Quote of the day--In America, anyone can wear tartan or plaid. From wikipedia.

Tartan etiquette Burberry Check Since the Victorian era, authorities on tartan have stated that there is an etiquette to wearing tartan, specifically tartan attributed to clans or families. This concept of the entitlement to certain tartans has led to the term of universal tartan, or free tartan, which describes tartan which can be worn by anyone. Traditional examples of such are Black Watch, Caledonian, Hunting Stewart, and Jacobite tartans.[67] In the same line of opinion, some tartan attributed to the British Royal Family are claimed by some to be "off limits" to non-royalty.[68][69] Even so, there are no rules on who can, or cannot, wear a particular tartan. Note that some modern tartans are protected by trademark law, and the trademark proprietor can, in certain circumstances, prevent others from selling that tartan.[12] The "Burberry Check" of the English fashion house, first designed in early 1920s, is an instantly recognisable tartan that is very well known around the world[70] and is an example of a tartan that is protected.[note 14] Many books on Scottish clans list such rules and guidelines.[12] One such opinion is that people not bearing a clan surname, or surname claimed as a sept of a clan, should not wear the tartan of their mother's clan.[73] This opinion is enforced by the fact that in the Scottish clan system, the Lord Lyon states that membership to a clan technically passes through the surname. This means that children who bear their father's surname belong to the father's clan (if any), and that children who bear their mother's surname (her maiden name) belong to their mother's clan (if any).[74] Also, the Lord Lyon states that a clan tartan should only be worn by those who profess allegiance to that clan's chief.[75] Some clan societies even claim that certain tartans are the personal property of a chief or chieftain, and in some cases they allow their clansfolk "permission" to wear a tartan.[note 15] According to the Scottish Tartans Authority—which is closely associated with the Scottish tartan industry—the Balmoral tartan should not be worn by anyone who is not part of the British Royal Family. Even so, some weavers outside of the United Kingdom ignore the "longstanding convention" of the British Royal Family's "right" to this tartan. The society also claims that non-royals who wear this tartan are treated with "great disdain" by the Scottish tartan industry.[77][note 16] Generally, a more liberal attitude is taken by those in the business of selling tartan, stressing that anyone may wear any tartan they like. These "rules" are mere conventions; there are no laws regarding the wearing of any tartan.