Quote:
Originally Posted by cardist
Clan tartans were invented by the Victorian English, who had a romanticised notion of the Highlands.
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At the end of the Battle of Culloden (1745), the English general wrote of walking the field among the Scottish dead. He wrote that he could not tell friend from foe among the clansmen because the dead were missing their hats. It was mainly a plant badge worn on the cap that identified one clan from another. Wearing the tartan was outlawed after 1745 until it was revived in the early 19th century with a great deal of foolishness about tartans, clans, and Scottish names.
In his delightful little book,
So You're Going to Wear the Kilt, J. Charles Thompson writes:
"There is no such thing as the 'right' to wear any tartan. . . There are still some people who talk about the right to wear a clan tartan and don't realize they are talking nonsense. . . The whole question is a matter of good or bad taste."
If you're still sensitive about which tartan you should wear, or unsure of your Scottish connections, their are a host of tartans for states, provinces, the U.S. and a handful of professions. My "kicking around" kilt (for golf, hiking, and Scottish games) is a rugged McLean of Duarte tartan to which I have no familial connection. I like the colors and it wears like iron.
Thompson also states: "The kilt is perfectly normal dress for a man of Scottish ancestry or connections, and anyone who feels differently is simply displaying his ignorance. At a Saint Andrews lunch, one member said he could not wear his kilt to the office because of the way fellows would make fun of him. Another rejoined, ' Nobody ever made fun of me wearing a kilt. A lot of people have tried but no one ever succeeded.'"
I wear a kilt almost any time and place that a blazer or suit would be appropriate -- dinners, receptions, concerts, weddings, funerals, church, and other events. I wear it on the golf course -- It's a Scottish game. And I wear it hiking because it's comfortable. For such places and occasions, there are some general rules or guidelines for the kilt and what one wears along with it. If you intend to wear the kilt, I highly recommend Thompson's book.
Remember that your kilt is not "a costume" (re-enactors excepted). It is Scottish attire, and should never be worn to a costume party.
I was married in a kilt 41 years ago and I've been wearing one ever since. When I wear it, far from being made fun of, I am complimented by friends and strangers alike, especially those with Scottish connections. Everyone (the ladies especially) seems to like seeing a man in a kilt.