Question for traditionalists

[lethearen]

This question is focused on our Scottish brethren who might adhere to more traditional views than many of the Americans in our lot. Particulary, I wanted to ask Jock Scot, because a post I read a while back. It's certainly not meant as a challenge to your stance, but just out of curiosity.

Jock Scot mentioned (and I paraphrase) that traditionally, one would wear a tartan that he has connection with, and only one. Thus, a man might wear a kilt honouring his maternal grandfather, or (more traditionally) his own father... but not both. And certainly he wouldn't wear a kilt that was in another family's plaid to which he had no relation. Walking around the highlands wearing different plaids one day to the next would peg you as a poser, even if you had "claim" to all of them.

So, my question is simply this. How many kilts do you own and wear, and in which tartans? I'm assuming the number is probably greater than one... and if so, how do you reconcile that with the stance of only wearing a single tartan - are all your kilts identical, or possibly the same family but using different colourways? Ok so that wasn't a single question

I have a kilt in Ferguson (my mother's) modern. There are a few other clan or universal tartans I really like and want to get... but I always come back to wanting a Ferguson ancient more. Part of me wants different tartans because I like them and like to have variety... but always back to Ferguson...

Hrm, maybe the question actually has less to do with just curiosity as with helping me come to terms with my own decision In any case, I look forward to enjoying your thoughts on the topic

[Jock Scot]

I have three kilts all of the same tartan. Sadly I can only wear one ,the others have "shrunk". My Grandfather's and my father's kilts are in the "modern" hue and the one I wear,made in 1995, is of "ancient" hue.I may,one day, have another kilt made and it will be of the same tartan again, I will wear no other although I suppose I could, but I have to confess that I am leaning towards the "weathered" colours. Time will tell.

[Riverkilt]

Hope I'm being helpful here, not out of line. Know you asked Jock, and other Scots on the board, but read that you were also seeking how other's thought.

Ignore this if I misread.

I have five kilts in variations of Macdonald tartans. Two are the same, a USA Kilts semi- trad and a SportKilt in the generic Macdonald tartan.

I have 8 kilts in ancestral clan tartans, 4 Gordon variations, Scott, Gunn, Cameron, and Fraser.

I have Army, Navy, Leatherneck, Royal Air Force, and Firefighter Memorial tartan kilts to honor family service.

I have Caledonia and Isle of Skye district tartans.

I have a saffron and an Ireland's National tartan to represent the four Irish branches of my heritage.

I have two "cause" tartans - Antarctica and Warrior (purple for Domestic Violence prevention).

All my tartans have personal meaning for me.

Ron

[Snowbear]

The way I find the tartan to wear is by going the straight line of my father till the first tartan comes up. That would be your right one.

As for other tartans to wear I would not show myself outside with another clan tartan. The only compromise I could do is to wear a district/pipeband tartan. I'm not too eager about district tartan, but will get myself a kilt in my pipeband tartan when I'm good enough to play with them on gigs.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

One issue that comes up from time to time is the different ways in which people use the word "traditional." I think this will be one reason for your getting different responses to this question.

"Traditional" means "according to tradition," which for many people will mean "the way things were done in my parents' or grandparents' time." To others, it may mean "the way things are customarily done today."

When it comes to Highland Dress, though, many people will use the word "traditional" as being almost synonymous with "historic," meaning "the way things were done in the (general) past." The problem with this, of course, is that unless you specifiy when you mean in the past, it is almost meaningless. What was customary 100 years ago is quite different to what was customary 400 years ago.

Of course in the era before named tartans, people wore a variety of patterns, and the patterns themselves did not hold any respresentative meaning. Even once named tartans began to be established, it was often the case that people chose a tartan to wear based on availability and appearance, not based on what the tartan happened to be called.

Eventually, of course, the symbolism behind the tartan came to be forefront in most people's minds, and so great care was taken to choose a tartan which "belonged" to one's family, or regiment, etc. It would eventually grow to the point where people would not dream of wearing a tartan to which they were not "entitled."

