilt is to a highland Scot. And the Irish people who consider themselves English aren't the ones who would be offended, they're not the people the Black Watch were trying to suppress.