Introduction to tartan The origin of tartan
Introduction to tartan, the origin of tartan. Plaid is a pattern composed of criss-crossed ribbons. It originated from wool fabric, especially Scottish tartan. People today always associate the origin of tartan with Scotland, but this is not the case. According to textile historian E.J.W. Barber, from 400 BC to 100 BC, the ancient Celtic civilization flourished. The Hallstatt culture in Central Europe once produced plaids and plaids. Tartan-like fabrics; even 3,000-year-old mummies in the Taklimakan Desert in western China were found wearing tartan-like leggings.
Among the earliest records of tartan in the UK, there is a tartan called “Falkirk”, and its history can be traced back to the 3rd century. “Falkirk” was discovered in Stirling, Scotland. This tartan uses a simple checkerboard design and is composed of natural dark and light wool. Early tartans like this have been “fixed” by historians in the pre-Roman era and were popular among residents of the northern Roman provinces and Jutland in northern Europe.
Most of the tartans we see today were formed in Scotland in the 16th century; it was not until the end of the 17th century that tartan was gradually used in a standardized way. The Scottish writer Martin Martin wrote in his book “Description of the Western Isles of Scotland” published in 1703 that Scottish tartan can be used to distinguish the inhabitants of different areas. “The highlanders of the islands and the mainland dress differently.” Similarly, among the islands, the ‘meridian density (the method of arranging it vertically and horizontally)’ and the color of the various tartans are also different.”
In an era when men wore both trousers and skirts, some men defended their ancient national dress, a knee-length skirt called a “Kilt”, mostly made of tartan. Made today, such skirts are mostly called kilts. “Kilt” is the clothing of the Scottish Highlanders. Since the 17th century, “Kilt” has been designated as a military uniform and has become a symbol of Scotland.
In 1707, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland reached a complete merger. As a Catholic political and military group that supported the Stuart monarch James II and his descendants in regaining the British throne, Jacobitism also received support from Scottish clans and participated in the “Highlander Revolt.” In 1746, shortly after suppressing the Scottish uprising, the Hanoverian Dynasty promulgated the “Dress Act”, which stipulated that except for Scottish soldiers joining the British army, other Scots could only dress in English style. , and it is strictly forbidden to wear the national costume “Kilt”. Violators will be sentenced to 6 months in prison or even 7 years of exile. A series of restrictive measures, such as the “skirt ban” and the ban on Gaelic, aroused dissatisfaction among the Scots. After a protest movement launched by the Highland Society of London (founded in 1778), the act was repealed in 1782. The Bannockburn company of William Wilson & Sons became the leading fabric manufacturer. In fact, as early as around 1770, the company became a tartan supplier to the British army and received supplies from the clan area. Weaving materials and samples so that “completely original patterns” can be reproduced. Until 1822, “Bannock” recorded the secrets of more than 200 tartans, some of which are collected in the Mitchell Library (Mitchell Library) in Glasgow today. Some tartans were only temporarily named, and some of them were classics. The secret is just a textile number.
By the 19th century, the “Highland Romance” inspired by the Ossian poetry of Scottish writer James Macpherson and the writings of Sir Walter Scott The Highland romantic revival movement made tartan more widely popular among the people. In addition, the reason why tartan became popular was also due to George IV’s visit to Edinburgh in 1822. As the first monarch to visit Scotland in 171 years, George IV’s array of “feathers and Scottish tartans” drove the demand for tartan. At that time, many novel clan tartans were born, making it an important Scottish national costume and no longer exclusive to the Scottish Highlands or Islands.
More than 20 years after George IV’s visit, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert once again set foot on the territory of the Scottish Highlands and purchased Balmoral Castle and hired Local architects transformed the castle into a “Scottish Baronial” style. Albert designed the interiors himself. He made extensive use of carpets decorated with red “Royal Stewart” and green “Hunting Stewart” tartans, and “Stewart” plaid was used for curtains and upholstery. It was this “renovation” that led Albert to become the designer of the “Balmoral” tartan, a style still used in many royal artifacts today. Victoria and Albert spent considerable time at Balmoral, taking part in many “Highland” activities. Whenever Victoria attended an event, she was greeted by members of the royal family wearing bagpipes and Highland dress, while Prince Albert himself was more frequent at the Highland Games.
