The Kiltmakery and ScotClans were delighted to be approached by the 494th Fighter Squadron – the Panthers – to create a tartan of their own, followed by traditionally hand-sewn kilts made from the finished cloth.
For us, creating a new tartan is about much more than choosing colours and creating a pattern. A tartan should tell a story. It should represent the people who wear it, their shared identity and the connections that brought the design to life.
For the 494th Fighter Squadron, that story began with the Kerr tartan.
From the Kerr Tartan to the Panthers’ Own Design
The Kerr tartan provided the initial inspiration for the new design, giving us a connection to traditional Scottish tartan while allowing us to create something distinctive for the squadron.
Working with the Panthers’ striking colours of black and red, we developed a sett that reflected the bold visual identity of the 494th while retaining the balance and character of a traditional tartan.
Black gives the design a strong foundation, while the red running through the sett immediately connects the cloth with the Panthers and gives the finished tartan its distinctive presence.
The challenge with any new tartan is finding that balance: respecting the traditions and structure of tartan while creating something that belongs unmistakably to the people it has been designed for.
From Tartan Design to Woven Cloth
Seeing a tartan move from the design stage to woven cloth is always a special moment.
What begins as an arrangement of colours and threads becomes something tangible – a piece of cloth that can represent a shared identity for many years to come.
For the 494th Fighter Squadron, the finished tartan created the foundation for the next part of the project: turning that cloth into kilts.
Hand-Sewn by The Kiltmakery
Once the tartan had been woven, the cloth came to The Kiltmakery, where it was transformed into traditional hand-sewn kilts for the Panthers.
There is something particularly satisfying about completing the whole journey – from helping to create a new tartan with ScotClans to cutting, pleating and stitching that same cloth by hand at The Kiltmakery.
Traditional kiltmaking is a highly skilled craft. Each kilt requires hours of careful work, with the cloth shaped and the pleats meticulously formed and stitched by hand.
It means every finished kilt carries two stories: the story represented within the tartan itself and the story of the Scottish craft used to make it.
The Panthers in Tartan
Military history and tartan have been intertwined for centuries, making this a particularly meaningful commission for us.
While the 494th Fighter Squadron's new tartan represents a modern military unit, it uses a centuries-old Scottish tradition to express something timeless – identity, belonging and the bond between those who serve together.
For ScotClans and The Kiltmakery, projects like this are exactly why we are passionate about what we do.
We don't simply want to preserve Scotland's traditions by looking backwards. We want to see them continue to evolve, creating new stories and new connections while keeping the skills and craftsmanship behind them alive.
From the Kerr-inspired beginnings of the design to the Panthers' bold black and red, and finally to kilts carefully stitched by hand, this has been a wonderful project to bring to life.
A new tartan for the Panthers – designed with meaning, woven in Scotland and made into kilts by hand.
