Tartan Day with Kim Dudek ‘97

When it comes to tartans, many different terms can be used to distinguish the type of tartan being worn. To help unravel this, let's take a look at a few commonly used terms.

Clan: Clan tartans are defined in the Oxford Dictionary as "a kind of woollen cloth woven in one of several patterns of coloured checks and intersecting lines, especially of a design associated with a particular Scottish Clan.

Dress: A dress tartan replaces the principle base colour with white. This type of tartan was originally created to give women and girls a softer option when wearing their clan colours.

Hunting: Hunting tartans are often darker in colour and can be more muted in tones.

Provincial: Provincial tartans are associated with each of the provinces and territories in Canada. Each province has both a provincial and a dress variant of its respective tartan.

National: National tartans may be worn by everyone from a particular country. The national tartan of Canada is the Maple leaf.

Tartans are beautiful and come in a huge range of colours and dye sets. Tartans on display may indicate that they are "ancient colours" or "replica colours". This means that a different dye sett was used in colouring the wool for their creation. The colour set of a tartan does not change regardless of what type of fabric is being used (wool, silk, synthetic, etc.). Some tartans look almost like twins! But in truth, all it can take is the addition, removal or changing of one colour to change the tartan. According to Robert MacDonald of Bespoke Kiltmakers, the following definitions may be applied to the different dye setts. Modern colours refers to the brilliant colours of modern chemical dyes. Replica, ancient, weathered, and muted colours all refer to the attempt to mimic the original colours of the organic dye stuffs that would have been used to dye the wool. (MacDonald, 2024)

Dress tartans have the clan's colours on a white base and provide women and girls with a softer, more elegant option to wear their clan colours. Today, dress tartans are popular with both men and women. In addition, some clans will also have a hunting tartan. Hunting tartans tend to have more muted colours such as black, rust, dark blue or navy, and dark greens. The Hunting MacLean is a good example of this. There are also team tartans; corporate tartans; mourning tartans; district tartans; national tartans; and provincial tartans.

Tartans may be somewhat confusing by nature of the clans with which they are associated. For instance, some clans will have the same last name, but their tartans will be completely different colours and sets because they come from different places in Scotland. Clan MacNeil and Clan MacLeod are good examples of this. Clan MacLeod has three tartans, The Yellow MacLeod of Lewis, the Blue MacLeod of Harris, and the Red MacLeod of Fitzcairn, sometimes called the Royal MacLeod.

So which tartan is best for what? The quickest way to tell that is by knowing the weight of the tartan. A tartan's weight refers to how fine it is. The finest is 8 ounce and the heaviest is 16 ounce or heavier. 8 ounce tartans are fine enough to read a book through. they would be used for fine garments including sashes, plaidies, and drapes, as well as formalwear such as long gowns. 12 ounce weight tartans are used again for much the same things as the 8 ounce weights. They can also be used for light outer garments such as scarves, shawls, skirts, etc. 14-ounce weight is typically the maximum weight for a sash. This would be used as an outer layer for gloves, scarves, tams, skirts, etc. Anything heavier is typically used for outerwear, or things of that nature.

Wearing of tartans and kilts was banned after the loss of the battle of Culloden by the Jacobites in 1746. When the ban was repealed in 1782, it changed tartan forever. Gardiner also notes that tartans are symbolic to other countries besides Scotland, noting (Quote) "it's not only a Scottish symbol: the Maple Leaf Tartan is an official national symbol of Canada." (Unquote). (Gardiner, 2023)

There are many different types of Scottish dress that tartans may be used for. Below are the three most common.

Kilt: Perhaps the most recognizable of all Scottish dress, the kilt is created from nine yards of fabric. Along with a shirt, jacket, socks and ghillies (highland dance slippers), kilts are worn for Highland Dances. These include the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance. Kilts may also make up part of formal highland dress for men and women. Women may wear them with a blouse while men may opt to wear full formal dress, including a Sighan Dubh, socks, jacket, and a sporran!

Aboyne: Requiring up to eleven yards of fabric, the Aboyne is a beautiful full skirt that is worn for dances that are referred to as National Dances and may include The Lilt and The Village Maid.

Sash: Sashes are another piece of Scottish dress that is commonly worn. They range from a short drape hanging off the shoulder to floor length. A typical sash is about 8 feet long in total and falls to just below the waist or hips. Sashes may be worn with anything from a top and slacks to a long gown. They will often each have their own outfit and brooch that they go with.

There can be no denying that Scottish dress has become a part of everyday life. Kilts or kilt-style skirts have become part of the fashion scene from runways to uniforms. In recent times the question of the kilt being worn by non-Scottish people has raised the question of cultural appropriation. However, Dr. Nick Fiddes notes that the kilt has become a quote "more modern and versatile garment with a number of different styles that can be worn on different occasions" unquote. (Fiddes, 2024) Dr. Fiddes also notes that it would not be seen as cultural appropriation for non-Scottish people to wear a kilt.

The same is true of wearing a tartan. Just because you are not Scottish does not mean you cannot wear a tartan. For example, anyone from Canada has the right to wear the tartan of whatever province they live in. If they have family from other provinces, they have the right to wear the tartan of that province as well. This is referred to as an ancestral tartan. All Canadians have the right to wear the national tartan of Canada, called the Maple Leaf. Designed by David Weiser in 1964 to commemorate the new Canadian Flag, it was registered with the National Scottish Tartan registry in 2011. ("Regional Tartans of Canada", 2024)

Historically, Clan MacLean was a very powerful clan with extensive land holdings in the Western Isles known as the Hebrides, as well as the Highlands. The name is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name MacGilleEathain. Clan MacLean is known for their honor, strength, and courage in battle.

When the uniform was refreshed the school contacted His Majesty the King to request the use of a Balmoral Tartan. However, as noted above some tartans are reserved exclusively for use by the Royal Family and the Balmoral tartans are among them. In the course of correspondence, the possibility of both a hunting and a dress tartan were explored. In hindsight, the hunting tartan was the better choice due to its colours.

Today tartan can be seen in every aspect of popular culture around the world. From runway shows by major designers and Academy Award-winning movies, to both the street styles and runway looks of other countries, tartan is always changing. (Gardiner, 2023) An excellent place to see the wide range of tartans is to visit the Pavillion of Scotland during the festival of Folklorama. In whatever form they are used or displayed, the tartans of Scotland remain a symbol that has become much loved by the whole world.

The Scottish Register of Tartans: The official registry of tartans. https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/index

Heather Gems: Unique gems made from bundles of heather stems that are dyed, cut and polished into beautiful "gems" that are set into earrings, brooches, and more. https://www.heathergems.com/

Tartan Finder: Look up any tartan by name, colour, etc. The entire site is worth exploring. https://www.houseoftartan.co.uk/house/tfinder.htm

If you'd like to volunteer with the Scotland Pavillion, you can reach out to them on their website: https://www.pavilionofscotland.ca/