Stanton McCandlish in kilt made with McCandlish Red tartan. The result is a pleasing subtlety and understatedness.
Tartans are in a sense totemic, and can act as symbols or standards for a family or clan.
As for the kilt, there is an American misconception that it is a costume, or an antiqutity. The kilt is in fact simply a form of clothing, worn by thousands of people today, just as it was centuries ago. I wear mine quite frequently, in the US, both to the office, and for a night out on the town. Note that it is important to get a good kilt, though, and to learn how to wear it properly. A good source of distinctive kilt pins and buckles is cousin Kerry McCandlish of Benbecula, an island of Scotland's Outer Hebrides.