The 'Right' to wear a Tartan?

[Geoff Withnell]

If you want even more options with a connection, Clan Farquharson is one of the clans composing the Chattan Confederation, which also has a tartan.

[Highwayman]

To all responses so far, I've been overwhelmed by the support regarding my question. Being called 'Brother' by the President of a Clan was the highlight of my weekend! As I move forward with this new knowledge, as a courtesy I've sent an email to the patriarch of my step-family, Joanie's widower who has always spoken highly of my small family as we've mingled with his. This may seem a bit trivial after so many thoughtful responses, but this man (who to this day, is referred to by all who know him as 'Lefty') is a role model of mine and I'm sure he'd be pleased with how my questions have been answered and his final blessing would be a fond memory to look back on.

While I was drawn to kilts for the history and intrigue, the passion for family and heritage among this culture is something I would be very proud to partake in, and identifying with a Clan would be an unexpected honor. Joanie was a passionate, strong-willed woman who always put her family before all else and was never afraid to speak her mind. This unplanned tribute to her would mean the world to me, and I'm going to guess her husband is going to give me the nod.

[Pleater]

When I get around to it, I will make myself a kilt in the Armstrong tartan - I have some ancient Armstrong fabric - for my dad. He wasn't an Armstrong, but he was related to the family of Wilsons who were engineers and who worked for the Armstrong company.
Dad went into raptures over any Armstrong Sidderley car we came across - I think there was a Sidderley Sapphire the owner allowed him to sit in - he was absolutely delighted.

If anyone ever asks I will tell them why I am wearing it.

Dad's granddad Wilson and his brother used to go around working on the boilers in the dark satanic mills around Barnsley, South Yorkshire - they used to take my dad with them to climb into the small spaces and clean them out when he ought to have been at school. They would clean him up, give him sixpence and drop him off at home looking as though butter wouldn't melt, I bet.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[WillowEstate]

When I get around to it, I will make myself a kilt in the Armstrong tartan - I have some ancient Armstrong fabric - for my dad. He wasn't an Armstrong, but he was related to the family of Wilsons who were engineers and who worked for the Armstrong company.
Dad went into raptures over any Armstrong Sidderley car we came across - I think there was a Sidderley Sapphire the owner allowed him to sit in - he was absolutely delighted.

If anyone ever asks I will tell them why I am wearing it.
<snip>
Anne the Pleater :ootd:

The Sapphire and Star Sapphire were truly beautiful cars, hand built by traditional craftsmen. What a fitting tribute to your Dad.

[marypenny]

Looks to me as though your are welcome to those tartans! Our Chief, Gilbert Struan says that anyone can join Clas Donnachaidh as long as they support our goals, and with a smile he continued to say if their heart thrilled to the sound of the pipes. My nephew, by marriage, wears his wife's grandmother's Duncan tartan...and her Duncan connection is from about 900 years ago! Go for it!

[James Hood]

A while ago, there was an astute / amusing quote by a Scot who "lamented" how Sots weavers happily sold tartan to whomever had currency in hand, while all but simultaneously lamenting how "those not entitled" were wearing tartans...perhaps purchased from them.

Steve, thank you for your concise and pragmatic points of "tartan order." And once again, for this forum.

[marypenny]

Can't speak for other Clans, but our Chief, Struan Robertson, says that anyone who supports the aims and goals of Clan Donnachaidh may join and proudly wear the several tartans associated to CDS (hopefully though, not all at the same time.) When I heard him say that he did mention that he hoped their heart thrilled to the sound of the pipes, even at quite a distance.....

[Pleater]

Each year at Sidmouth Folk Festival a local pipe band is represented - I think they are City of Exeter, and they wear Robertson tartan. They make a brave sound and attract a lot of attention.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Damion]

Wear what you like. My family name is Kerr and we have several tartans. Two problems with that, one stemming from the first.
The first is that as a lowland border family they were never part of the highland culture (though the old reiver families were structured in a similar way). The second is that obviously every tartan version is made up, probably in the 19th century. On the other hand, the multiple tartans live up to the Kerr motto: sero sed serio (late but in earnest).
You might also like to consider that there are pipe bands in various parts of the world with not a single member of Scots ancestry yet they still proudly wear the kilt. It's certainly more appropriate for a person to wear a kilt (not officially ascribed to any family branch of theirs) proudly than a person wearing their surname's kilt and flashing people or hiking the hem in a faux-sexual manner.

[McElmurry]

Absent a clan connection on the paternal side a Mother's wish is more than sufficient and a Gran's decree would be downright obligatory. Whether the relationship is blood, step, adopted or otherwise is nobody's business but your own.

I am pretty conservative about the tartans I wear and would not hesitate to wear my Gran's tartan in similar circumstances.