It seems as if everyone is falling for plaid these days. Tartan is certainly turning trendy this season – and it’s not the first time. It appeared in the fall runway collections of designers like Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton and Tory Burch. It’s no surprise: From Chanel’s famous tweeds to Alexander McQueen’s voluminous gowns to Tommy Hilfiger’s preppy sportswear, the interplay of colors and crossing lines in a tartan weave allow designers to communicate a range of emotions. Think of the outrageous punk statements from Vivienne Westwood or the staid, aristocratic panache from Ralph Lauren.
This print is no stranger to the fashion world – it has been around since 15th and 16th centuries, where Scottishmen used the print to identify different clans, aspects of Highland society and political allegiance. And then when Queen Victoria first laid eyes on it, she turned tartan into high fashion, wearing it to even the most formal of events.
Today, designers reinterpret the age-old trend, using tartan on shoes to suits. Here are some of my favorite plaid pieces for the fall, including the Naven Plaid Skirt and Blazer I chose to wear while exploring never-seen-sights in Los Angeles one day with my girlfriends.