# How can I find what tartan I can wear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954 "2024-08-20T17:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/1 "2024-08-20T17:33:17Z")
According to DNA testing 1. I am not the Lindburgh baby. 2. I am 1/3 Scottish So how would I find what clan I belong to and tartan I’m entitles to wear? Is it just tracing ancestry or are there rules? What documentation would I need in Scotland if I’m wearing a kilt so Lord Lyon, King of Arms doesn’t beat and arrest me? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/2 "2024-08-20T17:38:13Z")
I would think tracing your ancestry is definitely the first step. Then you can work to decide which clan you came from and figure out what tartan they wore. I would be surprised if even Scottish people could discern one tartan from another and which clan it was (or used to be) much less laws about it but that I really do not know. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/3 "2024-08-20T17:48:32Z")
It’s largely a matter of personal choice. Some go with father’s line, some go with mother’s line, some go with regional tartans. Bear in mind, a lot of tartan “lore” was developed by the Victorians, influenced by Sir Walter Scott’s novels and George IV’s tour of Scotland, in which he wore full regalia. HIstorically, it wasn’t really very rigid; the colours of tartans were often tied to what kind of native plants in a particular area were available for dying the wool. The kilt that is commonly wore may have been developed by an Englishman, to reduce the amount of fabric used, because of dangers of his workers getting caught in machinery in his workshop. It’s called the " fillebeg" in Scots Gaelic, meaning the “little kilt”, as opposed to the “Great Kilt”, or “Belted plaid” (“fèileadh-mòr”). The Lord Lyon will register tartans, but doesn’t have authority to police who wears a particular tartan. For my own kilt, I used the tartan of my last name, even though that branch of my father’s family came from Ireland. Given their Protestantism, I assume they were Scottish planters, so the connection to the Scottish tartan for that name makes sense. It also coincidentally has a regional connection to my mother’s family in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/4 "2024-08-20T17:51:28Z")
There’s a lot more Scottish surnames than tartans, but for many of them they were aligned with one of the major clans. If nothing else, one could do like the original London Scottish Regiment and wear [Hodden,](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodden) a plain gray fabric used by hunters. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/5 "2024-08-20T17:53:38Z")
A couple of links: > **[How the king's visit saw kilts become Scotland's national dress](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-62464709)** > > Tartan-clad crowds lined the streets of Edinburgh to welcome King George IV in August 1822. > **[Visit of George IV to Scotland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visit_of_George_IV_to_Scotland)** > > George IV's visit to Scotland in 1822 was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of Verona. > The visit increased the king's popularity in Scotland, turning some subjects away from the rebellious radicalism of the time. However, it was Sir Walter Scott'... > **[Highland dress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_dress)** > > Highland dress is the traditional, regional dress of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. It is often characterised by tartan (plaid in North America). Specific designs of shirt, jacket, bodice and headwear may also be worn along with clan badges and other devices indicating family and heritage. > Men's Highland dress typically includes a kilt or trews of his clan tartan, along with either a tartan full plaid, fly plaid, or short belted plaid. There are a number of accessories, which may include b... George IV on his Scottish trip: [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/George_IV_in_kilt%2C_by_Wilkie.jpg/566px-George_IV_in_kilt%2C_by_Wilkie.jpg?20161128165103) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/George_IV_in_kilt%2C_by_Wilkie.jpg/566px-George_IV_in_kilt%2C_by_Wilkie.jpg?20161128165103) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/6 "2024-08-20T17:55:20Z")
Here’s the register of tartans: > **[The Scottish Register of Tartans](https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/index)** > > The Scottish Register of Tartans is an online database of tartan designs, established by the Scottish Register of Tartans Act 2008 and administered by the National Records of Scotland. Try their FAQ for how to find the right sort of tartan ( you don’t necessarily need to splash out on a kilt, you could get a scarf or a tie) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/7 "2024-08-20T19:10:23Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So how would I find what clan I belong to and tartan I’m entitles to wear? There’s no guarantee that your ancestors were in any clan - they might have spent the last millennium in east or central Scotland. As for “entitlement” to wear any given tartan, there’s no such thing. You can wear what you like. Really, in Scotland _no one cares_. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/8 "2024-08-20T19:22:47Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > Really, in Scotland _no one cares_. How about this? [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61hi82B5ktL._AC_SX342_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61hi82B5ktL._AC_SX342_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/9 "2024-08-20T19:38:28Z")
