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Most
of the tartans we know of today were invented in the 18th
and 19th century. Very few
go back to before the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745.
The
earliest Tartans
Some
tartans do go back to the 7th
century. It is thought that early Scots probably wore
a material dyed with saffron or other bright colours.
The
old tartans were very simple and may have been used to
signify rank and status. It is said that servants only
wore a cloth of one colour, rent paying farmers clothes
of two colours, officers wore clothes of three colours,
Chieftans wore clothes of five colours, and the King wore
clothes of 7 colours.
After
the Battle of Culloden in 1746, tartan was banned from
being worn. Even the playing of bagpipes or wearing a
weapon of any sort could result in the perpetrator being
handed. Many tartans from those times are, unfortunately
lost, but some have been recovered using old paintings
as the source.
Strangely,
district or regional check cloth (rather than actual tartan)
are older than many tartans. It is also thought that the
more distinctive tartan patterns now available may have
derived from these regional, or district check cloth designs.
The Tartan Revival
In
1822 Sir Walter Scot encouraged King
George IV to visit Edinburgh and wear tartan. This started
the revival of tartan cloth.
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Many
old patterns surfaced and many new one were derived from
that time onward.
Identifying
Tartan
Tartan comes in a variety of different settings - a large
set for a man's kilt, a small set for a ladies or childs
kilt.
The
repeat of the design is the point at which the design
repeats itself. This can vary enormously from tartan to
tartan, and is a prime consideration when designing clothing
from tartan cloth. A setting can be taken up or down in
size, as long as the proportions remain the same, but
as you can imagine, this takes great skill and experience
when making a kilt.
Which
Tartan can you Wear?
This is an
important issue. By rights you should never wear tartan
that is 'fixed' or attributed to anyone family unless
you are a member of that family. There are a number of
tartans which can be worn by anyone e.g. the Culloden
tartan, but one of the most popular - the Royal or Dress
Stewart - should only be worn with Her Majesty's permission.
If
you're not sure about the legitimacy of wearing a clan
or family tartan, a District Tartan should be worn e.g.
the East
Lothian Tartan....Scotland's newest
tartan.
Like
the 'rules' for Highland Dress, things are becoming more
relaxed in modern times, but it's still wise to be aware
and sympathetic to the potential for personal insult and
affront when wearing the wrong tartan.
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