Bulldog Tartan!

Wondering what to give to a friend or family member graduating from the University of Georgia next week? Look no further than UGA’s very own Scottish tartan.

Tartan’s pattern of interlocking stripes, often mistaken for plaid, dates back to the third or fourth century A.D. Tartan became so popular in Scottish Highlands culture that commercial weavers began naming the patterns instead of numbering them. Over time, those names began to represent a connection between the wearer and Scottish clans.

Today, tartans can identify individuals as members of certain groups, now including the University of Georgia.

For UGA’s tartan (modeled above by Student Alumni Council member Jasmine Johnson ’16), UGA graduate Walter Estes (AB ’77, MED ’98) developed and donated a tartan design using red and black. The College of Family and Consumer Sciences then secured official recognition by the Scottish Register of Tartans. After approval, a student committee chose the neck tie for men and a silk scarf for women as the ideal products to first be developed from the tartan design. Today, there are several products to choose from, including a pocket square, bow tie, tote bag and cummerbund.

Click here to shop for official UGA tartan products – when you do, the royalties support scholarships and programs for FACS students in the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors!