stuck choosing a tartan

[Sean Wilson]

Hi!

You'll get a lot of opinions on this including the ubiquitous "You can do whatever you like" which easily and often translates as "In your face and up-yours to any tradition."

Having said that, if you are looking at traditions, you wear your clan's tartan because, as I've often said, it's your nametag. You don't wear somebody else's nametag because that's ridiculous. To follow tradition therefore, you don't wear somebody else's tartan-nametag for the same reason.

You're in an interesting situation however. Normally, that clan is the one of your name. You've taken the unusual step though of affiliating with another clan through its chief, the highest authority on such a thing. That being the case, I'd bow to those more knowledgeable than I, but it might be similar to taking on a new citizenship and renouncing your former citizenship.

You've affiliated with a clan; you live with it and its tartans. What they look like is immaterial and an utter red herring. Your clan is your clan. You wear its tartan(s) because that's who you are.

Thank You Father Bill...

I initially had the same thought as yourself and thought Clan tartan to be the best choice. However, as Wilson is a family with close clan ties to the Gunn's I asked the Clan secretary if it would be considered rude to wear Wilson tartan at a clan gathering. They assured me that the Wilson family was more than welcome in the clan and as such wearing Gunn or Wilson Tartan would be acceptable. The answer was nice to know, but didn't help with my choice.