Kilt Tartans
Choosing the correct Tartan for your Kilt
Kilt Tartans. Where to start? With hundreds of Tartans available, from Scottish surnames, Irish, Canadian, Clans, Ancient, Weathered, not to mention all the different colour variations, it can be somewhat of a massive decision to make, especially if ordering a Kilt for that special occasion such as a wedding.
Right or Wrong Tartan
The first piece of advice from someone born and raised in Scotland is to disregard the notion of a “right” or a “wrong” Tartan. There is no such thing as an entitlement to a Tartan, and there are absolutely no laws — in Scotland or anywhere else — dictating what Tartan you may or may not wear.
The truth is that there are a very few tartans that custom dictates one should not wear unless entitled. The prime example would be the Balmoral tartan, which since 1936, by Royal decree, has not been produced for consumption by the public. Its use is restricted to the Royal Family.
Even in this case it is not illegal to wear the tartan — it would simply be considered in very poor taste. However, Tartans such as the Balmoral will not be generally available from merchants in any case. Therefore, there is very little reason to worry about wearing the “wrong tartan.”
Kilt Tartan for Clans & Surnames
The most obvious choice is a Tartan that directly relates to your surname. It makes perfect sense for a MacDonald to wear the MacDonald Tartan, a MacGregor to wear the MacGregor Tartan and a Stewart to wear the Stewart Tartan.
If your surname has no direct correlation to a tartan, a little research may discover that it has an affiliation with a clan, in which case you would wear the Tartan for the clan.
Kilt Tartan Colours
What’s your favourite colours? It is also perfectly acceptable to wear a Tartan just because the colour is appealing. Or perhaps you just suit the colour blue or pink. Choosing the correct Tartan for your Kilt or for your Made to Measure and Bespoke Tartan Clothing is simple. Use our Tartan Finder where you can search by names or colours and find a Tartan or solid colour design that best suits you!
Here is some inspiration, from the plain to the wild and the wonderful!
