Should husband and wife be in same colour family

**Todd Bradshaw** · 21st September 18, 09:28 AM

In our case, it just mostly depends on what mood we're in, but the various color editions of our tartan look pretty different, so we can either match or not. A typical minimum weaving run of a new tartan is enough for about three eight yard kilts, so you better have a plan for the rest once you have your kilt. My wife doesn't wear kilts, so she makes a variety of skirts and other garments from "her share" of a new weave.

(same thread count, different shades - Dalgliesh heavyweight at left, Marton Mills Bute wool 13 oz. at right)

A matching skirt to my kilt is fine with me. A matching outfit, as it were, like this one, is too far over the "matchy line" and would cause me to go for a different kilt.

(Dalgliesh heavyweight tartan and charcoal Cheviot tweed)

**Allan Thomson** · 25th September 18, 03:46 PM

Just a thought re Women wearing their husbands tartan couldn't this be argued that this is an old fashioned concept and in a similar way that some women choose to retain their surname post marriage in this day & age should she not also (if of Scottish Birth or descent - or indeed if of other tartan wearing areas) be able to opt to wear her own Tartan as opposed to her husbands?

I'd find it quiet ironic if a woman wearing no tartan is not anything to raise eyebrows when accompanying her husband but if she wore her own tartan as opposed to his this was suddenly cause for comment?

Inded given that marriage is a partnership & this age of doubled barrelled names maybe both should have something of their own tartan and something of the others?....

Maybe a modern wedding of two people of Scottish descent should involve each of them entering the church with a sash or plaid of their own tartan then post exchange taking off their sash and swapping it for the other?...

**Father Bill** · 25th September 18, 03:51 PM

Women have frequently worn their own tartan after marriage for a very long time and still do. If a MacOnion (male or female) marries a Carrot, both are MacOnions and entitled to the tartan. My German wife wears my Sinclair because there is no Schwerdt tartan for presumably obvious reasons.

**David Dubh** · 25th September 18, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by Allan Thomson

Just a thought re Women wearing their husbands tartan couldn't this be argued that this is an old fashioned concept and in a similar way that some women choose to retain their surname post marriage in this day & age should she not also (if of Scottish Birth or descent - or indeed if of other tartan wearing areas) be able to opt to wear her own Tartan as opposed to her husbands?

I'd find it quiet ironic if a woman wearing no tartan is not anything to raise eyebrows when accompanying her husband but if she wore her own tartan as opposed to his this was suddenly cause for comment?

Inded given that marriage is a partnership & this age of doubled barrelled names maybe both should have something of their own tartan and something of the others?....

Maybe a modern wedding of two people of Scottish descent should involve each of them entering the church with a sash or plaid of their own tartan then post exchange taking off their sash and swapping it for the other?...

Sorry if there was some confusion to my post. My wife is Ukrainian and has no tartan. My wife and I have been married 30 years I have been wearing the kilt for about 15 years as an adult, I did wear it as a kid. She recently said she would be interested in wearing a matching tartan wrap to my kilt, she finds wool itchy but thought a lambs wool one would be a better idea. I was just wondering what the rabble’s opinion was on wearing the same colour palette or different ones. As an aside my mother doesn’t wear the Macdonald tartan, she has tartan skirts in the Royal Stewart or the black watch. This has nothing to do with showing ownership or the like. She could wear any tartan but would like to wear mine. Please remember it was her idea.
Thanks to everyone for their opinions it is much appreciated
Cheers David

**Allan Thomson** · 25th September 18, 11:58 PM

Well if it were her idea to wear yours then where would the issue be? I don't qiet understand that there should be one? I'd argue she could wear any variant she wanted within the suitability of the occasion (TBH I've never been to an event which insisted on the dress version of the tartan, has anyone else - which is just as well as I don't at present own a Dress Tartan Kilt., my inherited Grandfather's kilt was Hunting & that's what I wear for best) .

Being stereotypical but women seem to be generally better than Men at deciding whether colours, etc clash, so I'm sure she could compare the version she prefers to wear to what you are wearing and decide if they go togethwr or if she should wear something different.

Of course if uniformity is that important then naturally go for the identical sett of the Tartan to yours. If not then she can decide what she prefers to wear and if it clashes. Only a total boor would go out of their way to object to varients on an entitled tartan for most occasions and their own manners are likley to be more disruptive to the occasion than unmatching setts!!... Put it this way there's more chance of them being asked to leave or denied entry than you!!!

**Allan Thomson** · 26th September 18, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by Father Bill

Women have frequently worn their own tartan after marriage for a very long time and still do. If a MacOnion (male or female) marries a Carrot, both are MacOnions and entitled to the tartan. My German wife wears my Sinclair because there is no Schwerdt tartan for presumably obvious reasons.

By the old fashioned convention that marriage is a sort of forming an alliance between two families then surely a reciprocating concept exists whereby the man also gains the right to wear his wife's maiden tartan too?

I guess the thing about tartans it's not so much about being "entitled" to wear it in the strictest sense (unlike say medals on the left) but whether you can justify why you're wearing it. For example I've had kilts in military tartans - Argyll's & Black Watch & whilst it was a case of what was available at the time - Argylls was inhereted & Black Watch bought as a second kilt to keep my Grandfathers Thomson Hunting for best - I could point out several relatives in each regiment and remember them when wearing it. Naturally I prefer my Grandfather's kilt, but it is nice to have a little choice (Govt tartan's become pretty much free for all anyway)....

**cessna152towser** · 26th September 18, 01:27 AM

By the old fashioned convention that marriage is a sort of forming an alliance between two families then surely a reciprocating concept exists whereby the man also gains the right to wear his wife's maiden tartan too?

True. My late wife Ann insisted on buying me a kilt in her McConnell tartan.
I still own that kilt but since Ann died and I re-married my new wife is not so keen on me wearing it.
Like Bill's wife, mine is German and she wears the Cunningham tartan because there is no Kunze tartan.

**Allan Thomson** · 26th September 18, 02:30 AM

I don't think the entitlement continues in the same way post divorce though?

**David Dubh** · 26th September 18, 09:53 AM

My original question was just a general opinion on whether or not it was appropriate to wear different colour palettes.
It appears the general consensus is it doesn’t matter if they match or not as long they are the same tartan.
Thanks to all
Slainte David

**FossilHunter** · 26th September 18, 10:20 AM

What would folks think about a husband and wife wearing different tartans of the same clan.

My wife has a sash of pv macdonald standard as she is allergic to wool. I am in the process in getting a kilt in Macdonald of glenaladale. I asked her if she’d want a matching sash but the wool think precludes that option.

It doesn’t seem like much of an issue to me but I’m curious what others might think of it.