Though I am clinging onto these final long days of summertime bliss and my casual and light summer wardrobe with all of my might, I have to admit I’m beginning to feel a little tinge of excitement about some of the trends coming up on the fashion’s Fall horizon-in particular PLAID.
Rocking plaid on the Fall runways of Alexander McQueen, Y-3 and D&G - keeping it fresh-designers mixed the colors, shapes and textures of their favorite tartans.
There has always been something that has excited me about seeing and wearing this traditional Highland fabric. Styled one way, plaid can be quite conservative- yet styled another it is suddenly ultra edgy. Just think about the late 1970′s-early 1980′s when both “preppies” and “punk rockers” ruled street fashion- two very different points of view, yet both sides equally clad in plaid!
I wonder how ‘mummy and dads’ from The Official Preppy Handbook felt with about sharing their favorite fabric with London music ‘anarchists’ such as Malcolm McLearen?
Lucky for the preppies though their was a distinct difference in the plaid of choice. The preppies had their love of colorful, pastel plaids- while street kids hanging around Oxford Circus and NYC’s East Village- were definitely drawn to darker more traditional plaids.
Chances are these two don’t ‘summer’ in the same place
Grunge and Country music also embraced wearing plaid. When Seattle bands like Nirvana, Mudhoney and Alice In Chains hit it big- so did wearing flannel plaid shirts ( whether it was the influence of Neil Young’s famous flannel wearing wardrobe or surrounding lumberjacks that they all were emulating is up for debate). The grunge plaid hit high fashion circa 1992 when Marc Jacobs took the world by storm with his “grunge collection” for Perry Ellis.
wow I remember this Vogue spread like it was yesterday- yikes!
But of course, at least in the USA, plaid clothing will forever be kin to country music!
Jessica Simpson- taking the leap from pop to country music this year was photographed for the cover of Elle magazine- wearing what? Plaid of course ( in fact almost the whole spread finds here in checks and stripes!)
When plaids first originated centuries ago, the colors of a plaid fabric signified the region where it was weaved. Then they began to signify ‘clans’ ( think William Wallace in Braveheart) up until today while almost anyone who has a last name of Celtic decent can be linked to a specific plaid.
I guess it would be wise to be wearing the same plaid if you ran into this guy!
Interesting enough not all plaids can be called ‘tartans’. Tartans are exclusively Scottish and are recognized by their uniform of checks and stripes ( i.e. tartans will look the same no matter which way you turn the fabric).
Today, sports teams and organizations throughout the British Isles are recognized by their own plaid and let’s face it some plaids are so darn famous- just the sight of them make you recognize the label.
Fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen and Ralph Lauren have all made iconic names for themselves thanks to great talent and a little fabric pattern called plaid!
Oh Dame Westwood- how I love thee and thy signature plaids!
If you’re a plaid lover too, then you’ll love this book that came out a few years back…. ‘check’ it out for more plaid facts and fashions!
On the top of my personal list of plaid to acquire this season- tights ( like on this cover ) and a fitted fall jacket ( to be worn with my plaid VivenneWestwood bag I scored at a consignment store a few years back! )
Are you mad for plaid as well this Fall?
fashion images from Style.com
I had the pleasure of getting a piece of my clan tartan while visiting Edinburgh a few years ago . There was also a wonderful collection of tartan and plaid in the Anglophiles costume exhibit at the Met a few years ago (MIss Westwood was heavily represented) . Your entertaining article makes me pine for my favorite pleated skirt that I wore with saddle shoes in 2nd grade.
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