for instance, tartan made a resurgence in its use in punk fashion. in the late 1970s, punk music was a way for youth in the british isles to voice their discontent with the ruling class. the unorthodox use of tartan, which had long been associated with authority and gentility, was then seen as the expression of discontent against modern society. in this way tartan, worn unconventionally, became an anti-establishment symbol.