The law prohibiting skirts once gave birth to the “idea of distinguishing clans by tartan”. As the Highland regiments expanded, their tartan uniforms could be distinguished. It was not until the 19th century that the concept of “clan tartan” was adopted. The concept originated from the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which was depicted in David Morier’s famous painting. Soldiers wearing various tartans during battles. According to portraits from the time, the use of tartans depended not only on the clan of the wearer, but also on the region in which they were located.
The naming and registration of the “Official Clan Tartan” began on April 8, 1815, initiated by the London Highland Association. All clan leaders were respectfully asked to “dress up in clan tartan and wear To demonstrate their nobility and as part of the family crest.” At that time, some clan leaders did not yet have tartans in their names, or even knew nothing about tartans. A baron named Alexander Macdonald wrote to the Highland Association requesting a “Macdonald Tartan”. He said in the letter: “I don’t care what the final Macdonald tartan looks like. I ask the association to put all your efforts into using your strength to create the perfect pattern. It will be used in my family emblem to bless me.” Clan.” Today’s tartans and “clan tartans” are an important part of a Scottish clan, and almost all Scottish families have several tartan patterns to their names, and some clans even have an “official” tartan. While anyone could create a tartan and name it, only the clan leader had the authority to make it the “official” pattern. In addition to clan tartans, today there are also tartans created by individuals, families, regions, institutions and businesses, and there are even specific commemorative tartans for certain ethnic groups. Of course, tartans are still inextricably linked to the military. Contact, many military units today – especially those within the Commonwealth, still use tartan as their uniform.
Tartan was widely used in commerce during the Victorian period. Smart businessmen call items with tartan patterns “Tartanware”. Tartan patterns are used in various common furniture items, such as jewelry boxes, snuff boxes, tableware, sewing machine accessories and office supplies. Scotland Local business owners also give them to customers as gifts. Among them, “Stewart”, “McDonald”, “McGregor”, “MacBeth and Prince Charlie” are some of the frequently used plaid patterns. In the early 1920s, the “Burberry plaid” woven into a three-thick and one-thin cross pattern composed of beige, gray, white and red is regarded as the beginning of “fashion plaid”. Fashion commentators believe that “the rich combination of tartan brings a classic, unobtrusive and elegant feeling to this otherwise unknown fashion brand.”
The school totems in the plaid bear witness to the history of major institutions of higher learning, and the school totems were also one of the first patterns to be used in suits. In 1853, the prototype of today’s suit – the “Lavonkee Jacket” was born in the British upper class in the Victorian era. At that time, people had a lot of red tape about social dress. After dinner, men often gathered in the reading room next to the restaurant. Or smoking, chatting, drinking in the lounge, formal formal dress does seem out of date at this time, and a loose tailless jacket was born. After the 19th century, students at Oxford, Cambridge and other universities began to wear this kind of jacket. Soon after, “quasi-uniform” plaid suits printed with the school’s tartan became increasingly popular. The French fashion brand Lanvin appeared in the era when suits were just taking shape. Its tailor Frédéric Gelberg believes that suits have not changed much since their birth. To this day, the only things that have changed are The material, the size of the collar, the length of the trouser legs and the simplicity of the accessories. “Usually, men’s first three suits are mostly in solemn or single colors. Of course, this is determined by daily needs.” Gilberg said, “But many people have begun to agree that the patterns on suits, especially plaids, are It will bring some lightness to the old-fashioned tone of the suit.” Gianni Basso, who is also a suit tailor, comes from Pal Zileri (Count Riley) in Italy. In his opinion, suits have always been in fashion. The four trends of “dark, bright, plaid and stripes” have bounced back and forth for decades. He said: “When I received orders from customers at Lane Crawford in Beijing, I found that Asian customers are usually reluctant to try plaid suits like European and American customers. Even if they choose plaid, they prefer plaid dark patterns, Welsh houndstooth, etc. These seem to be relatively low-key and common patterns. In fact, bright plaids will make the outfit more layered, especially when paired with corresponding shirts and ties, it will give people wearing suits some interest.”
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Tartan Tartan Introduction
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