Tartan is just a type of patterned fabric. However it is undeniably linked to Scotland and has a unique identity. On the one hand it can have a staid, traditional image, reminiscent of; middle class, middle aged women in ankle length tartan skirts; the illustration on a tin of shortbread; or the carpets in a dated, stuffy hotel. But on the other hand modern designers use the power of tartan to make an impact. Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Gallianno and Jean Paul Gautier have all been associated with tartan. McQueen's "Rape of the Highlands" in particular caused quite a stir. Was this due to the power of the fabric itself or because tartan is a national emblem. And if it was because tartan is a national emblem, how can a fabric have such an identity?
What is tartan?
Tartan is a cloth woven from strands of wool. However there is a theory that the word tartan is derived from the French word tiretain, which today refers to a cloth woven from wool and linen. Wikipedia gives a very good description of how tartan is made, but the best way of getting a feel for the patterns of tartan is to play around with one of several do-it-yourself tartan designers to be found on the web. I found the best. The extraordinary thing is that if it looks like tartan; it looks scottish.
The visual impact of tartan
Because tartan can be produced easily on a loom, it would have provided ancient civilisations with a quick and easy way of producing coloured patterned cloth.Producing intricate hand stitched patterns is skill and labour intensive, and associated with civilisations with large class differences. In other words, peasants making fabrics for the rich and powerful. The Celts however were a less hierarchical race, and tartan may have provided a way for everyone in their community to be decked in colour. This is a translation of Diodoorus Siculus a Greek historian from around 100BC quoted by the Scottish Tartan Authority; " The way they (the Celts) dress is astonishing; they wear brightly coloured and embroidered shirts with trousers called bracae and cloaks fastened at the shoulder with a broach, heavy in winter, light in summer. These cloaks are striped or checkered in design, with the separate checks close together and in various colours."
There are more modern examples of tartan making an impact independant from its Scottish association. Burberry used the Haymarket check to line their gabardine trenchcoats back in 1924. By 1967 the patented Burberry check started to be used on its own for umbrellas and accessories. It is now an iconic English symbol. Follow this link to a youtube video for an illustration.
Check or tartan shirts are more associated the the USA than Scotland, but they are extremely popular. This a quote from Alice Fisher writing for guardian.co.uk in April 2010; "Topman reports tartan shirt sales are up 49% from last year and up 540% from tow years ago. Currently the store sells the equivalent of four every minute. "They are the simplest way of injecting a stab of colour and pattern to any wardrobe with the minimum of 'fashion' thought," explains Topman design director Gordon Richardson. "
In the same article she writes;"The male love of tartan seems universal. "Men who don't wear patterns or colour wear tartan," says Jeffrey Banks, co-author of Tartan: Romancing the Plaid and executive board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. "And that's international. The Japanese are crazy about it, all architects have a plaid shirt, and every chic Milanese doctor has a tartan scarf."
"The Dress Act"
The single most important event in the history of tartan must be The Dress Act of 1746. After defeating the Jaccobites loyal to Bonny Prince Charlie at the battle of Culloden in 1745, the Government wanted to destroy the clan system of the Scottish Highlands and hence remove their threat. One action taken was to ban the wearing of tartan by Highland men. The ban did not apply to women, lowland Scots or the military. This must represent a huge endorsement to the power of tartan. At that point in history tartan was not a national symbol.
Judging from this painting of the Jaccobite army at Culloden, the Highlanders were proud to wear tartan, but it was not their uniform. Each man is wearing more than one tartan and from soldier to soldier they are all different. Soldiers were identified by different coloured ribbons worn in their bonnets.
The ban lasted for 36 years and I would identify three significant consequences following from it.
Firstly the ban achieved its primary aim; the wearing of tartan in the Highlands largely disappeared, and with it the tradition of local artisan weavers.
The second consequence is the inevitable when something is banned; tartan would have become more intriguing, laying the foundations for the developement its romantic image.
The third consequence was the use of tartan for the uniforms of newly established Highland regiments. With the combined aim of policing Scotland and providing an occupation for the young Highland men who were now refugees following the Highland clearances, the government formed Highland regiments.To this day the Highland Regiments have a worldwide reputation for bravery in battle.They are identified by their kilts and tartan trews and so give tartan a strong military association. This is seen in the use of tartan skirts for school uniforms especially in old fashioned independant schools.
Tartan as a National Identity
Eric Hobsbawm describes much of the folklore surrounding the wearing of tartan as an "invented tradition". His definition is as follows;" 'Invented tradition' is taken to mean a set of practices, normally governed by overtly or tacitly accepted rules and of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behaviour by repetition, which automatically implies continuity with the past. In fact, where possible, they normally attempt to establish continuity with a suitable historic past.... However, insofar as there is such reference to a historic past, the peculiarity of 'invented' traditions is that the continuity with it is largely fictitious. In short, they are responses to novel situations which take the form of reference to old situations, or which establish their own past by quasi-obligatory repetition."