You don’t have to limit yourself to family tartans. Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and many large cities have tartans. There are several “Jacobite” and “Knights Templar” tartans. I am curious about the Scottish Nuclear tartan. The company no longer exists, but apparently you can get fabric in their pattern. I once saw an American “flag” pattern. The red-and-white stripes were predictable. the square blue patches were predictable. But the blue areas had thin white stripes within them. Where the warp and the woof crossed, it created the illusion of bright white stars in the blue field. That was a clever bit of design. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/10 "2024-08-20T19:41:35Z")
The really cool thing is: it glows in the dark! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/11 "2024-08-20T19:56:45Z")
If you want to listen to the “experts”- > **[7 universal tartans that anyone can wear (including a big surprise!)](https://clan.com/blog/universal-tartans-that-anyone-can-wear)** > > When we're asked which tartans are worn by those with no Scottish blood, our answer may surprise you! _Royal Stewart tartan… Any tartan you love - or even just like the look of!_ _Tartans aren’t only for families and clans._ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/12 "2024-08-20T20:48:56Z")
I also learned just the other day that there’s a specific tartan just for clergymen. Maybe just for specifically Presbyterian clergy; not sure on that. Mr. Rogers wore a tie in that pattern for many years. So if you’re not sure about your ancestry, you could just attend seminary and resolve the question that way. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/13 "2024-08-20T21:33:53Z")
In addition to the “Scotland for Ever” tartan mentioned in @DrDeth 's link, there’s also “Flower of Scotland” which I think is a good choice: [https://www.scotlandshop.com/en-ca/tartan-finder/flower-of-scotland](https://www.scotlandshop.com/en-ca/tartan-finder/flower-of-scotland) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/14 "2024-08-20T21:37:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > So if you’re not sure about your ancestry, you could just attend seminary and resolve the question that way. Or, skim through the tartans for the Canadian provinces, find one you like, and immigrate to that province. Simple! > **[Regional tartans of Canada](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_tartans_of_Canada)** > > Regional tartans of Canada are represented by all Canada's provinces and territories having a regional tartan, as do many other regional divisions in Canada. Tartans were first brought to Canada by Scottish settlers; the first province to adopt one officially was Nova Scotia in 1956 (when registered at the Court of the Lord Lyon; adopted by law in 1963), and the most recent province was Ontario, in 2000. Except for the tartan of Quebec, all of the provincial and territorial tartans are officially... ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/15 "2024-08-20T21:48:54Z")
Don’t forget to tuck a paring knife in your sock! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/16 "2024-08-20T21:57:26Z")
There’s at least one company with an app on their website that lets you create your own tartan. If you make it yourself, who can complain? I deliberately didn’t look at the price, though. It’s bound to be more expensive than pre-made cloth. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/17 "2024-08-20T22:03:37Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Don’t forget to tuck a paring knife in your sock! That’s a sgian-dubh to you, mister. Don’t make me pull mine out! > **[Sgian-dubh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgian-dubh)** > > The sgian-dubh (/ˌskiːən ˈduː/ skee-ən-DOO; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: \[s̪kʲənˈt̪u\]) – also anglicized as skene-dhu – is a small, single-edged knife (Scottish Gaelic: sgian) worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress. It is now worn tucked into the top of the kilt hose with only the upp ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/18 "2024-08-20T22:06:53Z")
I was in the wedding party of a friend with Scottish heritage. We all went to a few specialty stores in the area for kilt rental prices, and to learn what tartan he should wear (this was before the internet). I liked it so much, I plan to wear a great kilt with the registered Jewish tartan when I get married (at least this is my opening position. I’m willing to negotiate with my love). ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/19 "2024-08-20T22:25:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > sgian-dubh Gesundheit! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954/20 "2024-08-20T22:54:42Z")
A friend of mine is . . . extremely enthusiastic about his Scottish heritage. One day, we were discussing the subject, and I said, “Well, my dad’s ancestors were mostly English, but my mother’s ancestors were the proud wearers of the ugliest tartan in all of Scotland.” He thought about it for a moment, and said, “Buchanan?” I had to admit, he really knew the subject. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-what-tartan-i-can-wear/1005954.md?page=2)