Shows and identifies the tartans of Scotland, explains how they are woven, and recounts the myths surrounding their origins.

There are almost 200 Scottish clans in all, each with its own set of tartans. This book provides a short history of each clan accompanied by a picture of at least one of its tartans, and includes lists of various clan associations around the world.'

Tartan has colonized the world. The flexibility of its design and the traditionalism of its symbolism - as well as the travels of the Scots - have taken the fabric around the globe. Traditionally the visual sign of clanship and district, tartan was popularized outside Scotland by the tartan-clad Highland regiments and Queen Victoria's royal endorsement. Hollywood has continued to sustain the romantic fictions of tartan from Brigadoon to Braveheart. At the same time, designers such as Westwood and McQueen have deliberately subverted the traditional and historical associations of the fabric, as have contemporary artists such as Matthew Barney. Post-punk, tartan now turns up in the most surprising places, influencing the conceptual clothing of a generation of Japanese designers such as Watanabe and Takahashi, the stage costumes of Outkast's Andre 3000 and contemporary interior design. Beautifully illustrated and weaving together a story out of history, art, music, film and fashion, Tartan contains everything you ever wanted to know about this most radical and most traditional of fabrics.

William “Braveheart” Wallace did battle in it. Queen Victoria decked Balmoral in it. Madonna donned it to strut around the stage. Tartan, the beloved symbol of kin, clan and nation to the Scots, has evolved into the one of the world’s favorite fabrics. Serving as inspiration for designers of everything from haute couture to furniture, tartan mania is in full swing. Fashion world insiders Jeffrey Banks and Doria de La Chapelle have written the definitive book on tartan, bringing together a dizzying array of images to tell the story of tartan’s humble beginnings to its current status as the ultimate emblem of great taste and high fashion. In addition to chronicling tartan enthusiasts from every age–including the incomparably fashionable Duke of Windsor whose closet was jam-packed with tartan kilts–Tartan profiles the designers who’ve made tartan an integral part of their work, from punk-inspired provocateurs Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen to the more refined fashions of titan Ralph Lauren and Burberry. The perfect mix of a fashion and lifestyle book, this volume explores the global phenomena of tartan mania.

Tartan and Tweed is a comprehensive look at the chequered history of tartan and tweed from their origins in the Scottish Highlands to their reinvention, growing and continued popularity and use in contemporary fashion design, music, art and film. Both tweed and tartan are fabrics with a strong cultural identity and history. But they have been reinvented to create multiple meanings, particularly when used in street fashions and in haute couture to mimic or parody the aristocracy, and to act as a subversive symbol of rebellion. This lavishly illustrated book focuses on fashion over the last century whilst looking back at the journey these fabrics have made from traditional cloth to stylish fabrics. We follow the early popularity of tartan and tweed including the fabrics' connections from crofters and clans to aristocracy, and look at tweed's dramatic recovery during an economic crisis and its subsequent re-invention as desirable luxury fashion fabric. The book explores the use of tartan and tweed in fashion in the collections of leading designers including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Chanel who have used these textiles in a fresh, subversive way, while also paying tribute to their history. Making use of first person sources, historic documents, paintings and fashion photographs, this is a complete overview of tartan and tweed in Scotland and beyond.