Quote Originally Posted by Tobus View Post
As others have said, modern tartan cloth (even in "ancient" color schemes) will be made with modern dyes. However, if you desire the look of a tartan that's been faded with age, you can go with a "weathered" tartan. They are made to look as if they were made from plant-based dyes and then buried in a peat bog for a couple of centuries (that's the description I saw somewhere, but can't remember where).

There is also a "weathered" Colquhoun, which Lochcarron lists but is not a standard in-stock tartan. They won't even do a run of it unless it's a big order. I'm currently having a kilt made in this weathered tartan, as a custom weave by DC Dalgliesh. As you can see, the colors are more faded and earthy, which is intended to re-create a color scheme that's old and faded and, well, weathered.

If you wanted your kilt to look like it was made with plant-based dyes for that rustic faded look, "weathered" is the way to go.
I have to disagree. First of all it's more correct to talk of natural dyes rather than plant based dyes. True most were derived from plants but most reds (and all I've seen from c1700 onwards) were insect dyes, principally from cochineal but occasionally from Lac another shield insect.

Neither Reproduction or Weathered colours are paricularly accurate at representing natural dyes, faded or otherwise. The best commercial range are Muted colours such as those by House of Edgar but even these are a but odd and don't really match historial specimens terribly well. Better still are copies of Wilsons of Bannockburn's colours. They were naturally dyed and can be match accurately.