Inspired by The Nova Scotia Tartan

The Nova Scotia Tartan is a great example of how tartan can tell a story without belonging to a single family or clan. Instead, it represents an entire province. Its landscape, history, and people — and that’s exactly what makes it so special.

History of the Nova Scotia Tartan

The tartan was created by Bessie Murray for an agricultural exhibition in Truro. The tartan was about everyday life in Nova Scotia rather than ancestry.

In 1956, the Nova Scotia Tartan made history by becoming Canada’s first provincial tartan, officially registered in Scotland. This was the first tartan to be registered in Scotland that did not originate from there. A few years later, in 1963, it was formally adopted by Nova Scotia. That milestone opened the door for tartans to become a meaningful symbol of regional identity across Canada.

Each colour in the Nova Scotia Tartan reflects a part of the province’s natural and historical landscape:

Blue represents the sea.

Light green symbolizes the forests.

Dark green stands for the coniferous forests and evergreens.

Gold comes from Nova Scotia’s Royal Charter.

Red represents the Lion Rampant from the provincial crest.

White reflects the provinces granite rocks.

Its success inspired other Canadian provinces to design their own tartans, including Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Ontario. Nova Scotia set the template for how Canadian regions could express their identity through tartan. Today, the Nova Scotia Tartan is worn at cultural events, celebrations, and cermonies, continuing to reflect the prvoince's deep ties to land, sea and history.

Why We Chose the Nova Scotia Tartan for Our Nightshirts

At first glance, you might wonder why a flannel company based in Banff would choose the Nova Scotia Tartan for our nightshirts. After all, Banff is surrounded by mountains, not ocean. But for us, the connection runs deeper than geography.The Nova Scotia Tartan isn’t tied to a single family, it belongs to everyone. It was designed to represent a place, its landscape, and the everyday lives of the people who live there. That idea immediately resonated with us. Our nightshirts aren’t about formality or tradition, they’re about comfort, belonging, and feeling at home wherever you are. As a Canadian company, we wanted to use a tartan that reflects shared identity rather than ancestry.

While Nova Scotia and the Rockies look very different, they share a stong appreciation for the outdoors. Those are the environments flannel was made for. There is something timeless about the Nova Scotia Tartan. It was created to reflect rural life and practical living, which aligns perfectly with how we think about our nightshirts. A good nightshirt should feel lived-in, comfortable, and dependable. The Nova Scotia Tartan nightshirts were made in both a long length and a knee length to have a style for everyone.

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