Scottish Highlanders

Before there was plaid, there was tartan plaid. Dating back to the 16th century, Scottish Highlanders wore plaid to identify their clan. It was a symbol of patriotism. In fact, in 1745 it was banned for 37 years in an effort to wipe out the clan system. In any case, it is one textile that has always represented strength and security. This is a colored print of the raising of the Gordon Highlanders from the National Museums of Scotland.

Feminine Fashion

The face of tartan started to change when Queen Victoria set up a home in Scotland and the textile made its way into feminine fashion. Not too long after, the incredibly fashionable Duke of Windsor fell in love with the pattern and it began to become mainstream. The ‘40s and ‘50s were big decades for plaid styles.

Punk Rock

Then in the late ‘70s the punk scene hit and plaid had a whole new meaning with the anti-establishment movement. Vivienne Westwood embraced the look in her fashions with slashed seams and safety pins. It reared its head in the ‘90s with Nirvana and the grunge scene. It’s still a hot look in rock. Here is Katy Perry performing at T in the Park Music Festival in Scotland over last summer.

Runway Ready

Plaid is going strong. The predicative trend books in the FIDM Library say that plaids of all types will still be huge in Spring 2011, quieted down by soft colors with touches of neutral. The ever fashion-forward Marc Jacobs is ahead of the curve and is already showing this trend on the runway with this piece (on left) from his Spring 2010 Ready-To-Wear collection.

Cabin Comfort

Plaid has come a long way from the battle fields of Scotland. Somehow it has morphed through the years to represent cozy comfort, especially in interiors. Ralph Lauren has really cornered the market on this, as seen here in his new Indian Cove Lodge home collection.

Street Style

As plaid makes its way through the decades and around the world, it just keeps reinventing itself. Here it is in a wide check on the streets of the Left Bank in Paris, as documented on The Sartorialist, a street style blog by Scott Schuman. (Read a Q&A with Scott on our blog.) This photo was taken on October 13, 2009. What will the next decade bring? We can hardly wait for our new crop of designers!

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