Allowed tartans

[RK-REX]

All of my kilts are tartans that have meaning for me, and none of them are family tartans from either side. In fact, the last family kilt that I had, my Mum paid for when I was about 13.

One of my favorite kilts is a Colquhoun 8-yarder that I bought from MAC Newsome (he did not make it - it was ordered from another vendor and the purchaser returned it for some reason. It fit, Matt gave me a deal on it - I have a nice 8 yard kilt.) At a games event last year I had a man from that Clan come up and talk to me and ask my Clan affiliation. I told him that I had none, and I just really liked the tartan and got a good deal on the kilt. He told me that as a Clan officer he was ordering me to take the kilt off and give it to him. I didn't know how to respond till with a little wink he followed up with "we look like we're about the same size". He didn't care, neither do I. I'll wear his clan colours, and I'll wear them proudly, simply because I like that tartan.

I'm with you guys - and if I see someone wearing my Clan tartans (Barclay and MacQueen/Chattan), I'll raise a glass, give 'em a nod and recognize them as a kinsman by virtue of being in my Clan colours, regardless of name or bloodline.

[DamnthePants]

Forgive me for posting out of the blue, but when you learn a new piece of information, its hard not to share it.

I just got finished a rather lengthy history of the Highlands book, and one passage comes to mind when I read this.

There is at least some historical evidence that clans were not required to ware a certain tartan based on their family. The way it –probably-(as the book surmises, please note I do not claim this is fact, just food for thought) was; was that families wore what ever they had made. Be it the same pattern, a similar pattern, or one that was completely different. The big houses however, would most likely have the money and authority to have sets. So the House of Ramsey would have commissioned a kilt for all of his members to wear in his house, but other Ramsey not part of the household would wear what ever they could get their hands on.

Lets say over the course of time this one Ramsey clan house becomes the most famous, people take note of the fact that they ware a kilt of a certain pattern at certain times, and boom, you got the idea that each clan had its own kilt, and that’s the only one they could ware. When logically it probably isn’t true

The book also mentioned ( a little rudely phrased) “The idea that people could identify clans based on a complex interwoven pattern is laughable”


Don’t shoot the messenger, I am just offering up food for thought.

For me personally, I look at Clan Tartans as I do clothing of today. I can wear Armani with out being Italian, I can wear Cashmere with out being Asian.

If its fall and here in Maine there’s lots of colorful foliage, I might wear a Buchanan Kilt, as it just looks so right, were as in spring, a lighter colored Douglas kilt would look better.

That’s just me though, and in no way am I trying to disrespect anyone who would feel bad about me wearing their family tartan. The least I can do is at least know what family it is when they ask. I would feel a little irritated if someone was wearing a Ross tartan and when I asked about it they just called it Plaid.