New-York tribune., 1899-06-04
THE WEARING or THE TARTAN.
FASHIONABLE PATTERNS FOR LONDON MEN AND
THE RIGHT OF USING THEM
From Fashion.

THE RIGHT OF USING THEM
From Fashion.
1t is especially noticeable this winter to how
great an extent tartans are being worn in Lon
don. not only by the far SEX to whom they
have always been more or less endeared, but
also by the mere man Of fashion. a few words
upon the wearing of the tartan may be of in
terest to those-Englishmen as well as Scotch
men-who may contemplate the purchase Of such
articles of clothing as lend themselves to be
fashioned out Of cOlored Tor multi-coor) ma
tefiaL In the first place, then, 1t may be as
we'll to enumcrate the manner in which the
man of Highland extraction may wear the tar
tan Of his ancestors. not by way Of the cheerless
il picturesque Kilt and plaid, but in some less
conspicuous form.
The most popular article Of masculine attire
u.s. Of course the cravat or tie. and this year
most hosicrs seem to have laid in a stock of
ties of various shapes in the correct tartans Of
the bcttcr-knOwn clans or septS. They look well
in silk especially if the bow-tie or sailors knot
shape be selected. but there are also some few
OF Irish pop!in which look quite as well and
last much longer. After the tie comes the SILK
muffler. also very appropriate in tartan. and.
after the mufiier, attention may be drawn TO
the double breasted fancy waistcoat for winter
wear. 1t will be welcome change from the
eternal stripes and spots and meaningless
checks and need not be more gaudy-if gaudi-
ness be a crime in fancy waistcOatngs. The
Innings OF overcoats and cloaks. too might well
be OF plaided material in preference to the uni
versal horsecloth. Rugs Of tartan are ubiqui-
tous this season it is impossible to travel any
where without encountering some voyagei
smothered IN tartan, usually. il ~ TO be feared.
Of "A clan to which he can by no pretence be
held To appertain.
And this brings me to the subject OF the right
of any given individual to the use OF clan TAR
tanS. Strictly speaking. only one who actually
bears as surname the name Of Highland clan
may wear, Of right. raiment fashioned OF the
tartan of that particular clan. But there is dis
tnguished precedent for the wearing of the tar
tan by those who descend in the female line
from one Of the numerous septs who hourlshed
the targe and the Claymore in wilder days pc
yond the Highland boundary. While 1t Is
doubtful if the late Prince Henry Of Batten-
berg had any right to don kits Of Royal Stuart
tartan, there can be no objection to any OF Her
Majosty's leges doing pretty much as they
choose in the matter. At the present day
number oc quite modern tartans have been in
vented for those whose ancestors never chased
the wild deer followed the roe, and whose
fathers did not feed their flOcks upon the Gram
pian Hills thus there are now many Border
names for which tartans have been designed
and manufactured, as Douglas Elliot, and Scott
so that few Scotsmen should find it difficult
to procure their own particular tartan.
For the rest. the old tartans Of the clans
should certainly never be worn by any who do
not belong to clan. at least by right OF fem
mime descent There are, however. some mod
ern tartans, such as the Bruce ana the NaIIace
which together with that of the well known
Rob Roy and that ever-pOpular "sett,' the
Royal Stuart prince Charlie or the later
Hunting Stuart" and "Nictoria Tartan or
disposal OF the world at large. Men who fall
victims to the passion for plaid should first
ascertain whether under the above easy going
rule they are entitled to tartan. and. If 50,
select their ties mufilers or travelling rugs ac-
cordingly; while if they should be unfortunate
enough to claim no descent from lands beyond
the Tweed they can fall back upon the more
or less universally worn tartans indicated above.
There are also it should not be forgotten. the
tartans Of the Highland regiments which differ
generally from elan tartans; and to the wearing
of which, an they choose officers who have
served in such regiments may certainly exercise
the right.
Tartans fall naturally into two groups, the
red" and the green" The latter are more
numerous and popular on account of their less
conspicuous appearance. Some makers have
gone so far as to invent. under the titles Of
Hunting Maclean," Hunting Fraser and the
like. green tartans Of similar sett to the cOrre
spending red elan tartan. All such should be
taboo to the man who would be as nearly correct
and self-rcspectnS as may be There are no
tartans which, If taStefully worm are really inn
possibly conspicuous and a nicer choice of ma
tcrial and OF the size of the pattern employed
serves to modify the most crude Of ancient pat
terms. After all, the world is beginning TO regain
its lost feeling for color in male costumes. and
the wearing Of tartan is long step in a wise
and admirable direction.