At the same time, the kilt was becoming less and less the daily dress of the people and more and more a ceremonial dress for special occasions. The habit of wearing the kilt this way also had a bearing on the way you appoach the choice of tartan.

More to say on this matter, but short on time... will comment more later!

[NorCalPiper]

My grandfather used to say "Ye' knae how to tell a' Scot at a party? He'll be the one no' wearing a kilt...." And you know-He was right for the most part at functions I'd pipe at , or go to while growing up. So since youth, and even to this day, I felt that there was no real big deal as to what you wore. Even just wearing a kilt to him felt like posing....Strange huh?

I , for one, have in the past year have been kilted more than I have trousered during any part of my life. For me, its 2 part-1)Celebrating a culture that I belong to through national dress/costume and 2.)I love explaining the tartan, because after "Whats under the kilt" thing, its always "What does all the stripes mean". Gives me the chance to talk about name association and history, thus sparking interest. Also, tartans are kind of an art to themselves, and i want to collect this kind of art!

[Frank McGrath]

I wear the MacRae Modern and I have ordered a Masonic tartan for wearing to Lodge functions. The only other kilts I would wear would be a solid blue UK to go with my work uniform.

[skauwt]

i just stick Chisholm my own surname also with doing my family tree Ive came across something like 62 surnames the last time i counted all my direct ancestors surnames and ive yet more to find for a few ancestors ,

now if i was lucky to be in Hamish`s ghille broughes then i guess i would perhaps have them all
but as I'm not well I'm with jock on this one " one man one tartan "

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Like Jock Scot, I've got several kilts (of which only the one now on order will fit) all in my family/clan tartan. And, again, like Jock Scot, as I've put on the mileage I tend to prefer the muted shades-- of my family/clan tartan. Kilts are expensive, and only the passage of time will diminish their size resulting in the need to acquire another, in my family/clan tartan.

So, do I wear McBain, or Boyd, or McEwen, or the tartans of any of my other cousins? No. Do I wear any of the district tartans associated with my family/clan? No. Do any of the chieftains/barons in my clan have special or personal tartans? No.

I have to agree with Jock Scot that, generally speaking, Scots tend to have one kilt, in their family tartan, and they stick with it. Even in those families where there are several tartans (M'Millan with its ancient, hunting, and dress tartans, for example) most choose one tartan and stick with it.

Like Skauwt said-- one man, one tartan.

[Cynthia]

I really do wish my hubby had a nice Scottish name in his family so he could have "his" tartan which I would proudly wear (I kept my last name because he didn't want me to change my name to his -- he felt weird about that, so wearing a tartan that's "his" would be a nice and easy way for me to feel like a part of his family). He doesn't have any names that we've found so far (there might still be a chance if I can just figure out one ancestor's mystery and find out about her), so we'll keep looking. If not, he'll either pick something eventually that means a lot to him or he'll design one for his name (Danish).

As far as myself... my last name is of Welsh origins and has a tartan, but I'm not as fond of it as I am of some of the others. I sometimes swing back and forth about it, but I guess I'll see for myself when I actually get an item in the tartan instead of seeing it as a photo online. My mom's maiden name is Moore, and my father's grandmother was a Moore as well. I'm not sure how I feel about that name/tartan possibilities yet (still need to do research on the names and see where they even came from). Next in line on my father's side is my great-great grandmother who was a Grant... and then a great-great-great grandmother who was a McNeill/MacNeill.

I also have a few things that mean a lot to me that I would love to get the tartans for (such as the Texas Bluebonnet tartan), but in some ways I do wish I had "that" tartan for both myself and my husband. With me, I may end up with more than one tartan (and varying levels of importance to me), but I still personally need to feel a bit of a connection with any tartan I choose.

Who knows? Maybe eventually as I do more research into my ancestry (and hubby's) and even chat with people from some of the Clans etc, I might eventually decide on a main tartan that I would focus on for the most part. I know my husband has told me he'd be willing to wear one of my tartans, but because of what I mentioned above about him telling me to just keep my name when we got married, I kind of want him to pick a tartan for himself that I can wear proudly, too.