How to wear Tartan and Plaid

Updated: Jun 6, 2023

"Plaids are any crisscross patterns of two or more colours;Tartans are plaids with a name to identify a community;Checks are plaids with a regular pattern, usually of only two colours." - Clan.com

So, basically, I think it's safe to say we can get away with calling almost everything a plaid unless you know it's specific to a certain historical clan. Either way, I am obsessed and love them so much. I am a huge fan of colour and print, and funnily enough I tend to seek out the darker pieces with varying prints on, which seem to be predominantly #plaid/check/#tartan etc. There is an element of heritage luxe as we know from a lot of the print's history, but also the punk, rebellious and designer elements that we all know from #VivienneWestwood and #AlexanderMcQueen.

There's an excellent exhibition on at the V&A Dundee which I would skip and jump to if I was nearer by. Their video is amazing, and really grounds the feeling of identity from clothing and pattern history. Click the link here to see.

All in all, tartans and plaids go with just about anything and you can wear them anyway you like. They are classic and timeless. A #vintage plaid piece could be preppy, punky, formal or informal depending on how you wear and style it. It has a kind of permanence in our history of clothing and some suggest it goes back further than the Scottish clans we relate it to.