The Clans and Tartans of Scotland, by Robert Bain (small HC, 1948, spine is intact but loose, $3.50, which is 1/3 the internet price.)
The things I get to investigate...
There are genuine tartans, and not so genuine ones. There are people who have the right to wear tartans, and those who don't.
The original tartan was both a kilt and a plaid, not the separate pieces they now are. Since there were no pockets, men wore waist purses. At first men only wore the tartan and purse, but "bonnets, hose, brogues, dirks, pistols, brooches, buckles and other attachments became added to the costume as time and necessity made it convenient." Original colors, made from vegetable and moss dyes, were soft and warm, unlike modern ones. Also, original tartans were woven from natural wools, not the synthetics of today.
Only if you were from the Highlands should you wear a tartan. Originally there were 40 clans, each with their own tartan. (Some chiefs and their families also had their own.) Eventually, as clans got larger, tartans changed. There were more of them, with special ones for the hunting season. They even told you what social class the wearer was from. Tartans were worn both in summer and winter. (I can see wearing one in the summer, but in the winter? Weren't they cold?)
Luckily, Blain tells us how to dress in a tartan. "It is not necessary now to carry claymores, pistols, and powder horns, although there are still persons who appear to think that it is the correct thing to wear it as it was worn three centuries ago."
Blain also tells us about Scottish social customs, of exchanging children between families to bring unity. On the other hand, clan feuds were bloody and long, and did not spread unity. All these actions were controlled by the men of the clan, as except early on, women had little power.
As you all probably know, even if I didn't, the Scottish Prince Charles was defeated in the 1746 battle of Culloden. The British, to break the power of the clans, banned the wearing of tartans for 36 years. (I'll bet that went over well!)
This book shows examples of more than 80 tartan designs and colors. Each has its own page showing the tartan's unique design and colors, as well as a page on the history of the clan. Now, even if you are not Scottish, how cool is that! Look for this on the new non-fiction table. (L-Scot.)
P.S.- Are you aware that Scotland may soon leave the United Kingdom? There are political conflicts, as well as conflicts regarding how Britain is spending revenue from Scotland's off-shore oil. Who would have thought it.