Commentators of the history of tartan often list a series of events that shape tartan's reputation; The setting up of the Highland Society, two years after the "Dress Act" was repealed, which promoted the wearing of tartan; the visit of King George IV to Scotland and its associated tartan pageantry; the influence of the writings of Sir Walter Scott, who romanticised Highland life and tartan dress; the publication in 1842 of Vesticarium Scoticum, a catalogue ancient "clan" tartans which was largely undisputed at the time but later discredited as a hoax; and the pratonage of Queen Victoria who fell in love with Scotland and tartan in particular.
Hence the modern kilt is a representation of the more ancient feileadh-mhor.
The Scottish Tartans Authority even suggests it was invented by an Englishman. Clan tartans and the rules and rituals surrounding them are also a relatively modern invention but based on the theory that ancient local weavers would have had favourite patterns and the colours they used would have been restricted by the locally available natural dyes; the result being that a clansman's tartan may have indicated which district he was from.
The growth of tartan also mirrors the growth of Scotland as a nation. In the late 1700's woollen mills were set up to supply tartan to the millitary. The tartan revival of the nineteenth century enabled these mills to flourish and the subsequent growth of tartan exports brought wealth to the nation. The "branding" of scotland with tartan has subsequently been very important to the tourist industry. Clan tartans in particular have proved very popular in giving identity to displaced families of "Scottish" origin in the New World. A good example of this is when astronaut Alan Bean smuggled a swatch of McBean tartan aboard Apollo 12 to take to the moon.
Modern designers' use of tartan:
Modern designers can make use of both the visual impact of tartan and the power of its national identity to varying degrees.
This example of a tartan designed to promote whisky found on "Fine Expresions" a drinks magazine website is all about identifying with Scotland.
" ART STUDENT PUSHES BOUNDARIES IN TARTAN DESIGN FOR BALLANTINE’S WHISKY"
"Ballantine’s has unveiled a new signature brand tartan created by undergraduate textile design student Leisl Despy. The third biggest Scotch whisky in the world joined forces with Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design in London, to run a competition to design a modern tartan that epitomises the brand’s heritage and charisma."
This advertisemnt for a new collection is perhaps an example of using the Scottishness of tartan and its individual power in roughly equal measures;
"New York Gets a Taste of Tartan Spirit
Modern Scottish Fashion Meets Scottish Heritage"
"A Scottish designer is set to showcase her contemporary tartan collections at an illustrious National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA fundraising event in New York tomorrow (Wednesday 14 April)."
http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/a-celebration-of-scotland-s-treasures-2010.html
The use of tartan in Alexander McQueen's "Highland Rape" is all about its National imagery rather than the look of the fabric itself.
Punk tartan trousers were also born out of wanting to be anti-establishment.The image of tartan as "traditional" and millitary, perhaps more than Scottish, is defaced by its use in ripped trousers worn by punks; a powerful image independant of the actual pattern of the fabric.
Vivienne Westwood, however seems to love the fabric itself. She has gone on to use tartan to produce beautiful designs that are not especially Scottish.
So tartan is a simple classical way of producing coloured pattern. It has broad appeal in its own right. It has, through "invented tradition", become a symbol for Scotland which is also a powerful tool for designers. During this process tartan also became linked with the military, and with royalty. This association can also be used in a positive or negative (anti-establishment) way.
Another opportunity for modern designers however is in its organic roots.Using natural fibres and organic dyes, tartan can still look beautiful, colourful and revive the feel of its celtic origins.
Bibliography:
Bell, Robert (2010) Vivienne Westwood 34 years in fashion [Internet] 29.4.2010,available at nga.gov.au/WESTWOOD/article.cfm [accessed May 2010]
Bolton, Andrew (2010) Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art [Internet],29.4.2010,available at www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/kilt/hd_kilt.htm [accessed May 2010]
Cheape, Hugh (1991) Tartan: The Highland Habit. Edinburgh: National Museums of Scotland 1991
Daily Mail Reporter (2009) Chav-tastic coat of paint for wacky artist's house turned into Burberry shrine [Internet] 19.11.09. available at www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229181/Checking-Artists-tacky-tribute-fashion-house-Burberry.html [Accessed Feb 2010]
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Hobsbawm,Eric(1983). The Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of Scotland, Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger.pp 1-14.
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Ozler,Levent (2010) New York Gets a Taste of Tartan Spirit [Internet] 13.4.2010, available at www.dexigner.com/design_news/a-celebration-of-scotland-s-treasures-2010.html [Accessed May 2010]
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