tartan

Tartan is a textile pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. The pattern, known as a sett, is produced by weaving with two or more colored threads, creating repeating blocks of color when the fabric is viewed at a distance. Tartan fabrics are traditionally woven from wool and are most closely associated with Scotland, though the pattern has been adopted worldwide in a wide range of fabrics and products.

Historically, tartan patterns appeared in Scottish textiles before the 18th century and became linked to particular communities and districts as a way to identify allegiance. After the Jacobite uprising, the Dress Act of 1746 prohibited Highland dress, including tartan; in the 19th century, tartan fashion was revived under royal and aristocratic patronage, helping to popularize numerous clan, district, regimental, and personal patterns. Today many tartans are officially registered in the Scottish Register of Tartans, which records setts and ownership.

In practice, a tartan sett is a defined sequence of colored stripes that is repeated across the fabric. Variations arise from different materials, weaves, or color palettes, and from the same sett rendered in warp and weft at different thread counts. While strongly tied to Scottish heritage, tartans have become a global design motif used in kilts, scarves, blankets, fashion, and branding.