What tartan to wear?

[PictishGhost]

I have searched to no end on what tartan I should wear. I realize I could realistically wear any tartan of my choosing, but I truly want to be historically accurate. What clan does McCormick belong to? I have seen Buchanan, MacLean, Maclaine of Lochbuie, the strathclyde clans, and Ulster Ireland. While my family did move into Ireland, I know we started in Scotland. As far back as I can find is the Late 1600's and my 8th great grandfather who spelled his name MacCormaic, was born in Carsphairn. His son, moved to Ulster and eventually we ended up in Cork and then Claire, before coming to the US. I know 100% that we were in the highlands at some point though because my genetic Y clade haplogroup is the group that is still absolutely the closest to the Pictish peoples that currently exists. Can someone please help me as to what Tartan I should wear and what clan I am a sept of? I truly am not searching for a generic tartan. I truly want the tartan of my heritage. Thank you greatly in advance for any help you can provide.

[Canadian Vet]

What tartan do you want to wear? Almost all of them are available to you except for a small number of proscribed and private patterns.
You like it? Wear it. The history of the Scottish people is complex and chances are you're connected with all sorts of families if that's your measure.
Most of those tartan were cooked up in Victorian times and the connection with any heroes of old is entirely accidental.
Wear what you like. No one worth listening to is policing you.

[User]

...
I realize I could realistically wear any tartan of my choosing, but I truly want to be historically accurate.
...

What time in history are you interested in snapshotting? Clan tartans are a relatively recent invention. If you're tracing back to the 1600s, clan tartans weren't a thing. They're more recent, and more of a marketing thing. Nothing wrong with attaching yourself to that. But if historical accuracy is important to you, then clan tartans may not be what you're looking for.

[figheadair]

If you can trace your family to the 1600s in Carsphairn, which is in the Dumfries and Galloway area, then it's almost certainly the case that he was a Lowlander and thus not a sept/dependent of a Highland clan.

Following an arbitrary kilt shop type list to link to a Highland clan therefore does not make sense. The choice of a universal / non-clan tartan such as Caledonia would make sense.

[OC Richard]

As was alluded to, Lowland families didn't wear Highland Dress and thus didn't have tartans- until the Allen Brothers invented a number of tartans for Lowland family names and presented them in their 1842 book Vestiarium Scoticum.

Though experts raised their eyebrows at the time, these tartans have been in production ever since and have proven to be good sellers.

Another marketing tool is attempting to link every Scottish surname to a Clan tartan, which resulted in those lists referred to above.

These lists go back quite a while! My 1909 Leckie Graham catalogue has one. It does indeed give

MacCormack: Buchanan

MacCormick: MacLaine of Lochbuie

With full knowledge of the questionable authenticity of such lists, nevertheless were I in your shoes I'd probably go with one of these.

Some Buchanan tartans strike me as being garish, not my cup of tea. If I were a Buchanan I'd probably go with the Buchanan at left below. I've seen kilts in this tartan in person and it's beautiful.

Or if you want to go with a non-Clan "fashion tartan" the one on the right is called "Copper Haze" and was obviously inspired by Buchanan.



There's also a nice Buchanan with blue tones

[Canadian Vet]

As was alluded to, Lowland families didn't wear Highland Dress and thus didn't have tartans- until the Allen Brothers invented a number of tartans for Lowland family names and presented them in their 1842 book Vestiarium Scoticum.

Though experts raised their eyebrows at the time, these tartans have been in production ever since and have proven to be good sellers.

Another marketing tool is attempting to link every Scottish surname to a Clan tartan, which resulted in those lists referred to above.

These lists go back quite a while! My 1909 Leckie Graham catalogue has one. It does indeed give

MacCormack: Buchanan

MacCormick: MacLaine of Lochbuie



With full knowledge of the questionable authenticity of such lists, nevertheless were I in your shoes I'd probably go with one of these.

Some Buchanan tartans strike me as being garish, not my cup of tea. If I were a Buchanan I'd probably go with the Buchanan at left below. I've seen kilts in this tartan in person and it's beautiful.

Or if you want to go with a non-Clan "fashion tartan" the one on the right is called "Copper Haze" and was obviously inspired by Buchanan.



There's also a nice Buchanan with blue tones

I had a Buchanan girlfriend four plus decades ago who loathed the "standard" Buchanan and said it was more like a highway safety vest.

The one above is nice.

[OC Richard]

I had a Buchanan girlfriend four plus decades ago who loathed the "standard" Buchanan and said it was more like a highway safety vest.

Well it's easy to spot in a lineup!