Tartan Fabric is Not Just for Scots

Tartan fabric, or simply tartan, is a pattern that consists of criss-crossed vertical and horizontal bands made up of multiple colours. The original tartan fabric was wool, but now a variety of different materials are used. Tartan fabric is made with by weaving alternating bands of coloured thread at 90o angles to each other. This causes visible diagonal lines where the different colours cross, giving the appearance of new colours being blended from the original ones. The colour blocks that result from the weave form what is known as a sett.

Tartan Fabric and Scotland

Tartan fabric is most closely associated with Scotland, since Scottish kilts are almost always made of tartan fabric. While certain tartan fabrics are associated with specific Scottish clans, up until the middle of the 19th century tartan fabrics were mainly associated with specific regions or districts than clans. This is because the weavers of tartan fabric would produce garments for local tastes and would use whatever natural dyes were abundant in that area.

Wales, Ireland, Canada and the United States

Tartan fabric is not exclusively Scottish, however. Wales and Ireland also have strong ties to tartan fabric, and most provinces and territories in Canada also have an official tartan fabric. Surprisingly, there are also many states in the United States of America that have their own official tartan fabric as well. States that have their own official tartans are as follows:

* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Mexico
* North Carolina
* Oklahoma
* Texas
* Virginia
* Washington

It is estimated that there are approximately 3500 to 7000 different types of tartan fabric, with around 150 new tartan fabric designs being created each year. There is also widely considered to be a certain etiquette that should be followed when wearing tartan fabric which depends on the pattern whether through clan, family, surname, or military unit. That does not stop some from merely choosing their tartan fabric based on personal taste however. There are no specific rules as to who can or cannot wear a certain tartan fabric, though certain tartan fabric patterns are protected by trademark law, such as the Burberry Check, and cannot be produced by another manufacturer.

Although tartan fabric is mainly associated with Scotland, it is popular in a variety of other countries too. Whether you are looking for fabric for traditional or for fashion reasons, you are sure to find a piece of tartan fabric that meets your taste.