Choosing a tartan might seem confusing at first, but it can be fun and easy once you understand how to do it. Some people want to find a Tartan with colors representing their heritage, but some just prefer tartans because of their colors. That is up to you. The next thing you need to consider is the material you want to use. If you want a common, weighty wool or a medium weight wool, you can go from there. It is important to note that certain mills have only certain tartans in certain weights, so if you want a specific and special pattern, you might have to go with whatever sort of material in which it is made. In general, the path to take is choosing the ideal weight and then going from there.

 If the exact shade of the tartan is important to you, such as if you want to match it to another piece of clothing, it is good to find out which mill has manufactured the other garment to ensure that the same tartan is produced to match yours; sometimes, the "same" tartan from different mills can have slight variations, or even a large one. The reason for this is that colors and thread counts can often be defined in loose terms, just like wallpapers and paints. It is advisable that you order a swatch of the tartan or tartans for this reason before you have your kilt made.