Tartan Choice

[BronxKilt]

I have decided to commission a "real" or wool traditional kilt for myself. This will be a formal type affair, weddings, Christmas, graduations and the like.

I will get the sporran for formal wear, the stockings as well, you know "the whole nine yards" so to speak.

I asked about my Irish grandparents and found that my Grandfather is from county Clare, and my Grandmother from Weastmeath. I feel good with either of these tartans, but, BUT I am also debating the NYC tartan as I feel I am allowed to wear it, being a productive tax paying denizen of that particular city.

I would love to hear the august opinion of the members of this bord. I realize that there will be little concensus, but opinions are allways fun.

Also, any ideas of where I should have this thing made? and what weight might be the most versitile.

Thank you all in advance for your advice and opinion.

[andyfg]

Hi Bronxkilt,

Nice to have you on board. And what a great time, to be thinking through your first kilt order!

As you have a good connection to all three tartans (and if things go as they tend, you will end up at some point having all three!) I would go for the one you like the look of most.

By searching other threads you will see some great pictures of kilts ordered and made from a number of really good makers, both in the USA and back in the UK. I have always found the makers to be very helpful, and I suspect as you talk to them you will have a "gut feeling."

Anyway, enjoy the process. It is quite fun. But then there is the anxious waiting . . . can drive you to distraction! But it is worth the wait. Show us your pics when you get the kilt.

[Zardoz]

the House of Edgar Co. Claire is a good looking tartan, it's on my list after Co.Waterford. most of my people where from Dublin and Waterford, but I've got a little family history in Claire and a couple of other Munster counties. If you go to www.scottishkilts.net and look under Irish Kilts, they have all the House Edgar Irish county tartans and the Marton Mills 'County Crest' line as well, in 5 and 8 yard kilts.
A good place to look at different kiltmakers sites is the links page on www.kiltday.com.

Good Luck!

[angerli]

Hi,

Gosh...there are a bunch of great tartan designs in the Irish repertoire. Seems to me that if you have several counties to choose from, that'd be a great start. When I located my namesake maternal grandfather's site (MacNicol), I was excited. And the result was two kilts - Hunting Modern (safe and sound on my hanger) and Modern Dress Red (still en route from the kiltmaker). I also found out that MacNicol has a traditional link to MacLeod of Lewis (also known as the "loud" MacLeod because it's a bright yellow with overstripes of red and black (that one's on my wish list...).

So, do your homework. You'd be really surprised what's out there that you might be hereditarily linked to!

Sandy

[billmcc]

BronxKilt,

Have you seen the Irish American tartan? Look here:
http://scottishkilts.net/products/5_...wool_kilt.html

[Pour1Malt]

choose any tartan thot ya 'feel' is the richt wan...

an it WEEL be the richt wan...


a' my traditional kilts are fraim

Douglas Anderson Kiltmakers, Dumfries, Scotland

http://www.douglasanderson.co.uk/index.cfm



Slainte!

[macwilkin]

Moved thread to heraldry & tartans section.

Don't forget about Canada when it comes to traditional kilt makers. One of the best firms in Canada is Burnetts & Struth in Barrie, Ontario:

http://www.burnetts-struth.com/

In the "auld country", besides P1M's mention of Douglas Anderson, I would also mention

Chisholms of Inverness
Kinloch-Anderson


As to Tartan: as someone else said, you have good connections to all three tartans you mentioned; which one do you feel the strongest connection to? If it were me, I would get my first traditional in one of the Irish county tartans, to honour my family's heritage, and save the NYC for the second kilt. The Co. Clare tartan is quite nice.

Cheers,

Todd

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I can't help you pick which tartan, other than to say that if you feel equally connected to all three, pick the one you find most attractive. You want to look good and feel good wearing it, after all!

I can help you with weight selection, though. Both Irish county tartans are proprietary tartans of the House of Edgar, which currently only produces them in a 13 oz (medium kilt weight). (Well, they also produce them in a light spring weight for ties and such, but that's not really a consideration for kilts).

The NYC tartan is a proprietary tartan of Lochcarron, whoproduce it in a 13 oz medium kilt weight as well as a 16 oz kilt weight.

If you go with the NYC, there is not that much of a price difference between the 13 oz and the 16 oz (unless the 16 oz tartan is one of their "rare select" tartans, which the NYC tartan is not). So I'd go for the 16 oz in a New York minute, so to speak. If you go with the Irish tartans, then you are limited to 13 oz, which is fine.

The heavier weights make for better looking, longer lasting kilts. So I generally advise people to go with the heaviest weight that is within their budget.

M

[Rusty]

I have decided to commission a "real" or wool traditional kilt for myself. This will be a formal type affair, weddings, Christmas, graduations and the like.

I will get the sporran for formal wear, the stockings as well, you know "the whole nine yards" so to speak.

I asked about my Irish grandparents and found that my Grandfather is from county Clare, and my Grandmother from Weastmeath. I feel good with either of these tartans, but, BUT I am also debating the NYC tartan as I feel I am allowed to wear it, being a productive tax paying denizen of that particular city.

I would love to hear the august opinion of the members of this bord. I realize that there will be little concensus, but opinions are allways fun.


Also, any ideas of where I should have this thing made? and what weight might be the most versitile.

Thank you all in advance for your advice and opinion.

Both My wife and I have connections to County Clare and Westmeath and they are both nice tartans but whatever you choose, wear it with pride and respect. Then whan you are able you buy another kilt get that in one of the other tartans. Trust me you'll want more.......

[MacSimoin]

...if you feel equally connected to all three, pick the one you find most attractive. You want to look good and feel good wearing it, after all!

That just about sums it up, except that I'll add not only is Matt one of the most informed individuals you'll ever encounter with [an extensive] knowledge of kilts/tartans, he's also an excellent kilt maker.

Just thought I'd do a little promotion since he bowed to decency and didn't 'blow his own trumpet'.